Post Partum Depression/Anxiety

A.,

Get help with post partum depression right away. I suffered from post partum right after my son was born. I knew it was bad when I could no longer eat or sleep (even when someone else had the baby). My doctor put me on zoloft for 1 1/2 years and I went to counseling for a few months. I felt better right away. I believe that my son is the happy calm two year old he is today because I got help right a way and was a much calmer happier mom.

A.,

I had PPD with both my children and waited 18 months with my first to get treatment (denial, worries about therapy busting our budget). I finally got in touch with Depression After Delivery - www.depressionafterdelivery.com and found a support group in my area. Don't know if you've decided on therapy yet, but it was invaluable to me. I see Carol O'Connor in Skokie and Susan Benjamin Feingold was the psychologist who ran the support group (her practice was full at the time). Both are excellent and have gotten me through some really tough times!
I am on Zoloft and it's been working well. It took awhile because my husband was very against it (he's a recovering alcoholic and his step-mom is overmedicated for her depression and other various illnesses). I'm glad I followed my instincts on this one because it was such a relief not to be so sad/anxious/irritable any more.
Please feel free to contact me - I know how hard it can be!
____@____.com
Good Luck!
A.

I have a four week old little girl and I struggled with that question this past week because I couldn't tell if it was dperession or serious sleep deprivation plus she was almost five weeks premature so sigh, lots of issues...I talked with the doc, decided against meds and am holding out till I can work out again and have been talking a lot with family that are supportive. That's because my anxiety levels have been through the roof and that is not my usual me. Let me know if you have any other suggestions. and I understand about the bfeeding- I get really bored. Someone suggested listening to audio books during that time- we'll see.
M.

I suffer with this, my son is 2, but I suffered for a long time before getting help about a year ago. I have a wonderful therapist at Alexian Bros and I am on Zoloft and nursed my son on it and he did fine. Zoloft helps with anxiety a bit as well. It is one of the best things I ever did to call. And so very hard, as well. But now I can come out of my dark little hole that I had myself buried in and enjoy life again. I interact so much better with my son. If you want anymore info, feel free to email me. ____@____.com

Don't fool around with post partum. If you think you have it call your doctor and make an appointment with a psychologist and let them decide if medication would be the best option for you. I had it with both my babies and with the first waited till 5 months and was ready to be hospitalized. Don't wait. Get help immediately. This is a serious health issue and your baby needs you to be strong and capable. Also, you need to enjoy your baby because they are only little once and this precious time will pass and you don't want to look back and remember how awful it was because you were feeling terrible. I was on lexapro the first time, paxil the second. The paxil was difficult to get off of but really worth my sanity and ability to sleep.
If you would like to discuss this further, you can email me at: ____@____.com
Good luck and please realize that post partum is a legitimate illness (which does pass for most mom's )after the first year.

Dear A.,

I went through post partum with my first child. It was a feeling that I can't describe. The ache, anxiety, depression I felt was overwhelming. I cried all the time, but was uneasy about telling anybody what I felt. Luckily, my husband read up on it and was completely supportive and understanding. I did not take any meds for this as I knew it was a hormonal imbalance and would go away in time. During this time, it was just my husband and myself as I did not want to see family members. I wanted no one around me or my baby. I missed my husband so much (our time alone)and at the same time, I missed my baby being in my belly (it was so much easier that way- I would tell myself). Going without sleep was extremely exhausting and having trouble breast feeding added to the depression.

For me, the feeling "lifted" when my son was 6 weeks. It was weird how it just ended for me, like a snap. I think his first smile did it for me and I was head over heels hooked on my little guy. He is my joy, my love, my little buddy and I assure you it only gets better as time goes on. Once you establish your own routine with your baby it gets easier (sort of speak).

It does get severe for some women. If you feel that it is unbearable, talk to your doctor asap.

I hope sharing my experience helps you.

Barbara
:-)

I had post partum depression after my daughter was born, 6 years ago. I had a horrible marriage with a non-supportive husband. Doctors tell me know I am still suffering from post partum depression because I did not get proper treatment. -- long story.

