Postpartum Depression - Minneapolis, MN

First of all I want to commend you for asking for help and advice. I also had postpartem depression with my first child and I didn't have it bad enough to see anyone but there's definitely no reason to feel down on yourself about it. It can happen to ANYONE. It doesn't matter what kind of person you are or even how much support you have. It's a chemical thing going on inside your body that the meds will help you with. If you want more info from a Dr. you could always talk to your child's ped too or go and see another Dr. Tell them when you make the apt that you need someone that will sit and talk with you about it and about the meds.
Another good resource would be something like a message board on ivillage. There are lots of boards about tons of topics and everyone on the is just like you. Here, I looked it up, this is the postpartem depression board: http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppppd
When I miscarried a few years ago I went on the miscarriage board and it was SO wonderful to be able to chat with other Moms that were going through the exact same thing that I was. You definitely won't feel alone. I'm sure they'll know all about your meds too.
Best wishes, you will get through this.
J.
Mom to 4 going on 5.

C.,
My name is M. I'm also a first time mother and my sons now 14 months. I felt the same way as you did with the moodyness and whatnot...and I don't like taking medication (not even asprin). Finally last month I went to my dr after trying all else like exercise, sun light, all healthy foods....none of it worked. I thought my dr would have another alternative for me but didn't. We explored all kinds of routs so he told me to read this book called When Your Body Gets The Blues and gave me floxitine (sp?) in a small dose. Hesatently I started taking the drug and reading the book. Both were a huge help, I'm back to myself and understand more about what I was going thru. I truly wish I didn't wait 13 months to do this (I'm sturbonly independent), I really feel like I lost so much in not. I wish you the best of luck and really if you need anything let me know, I'd be more than happy to talk. I hope you enjoy the book too, it's very insightful. Good Luck and congrats on your new little one.

I just wanted to say that I went throught the same thing with my first child. I understand where you are coming from on the medicine, but I did start taking an antidepressant (short term) and it really did help. It helped me enjoy my child more and made my moods calm down a bit. Get sleep when you can and make sure you are eating well. I also know with having a baby this time of the year is hard, but get out of the house when you can...it helps clear your mind. I hope this helps and if you have any questions for some one who has been there, I am willing to help. I promise it will get better.....just hang in there!

N.

I just want to echo what everyone else already put so well, you're not alone. I am just past the one year mark with my son and it took that long for my hormones to balance and to process all of the changes that come with becoming a mother. I was actually diagnosed with PTSD after I had my son (long birth story) but felt overwhelmed and lots of anxiety as well. What helped me the most was talk therapy, I found my husband was also getting used to his new role as a father and didn't always know how to help me or what to say and most of my friends didn't experience the same feelings. Having a third party to talk things out with was the greatest. Also diet and exercise was key. Be very, very kind and good to yourself, you deserve it and are worthy of it.

depends how serious you depression is.
there are more natural vitamins etc. to help deal with postpartum - if it's really serious, I would find yourself a counselor to talk with too. And don't EVER feel like you are alone in this... there are so many of us that experience post partum depression, people need to start being more supportive of this issue. Try to get some time for yourself... I know this is extremely hard to do at this point. see if your hubby will watch the baby so that you can take a walk each evening or whatever activity that you choose - walking is nice - it's excercise and gives you time to think and clear your head. also, I know everyone says 'sleep when the baby sleeps' I of course, never did... that is such great adivce... a good nap for mommies does a whole ton of good.
I'd love to chat more, but I have to run... mommy duties calling...
take good care of yourself, it's important for you and your family. If you want someone to chat with email me, we can meet for coffee or via email.

Congrats on the new baby. Just wanted to let you know i have been in your shoes with both my second and third child. You are not a weak person for taking antidepressents. If you had to take antibiotics because you had an infection you would. You hormones are all out of sync.(happens to the best of use) Right now your doctor feels you just need a little something to make them all work together again. No big deal. You will feel 100 times better after the first week or so and most importantly it will help you to enjoy all those moments with your precious little one that you might otherwise miss cause your stressed or crying. Trust me I know from experience. You will still be a strong person that your child and husband can look up to.

