Post Partum Depression - Colorado Springs, CO

I take a natual supplement 5-HTP. My dr. prescibed it since I am reactive to my drugs. It has help with my depression. It is Tryptophan. I take 100 mg in the morning and 100mg at night. If you take to much you get diarria, but it helps. It is natural. You could try it and if it works great if not go with the Zoloft or something. Just be healthy for your baby.
C. B

K.- I feel for you. My PPD ent undiagnoised for a year. I spent the first year with my daughter locked in my bedroom. I didn't want to get up at all. I went to work and could function but, as soon as I got home-in the room we went. I cried, I sobbed, I pouted, I finally talked to my doctor and he prescribed one antidepressant after another...finally prozac. It was as if a blanket had been lifted off my head! I was nursing and it had no effect on my baby but, it had a huge effect on me! I 'm scared to think of what could have happened had it gotten worse.

You do need to take care of you! A baby is no good without a mother. Your kids need you-especially without dad around.

Hang in there! Good Luck! Please email me if you need to blow off steam-H.

HUGS! PPD is hard deployments are hard and doing both together is hard. I haven't done it with a baby since I lost mine. Which was hard. Dh left just as the PPD was kicking into full gear. You don't want it to get to the point you do feel like harming yourself or anyone else or even to the point you just don't care. Call militaryonesource get into a therapist to help you talk through things. Mine let me bring my dd if I had to. You should also have a key spouse for your squadron (I'm assuming you are Air Force bc you are in colorado springs...if I am wrong they are called something else) I am our squadrons Key Spouse--so I know the program is there. If you don't know who it is call your First Shirt, if you don't know who that is call your husbands shop, get the first shirts number and get ahold of your Key Spouse. There are people willing to help out, that have volunteered to do that. I watch ladies kids a lot for them to go to doctors appointments, to finish externships etc. Also does your base have a moms group? I'd recommend joining so that you have other military moms to be talking to. All moms are great but military frienships really help me through my dh's deployments. Other friendships are nice so you don't have to talk shop all the time but sometimes it is just so critical to have another mom who says yeah, I am without or have been without my husband, I know how that feels.
and you know they really do.
I haven't been on Zoloft, I did Celexa. I have had to do it for 3 different PPD episodes and am still on it right now. I breastfed my dd while on it and she is now 2.5 and you wouldn't know. There is such a minute amount that goes into the breastmilk.
It is so important to take care of yourself while your husband is gone so you can be the single parent. You can't do that if you are broken down and crying all the time. It would be nice if we could crawl in a hole and dissappear on those days but we can't. Go get yourself some bath salts they will help provide some sanity and take the meds, be prepared to not notice a difference for a few weeks.
In the meantime get ahold of military one source or go straight through Tricare's providers to get to a therapist in your area. Use Military one source, and your family readiness center--go to the Hearts Apart activities. If you don't know about this stuff email me and I will help you find the resources. It's hard to reach out when you feel like this but it's so important that you do. You don't have to do it alone. You really don't. If your base doesn't take care of you I'll raise a stink for you! :) Let me know if you need someone to talk to vent to etc. I'm here.
It's a crazy ride these deployments but somehow we get through them. it doesn't feel like it right now but it will be okay. You can do this. and if you need me, I will help you through it.

I never experienced PPD until my 3rd child. There were also some things situationally that I was very unhappy with and didn't know which might be which. I went to the doctor and filled out all the depression paperwork they ask for. She suggested Zoloft, but I was also afraid due to nursing. I started counceling instead, but it wasn't helping and eventually gave into the meds. I took them as long as I could stand it. Even though I'd researched it and had received mostly feedback that it was safe, it just never sat right with me...I really don't know why. I finally gave it up and muddled through as best as I could. I remembered my SIL having it and calling me crying and crying before I experienced this myself. What I did know was that my children, anyone's children are better off with a serene parent than a depressed one. She'd received a lot of pressure to do anything to continue nursing and she felt trapped and miserable. I finally said, "Your baby needs a happy mom more than a boob!" I know that's putting it very simply, but I remembered that and I felt relief. I stopped nursing (at 6 months), got back on the meds, entered into healthy living and got my act back together. I've never regretted my path through it all. I don't know what's right or what's wrong, but I tend to believe that if I find myself in a place that feels serene, I'm doing something right. (((hug)))

I think asking your friends is not a bad thing at all. True friends would truly understand. Being a single mom with two kids I forget to ask for help or think I am being a burden. I found out everyone is willing to help, just sometimes you need to ask for a break! :)
I took Zoloft after my first due to the crying and worrying about every little thing. I delivered her two days before 9/11 and was a emotional basket case with the hormones and feeling like the country was falling apart, I went on serious crying binges and was such a wreck.
I was on them four months then got off them and a cloud had lifted.
It truly helped me focus on my newborn girl and be in the now without all the crying. Crying is good, but not all the time.
You don't have to feel like you want to hurt yourself to be depressed or grumpy for that matter.

Talk seriously to your Dr to see what he feels is going to help. If he truly thinks the Zoloft will help, try it. It has side effects of insomnia the first week you take it. I had to take Ambien just for one week to make sure I was getting the rest I needed. I honestly think it takes a few good weeks for hormones to readjust, not to mention you have a lot on your plate. Zoloft won't fix the problem but help you cope without emotions getting in the way.

If the good days outweigh the bad, I wouldn't take it until you have had a few weeks for your hormones to readjust.
With sleep deprivation too that can reek havoc on emotions, keep that in mind when you have a newborn.
Nap when the baby does, don't forget to ask for help now and again and look out for yourself.
Ask someone at church, a neighbor or any friend you have to give you some time to rest and have downtime for yourself. I know how hard it is trying to do it all on your own.
I didn't tak the Zoloft when I was pumping. My daughter had issues with actual breast feeding so I pumped for a few months after having her. Even though I was assured by the Pediatrician and the OBGYN that it was safe. I just waited a few months of pumping and started it and put my daughter on formula.
Good luck and God Bless

I took Zoloft through a large part of my pregnancy and also through breastfeeding. I felt a little bit guilty about it at first, but my doctor helped me weigh the pros and cons. Apparently if you are depressed during the pregnancy, it can lower your child's I.Q. Ultimately you need to be strong and healthy for your children. This will help you and the baby will be fine. My son is almost two and is extremely healthy and happy.

There is nothing wrong with taking Zoloft while nursing. It is one of the safest antidepressants to take while nursing. I took it almost my entire pregnancy and my baby is perfectly healthy. He's 8 months old and has never been sick, not once. He's developing just fine doing everything at the right ages if not sooner. He's very smart. I was still taking it after he was born but it didn't seem to be helping and I had pretty bad PPD. I ended up having to try several different medications till I found one that worked. I am still nursing and still on the medication. No problems. But I know that if I didn't get on the medication, my kids might not even have a mom now. It was that bad. I couldn't even function. Now I just feel normal. You just have to decide what risk is more important. I have a book called "The Breastfeeding Book" by Dr. William Sears and Martha Sears R.N. and it has a list of medications that are safe to take while breastfeeding. I suggest you get it from the library and read it. It is full of useful info on breastfeeding. Although it is best not to have any foreign chemicals in your baby's milk, it probably wont affect your baby.
If you really just dont feel right about taking it while nursing, bottlefeeding is just fine too. What your baby needs the most is a happy healthy mom. Good luck and I hope things get better soon!