I would get migrane headaches when she cried. At one time I wanted to throw her out of our picture window. Of course I put her in her crib and knew to call for help. I would get so tense that I could not even take care of my self. That is when I went in to see a phychiatrist for the first time. Unfortunately my husband would not carry insurance on us so I could not get medical care.

I am currently on meds. Zoloft and Wellbutrin. (spelling?) I nursed my daughter for a full year and I was on Zoloft with no side effects to the baby.

I dealt with a lot during my depression. It is real. Very real. Everyone that has depression handles it differently. I would strongly suggest talking with your ob/gyn. My ob/gyn is the one who got me on the right track.

I never wanted to take meds. I was not a person who needed to be medicated. Let me tell you, I am better for myself and my daughter now that I am stable. If you feel any depression at all it is better to deal with it ASAP so it will not linger.

Only you and your doctor can determine if you need meds. I faught taking meds for a long time. Do what you feel you need to do. Don't let anyone tell you how to feel or what you feel. Your doctor might tell you it is just a slight case of the blues, you might need to just talk to a counselor, or you might need meds. Just start with a phone call to your doctor.

Sorry this reply is so long, but I really feel that depression is a real illness that can be helped. It is nothing that we bring on ourselves. We all need to know that it is treatable and it is ok to have.

I get bouts of this from time to time. Some days are worse than others. I usually find that if I get out of the house and go for a walk and get some fresh air it usually helps refresh me and get a new outlook on my situation.
Also if I can find the time (ha ha), excercise helps too. Yoga is a great way to get some exercise and relax.
If you still find that you are feeling down and anxious, I would recommend talking to your doctor. There is no reason to silently suffer. It is a very difficult job being a mom and at times, takes a great toll on the body and spirit!
Hope this helps and I hope you feel better! :)

Hi A. - I suffered from postpartum depression along with anxiety. It was definitely something that I was not expecting to have to deal with since I am normally a "strong" person. But after three weeks of feeling no bond whatsoever with my newborn son (not wanting him), along with a 30 pound weight loss and the shakes that I would get every time he would cry which then turned into vomiting every time he would cry, forced me to turn to my OB doctor for help. He told me that I should go to an emergency room immediately because he thought I was suffering from panic/anxiety disorder which stems from postpartum depression. So I did go to the hospital. Once there they did an evaluation and admitted me for four days into the psych ward. At first I didn't want to be there because I thought the psych ward was for "crazy" people and I know I wasn't crazy. But after a day of being there I realized it was GREAT that I was there because I learned so much on how to cope with things and I was able to get the rest I needed. They put me on medication which helped me tremendously. I stayed on meds for about 4 months and then was able to come off of them. Now my son is almost 11 months and I love him more than life itself. If you are struggling with any type of postpartum depression I will be more than glad to talk with you abou it. Sometimes it just helps to have people there for you.

A.,

Meds, consuling, church, and time were worked best for me. Post Partum depression can be tough! It also takes awhile to get out of. It is not going to go away by just getting your Dr to give you meds! I still have days where it is too hard to get out of bed. Those days are getting fewer. I am seeing my Dr again. I had anxitey but I was also going through a sepration and divorce 4 months after my daugher was born. All I can tell you about anixtey was that it felt as if everythign were too much and I could not even breathe. I felt like this from the momment I woke up to the momment in exhaustion I finally fell asleep. There are things that can happen like stress in a marriage that make it worse and last longer. I really recommend the consuling and church. The meds just made me sleepy. One way that I knew something was wtong was when I did not even want to hold my baby. I did not bond with my daughter because of the depression until she was about 9 months. You can also feel disconnected and Want to say disconnected. That was how it felt for me like a switch was tunred off and I could feel nothing but lonley and sad. The sadness made it so hard to smile back at my daughter when her first smiles started. If you suspect that you have post partum depression please seek the advise of a professional. Don't hold back what you are feeling and behaving. Motherhood is hard and being depressed makes it harder than it has to be.