Hi C. - First off, you should not feel disappointed that you have postpartum. It's so common and normal. Also, remember it's the depression, not you, causing the side effects. Don't be hard on yourself. I consider myself to be a very strong person as well and I dislike taking meds unless needed. I'm not a doctor or a nurse, but I have had mild depression (mostly seasonal disorder) in the past. Whenever it acts up, I always remind myself it's the depression not me. It's true! I'm sure you do some things and then wonder why afterwards.

I've taken Celexa and of the anti-depresents it's generally a very mild one. It's worked for me. If you aren't keen on the idea of taking it there are some things you can try. Exercise is known to help with depression and it helps release stress. I also recommend making time to do something (even if small) for yourself each day. Also, writing a journal can help as well. It can help your thoughts make sense. I'm not sure if this will help but I just wanted to reach out because being depressed is hard and can make a person be harder on themselves when they shouldn't be.

Best regards,
-K.

The main thing to remember about this is that postpartum depression is hormonal and out of your control - it does not make you weak or a loser or a bad mom. It happens, it is totally normal - and there is no reason for you to feel bad about it at all. Although the medcation doesn't seem appealing it is what you need to do to take care of the situation. You may also want to talk to a counselor or a doctor who will spend more time helping you deal with the depression. Treatment will help you to enjoy your little cutie pie (and your life) more. It will also help you to be a better mom. So, take the medicine and remember no one is going to judge you for it (and you shouldn't be hard on yourself either)!!!!
Get to feeling better soon! (=

Hi C.. I'm sorry that you are struggling but you are not alone! I work with moms with perinatal mood disorders and also experienced postpartum depression/anxiety myself. It's great that you sought help- keep in mind that you could also find a doctor/psychologist/therapist who does an excellent job of answering your questions, following up with you, offering you lots of support and alternatives and generally becomes a team that will help you get to the other side of this sooner than later. So do some searching for health care providers that specialize in working with women with ppmd. You'll appreciate the difference.

Medication can play an important role so don't make a decision about what drugs to take/not to take without your health care provider being involved. You won't need to take it forever (most often symptoms reduce within the year and you can then decide with your doctor when to reduce or discontinue meds.) Your brain chemistry needs some support right now and good medical managment is important. But also there are things you can do for yourself that can have an impact. Getting sleep. Eating really well and taking some supplements (omega 3 & 6s, B vitamins especially). Reducing stress. Exercising. Getting massage. Having help at home!!!! You need to let others take off the burdens of the everyday to reduce your load. Even letting someone come to do your dishes, help with shopping, getting childcare just to sit and breathe or take a nap. You have to find a way to have less on your plate and as a mother that's not easy so you take what you can get and you learn to ask for help. Postpartum doulas have a huge impact on the duration of ppmds. Having someone knowledgeable support you while taking on those responsibilities and allowing you more rest and self care is very impactful.

Another goal is to help out those good hormones to balance you. (massage/exercise and nutrition play a role here). If you're breastfeeding you get good hormones from that and you'll be able to take medications while doing so- you just need to work with your doctor to find out which ones are safest.

I would recommend Depression in New Mothers by Kathleen Kendall-Tackett to read to learn more about ppmd and to answer your questions about treatment. Also, connect with Postpartum Support International for resources for you and your family. the more educated your husband and family are the more they can understand what you're going through and help you feel better.

I wish you much loving support. YOu deserve it. Giving the gift of your child to this world is a big chore- and mothering will certainly be the most challenging thing we do in our lives. Our culture created the myth that we should just 'get things done' and flit about the house with our June Cleaver calm... but it really doesn't look that way EVER! ;) Women in other cultures get more support and it pays off. (Longer maternity leaves, better postpartum care resources, more community support.) So take the support you can get and know that you'll find balance again. I wish you the best.
K.

You're getting good advice from the other commentors. I just want to add that when I was depressed and given meds, a friend suggested I try taking a good B-complex, a good multi-vitamin and magnesium. I did and you know what? I felt tons better in just a few days with no side effects! I never did take the meds (I told my doc at my next visit and she was fine with it, since it was helping me so much.).

My depression was pretty deep, too. I'd been feeling suicidal during my pregnancy (I would never have actually done anything) and it only got worse after my son was born (he was my third child).

