PND and not ready to go back

[mumof2children]

i am suffering with PND and just started tablets for.

i am due back in work in 5 weeks time..... but i really don't feel ready, but can not afford not to go back.

anyone else feel this way

Would you force yourself to go back to work on two broken legs and a paracetamol a day if you weren't yet steady on your crutches?

Its exactly the same. If you are too ill and have to take some time to get used to using the crutches, you can't force yourself back into work - or you will just make your legs worse.

On the other hand - five weeks is a hell of a long time on ADs. Everything could have (hopefully would have!!) turned around by then.

Best of luck.

Sensible advice from ErikaMaye. No need to worry about it now. You will probably feel much better in the next 2/3 weeks and in the unlikley event that you do not, then it is back to the doctor for a sick line. Try not to dwell on it but instead concentrate on enjoying the time you have left at home with your DC.

I was really ill with depression towards the end of my pregnancy and throughout my whole maternity leave after having my DD and was signed off by my GP. You need to make sure that you are well before you go back and to give the tablets time to kick in and to get you back on an even keel.

I would say take the time you need to get well and then maybe a bit more as feeling well when at home is entirely different to feeling well and having to deal with all the work/life issues as well.

Look after yourself; PND is just awful.

Hopefully now you have been diagnosed the ADs will help you feel better soon.

Also do you think there is any possibility that going back to work might actually help with the PND, by making you feel more "normal" somehow - possibly grasping at straws here but I wonder if this has helped anyone?

It would be worth checking out the financial situation, is it possible that going back even for a week and then being signed off sick would work better than being signed off whilst on maternity leave? Does anyone know about this?

my works will not accept a sick note if you are off less than 12 months with a baby...due to maternity leave being 12 months ( 3 month unpaid) so i would have to take additinol maternity pay iykwim.

hopefully when i go back it will help me... but i am dreading it.
thanks for the replys

mumof2children, I don't think your works have any choice but to accept a sicknote.

Hello, I suffer from PND too and I am due back at work in less than four weeks. I am not looking forward to it either!
Work has been a massive source of anxiety since I announced my pregnancy. I have two grievances on the go.
And I have just had my dose of antidepressants doubled as it seemed to have stopped working.
But on the other hand, I think my baby boy will enjoy nursery and after a year I need a break too. Thankfully I am only going back three days a week so I'll keep a good work-life balance.
I am hoping that, now I am a mother, my focus has changed completely and I won't care so much about work, just do the hours, do my job well and leave and not let the politics get to me.

Hi, just wanted to say that I went back to work after having PND and it was the best thing I ever did. I started out with really low confidence and paranoia but after a few weeks it just melted away and I felt happier. Initially I didn't feel ready but it was fine.

Also I thought DS would be happier in nursery without his miserable mummy. He was fine. A happier mum equals happier kid.

Hope it works out for you.

In an attempt to be positive, I wanted to say that I felt like that for the second half of my mat leave (took the whole year off). Was absolutely dreading it... terrified about it, didn't want to leave DS.

I've been on ADs since DS was about 6mo, had counselling, and I just couldn't imagine going back.

Once I'd been back a day, I felt so much better. I don't know what kind of job you have, but it may be that it could actually help (don't want to be presumptious at all, just explaining how I felt)

one thing is to make sure you're really happy with childcare, so it's one less thing you have to worry about.

oh, and re your point about your work not accepting a sick note - you probably would have to set a date to go back, have normal salary kick back in, and then your normal employment rules kick in.

Can't remember all the details, but if you aren't back on full salary, then they can ask that you just take more mat leave (I'm sure someone with more knowledge will be along soon)