Hi A.,

Post Partum nor Depression is something you control. I suffered both and was embarassed about it for years. The breaking point was the birth of my son. Prior to my seeking help I let it escalate to a point that if I didn't seek help I was envisioning my son's life a happier place w/o me in it. I was never a danger to him at all cuz I loved him so much but I was becoming one to myself by feeling like a complete failure. When he cried, when I couldn't console him, when his nursey wasn't completed, when he became collickily, when I couldn't breast feed cuz my ducts were clogged, when he got his first cold - I felt somehow it was my fault and that I failed him. It was totally distroying me as a new mom. If I'd see other new moms I envied them thinking - wow, why can't I be like her.

Of course going to see a doctor made me feel embarassed because I felt I was blessed with this healthy perfect baby boy that I should be ashamed of myself for acting like I was. I suffered for a FULL YEAR with it and I did try to get help but from the wrong sources. When I finally got the courage to see a certified Psycharatist, I told him of my feelings and why it took me so long to seek help. Something he told me helped my fully grasp and except my condition was when he asked me - do you wake up in the morning saying - Today I'm going to be negative or sad. I said no, I do the exact opposite. I try to start my day off positive and happy but then it tends to go away by early to mid-morning. He explained I had a chemical imbalance which was something that I couldn't help nor control. My brain lacked certain chemicals and he was right. I did not want to be sad nor act like life wasn't worthwhile. I wanted to be in every part of my son's life. With the help of medication (150mg Effexor XR) and speaking with a therapist, my son will be turning 3 this November. Again, depression isn't something that 'just' goes away in most cases. Do seek help. ____@____.com

Please, please, please talk to your doctor about your feelings. You may or may not need medications but there is no shame in taking them. Regardless of what that misinformed idiot Tom Cruise says, post-partum depression is real and won't be cured by exercise and vitamins. You need to enjoy your life and enjoy your child. You would be amazed at the number of women who are feeling just like you. Get help soon! Good luck to you.

I suffered from depression as I went through 4 failed rounds of IVF. I also developed "postpardum anxiety" after our daughter was born. Starting the search for a professional can be daunting, as is entering counceling for the first time... unfortunately there is still a "stigma" attached. I personally think everyone would benefit from it, and sure beats just "waiting it out". You are not alone and I commend you for taking action!!!

As mentioned by others, talk to your ob gyn or primary doctor to get the ball rolling with a referal or recommendation for someone they know.

I haven't taken meds this time, but took prozac a couple years ago. I hear zoloft is good for new moms.

If you don't like the first councelor you meet, don't give up. Just like relationships in general, there are certain people you click with, others you don't. Take some time and find someone you like who you feel listens! You should feel like you are talking to a good friend.

Hang in there!

I never took meds for it, my gyne just told me to see a counseler but i never did. i have two kids and i only suffered that with my first born! I toughed it out but i think i was a lil too hard on the father but then again i was only 20 and he was also 20 and i was his first long term relationship and our first apt! so we argued and he was always out..i think thats why i suffered and had anxiety cus with the second one we were a lil more mature and smarter and knowledged to know how to prevent that! it all depends on ur situation but u really didnt say..i wouldnt take meds cus they get addicting!

Good luck
S.

My wife got it pretty bad. She saw someone monthly and was on meds, for quite some time I might say. She also attended a group at Alexian Bros. All three steps helped tremendously.

If you want specifc names or organizations, feel free to write me personally -- ____@____.com.

-K.

I suffered from severe post partum depression, and it didn't start until just before my son's first birthday. I learned from my doctor that post partum depression can take as long as a year to kick in. As much as I didn't want to go on anti-depressants, I did and things were better once we learned (by trial and error) what the right meds were and the right dosage. Until we learned what dosage was appropriate for me, it was important to have someone else watch my son because too much made me drowsy, half dosage made me feel 'high', etc. I was only on the meds for 6 months, at which time I quit cold turkey, and had no problems. I would warn you against Paxil. Stay with Zoloft or Prozac.

Overall, if you feel at all that you are depressed, sad, anything, just make an appointment with your OBGYN. He/she will be able to help you and prescribe the meds and you are not obligated to the meds for a long period of time.

Know you're not alone. You'll be okay.