Now, if you're having real thoughts of suicide or hurting your baby, that's a totally different ballgame and while supplements may still help, the meds are what you really need. But if it's more the general sadness and malaize, supplements can really help (as can exercize and naps!). You have a lot on your plate and it's ok to feel overwhelmed.

I'm just putting my plug in for supplements because they made such a huge difference for me and kept me off anti-depressants. I got mine at Valley Natural Foods in Burnsville. You want to look for a B-complex that has as much Biotin as you can find (Shaklee has 100% of the recommended amount, Valley's have about 60%, the ones from the drugstore might have 15-30%. I don't know about GNC) as that affects how well the supplements are absorbed. B-complex is water soluble, so whatever your body doesn't need goes right through you. Take the magnesium at night to help you sleep better and relax. Don't take it with calcium, as that reduces the absorption of both minerals. Drink lots of water, too, since as you're losing pregnancy weight, all the toxins that are stored in your fat cells are being released and water helps flush those out.

I know you'll get lots of other great suggestions. There are lots of things that can help alleviate depression. Taking care of your body, especially with a new baby, is very important, but hard to do when you're tired. All this does get better, too!

Good luck!

I was given a low dosage of Celexa after having a miscarrage. I didn't really even notice that I was depressed, My doctor was the one who had noticed. I was against it at first, so I took the paper home and let it sit there.

My husband found it, and started asking questions... then he talked me into just trying it for a while. I could stop if it made me have any bad feelings, or if he noticed anything unusual.

I tried it reluctantly... and didn't even notice that I wasn't fighting with my husband anymore... or that I was actually laughing and having fun like I used to, until my Mom said to me that it was nice to see me smiling again.

That was when it hit me that it was the right decision. I stayed on it for about 6 months, and then I wanted to see how I was without it... and I was fine after that.

Many Many people go through depression after having a baby. It rattles your entire existance, turns everything you know upside down. You should not feel bad for a second about trying it. Give it a chance for a little while, you can stop with your Dr's ok if it isn't working out.

Amen, I am going to be 32 and I have a wonderful husband who owns his own company and I have 3 children. After my third child I started to feel very emotionaly disconnented from my life. I was always crabby and mostly to my kids, my husband was left with a very tired drained wife, who wanted to just be left alone. I thought it was lack of sleep, then I didn't want to do anything. I had no interest in going anywhere with my family. Although I felt like I was fine with my friends. I finally went to my Doc and he percribed me Celexa as well. I'm not a huge fan of drugs either but I do know that if my arm was broken I would want a cast on. It has made a world of difference. I actually can laugh with my kids instead of being anoid by every little thing they did. It has helped so much, it just takes the edge off so that you can stop and breathe and realize it will all be okay. No matter how strong you think you are Postpartum is real.
P.S. it took about 2 weeks for me to see a difference but your family might see one right away.

Hi C.,

I suffer from chronic depression and have been on meds for around 7 years. I tried to take myself off but it was a disaster. I had always seen my family MD. This year, I finally decided that I deserved a specialist and have been seeing Dr. Winegarden in Chanhassen. He was referred by a Psychologist friend. I guess my advice is that if you do decide to try a med for a short period or longer, perhaps consider seeing a specialist. They have much more knowledge of the different meds, their side effects, how to dose, etc. I am much happier now. I feel like when I ask a question, I get a thorough answer not more questions back like I did from my family md. You may pull through without meds. My advice there, is workout as much as possible for the natural endorphines, eat and sleep well. That alone never worked for me. I did have post baby depression even on my meds with my first for about 9 months. His was an extreme case of being premature though. I now have a 4 week old. I spent the first week crying and worring/anxiety a lot. My psychiatrist has adjusted my meds and I felt relieve within days. I knew I just needed to nip it in the bud. I'm not trying to push meds but Lexapro worked within days for me after I tried to take myself off meds a few years ago and I still take it now. I believe Celexa is closely related to Lexapro so it may work fast for you, too. Good luck. If you do end up taking something, remember 2/3 of women experience postpartum depression and half of those don't get better without medication...You're not alone and shouldn't feel weak or like a failure for taking meds. I've been surprised to discover how many of my mom friends are on something for some period of time.