I am worried about PPD. I dont have feelings of suiceide or hurting my child...but there are so many other emotions that I cant stop. Im resentful that my children are misbehaving SO MUCH. I cant stop yelling at them... they never listen anymore...I dont know how to handle them, except make special time for them, be patient and try not to get too upset, knowing this all is a reason for the baby coming... I cry everyday. Im having severe breast feeding issues. Im exhausted...my parents are gone...my family is 2 hours away. Poor DH helps SO much and even gave me a nice break Sat. Im miserable. Im so in love with my kids, but Im finding myslef resenting being a mother...I NEVER FEEL LIKE THAT!!! MY KIDS ARE MY EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is this normal PP behavior or feelings??? I would love some insight!
Been there! It sucks!!!!! The only thing that helped me was medication. I would HIGHLY suggest seeing your family doctor or your OB if they know anything about PPD. It is SOOO hard to find someone who knows how to handle it, but keep looking till you find it. It is even harder to find help while breasfeeding. The best I found was prozac (which some don't recommend whil BF, but after researching it, I did go on it PM me for details) or Welbutrin. I'm so sorry! It's not your fault - it's the hormones. It can go away by itself, but it goes away SOOO much faster with medication and counseling. And you deserve to enjoy your kids!!!
I have always had a bit of PPD after the births of my children. The twins was the first time that I actually called my OB and requested some meds. She did it over the phone and wrote the script for me, so that I could pick it up. It helped so much! I took Lexapro for about 4 months, from 8-12 months and it was a blessing. It was a low dose and it was just enough to help take that edge off. The reason why I didnt go sooner is that I was hoping that it would go away and instead it just got worse. I had pretty much the same thing going on. I didnt want to hurt the kids or myself. I just was "off" if you KWIM. There were emotions/feelings/insecurities/crying fits/feelings of doom/irritability/etc that I was having for no reason and it was definitely out of the norm for me. I personally would suggest that you call your OB and explain whats going on. If the meds dont help then you can wean yourself off of them, but if they do then you are going to feel a lot better! :hug99: Go take care of yourself, so you can take care of those babies! ETA for some clarification.
Mandy, I agree with Kimberlee. Call your doc and let him/her decide whether or not your feelings are normal. You shouldn't be crying all day and there is no need to suffer if you do have PPD. Call your primary or OB tomorrow.
I had severe PPD and spent a long time in denial about it. Ditto the PP-call your OB or primary ASAP and talk to him/her about what you are feeling. I wish I would have gotten help a lot sooner since it made such a big difference in how I was functioning. DH is the one who made an appt for me and took me to see the OB when the girls were 11 months old since he couldn't stand the PPD anymore.
:hug99: I'm sorry you're feeling so rotten. Agree with pps, it could definitely be PPD. It would be worth talking to a doctor about it. You deserve to feel better than this. I had awful PPD when DD came home from the NICU. I had a lot of the resentment feelings you're describing. Meds, therapy, and regular exercise helped me recover. There are safe drugs to take while BFing. (Zoloft is the safest, & fortunately it works well for me; they also gave me Ativan as a short-term sort of "band-aid," and there's only a 2-hr window after taking it where you shouldn't BF.) I hope you can get some good help and feel better soon! :hug99:
Yup, I had it, and I still have some severe depression, so I know how you feel, as much as someone else can, that is. Please ask your OB, or your family practice person, or even your kidkets' pediatrician, for some help. Meds can help, therapy can help. You don't have to always feel like this! It is treatable! Hang in there!
Sorry you are feeling this way. I agree there is help out there. For those of you who used meds... how do they determine when you stop?
QUOTE(twinsohmy @ Nov 12 2007, 03:58 PM) [snapback]491900[/snapback] For those of you who used meds... how do they determine when you stop? Now that's a good question! I am on prozac now and went to counseling. My DH called the OB and had a script called in. I went in to see the Dr shortly thereafter so he could just talk to me for a bit. My DH's work has a program so I could go see a counselor a few times. He even went once. That was very helpful also. Hang in there and take care of yourself. :hug99:
QUOTE(twinsohmy @ Nov 12 2007, 10:58 AM) [snapback]491900[/snapback] Sorry you are feeling this way. I agree there is help out there. For those of you who used meds... how do they determine when you stop? I have suffered with depression for most of my life, and have been on and off meds for the last twelve years. The first 3 or so years, I was seeing a psychiatrist(which I highly recommend)and we decided as a team, when to go off of the meds based on how I was feeling. I have been on meds since the twins were born after suffering from PPD shortly after their birth and don't plan to discontinue anytime soon. We do have a fairly new Mental Health Issues forum here at TS. If any of you would like the password, please let me know in a PM. :love0028:
Yes, I currently have it - was just diagnosed a few weeks ago. I also don't have thoughts of harming my children, but I do have episodes where I hurt myself. I have no idea why I do it, it's almost like a release or something, like I have to break something or hurt myself. It's terrible. My doc prescribed Zoloft as I'm still nursing and even that I have to pump out every 12 hours. I also see a therapist once a week. :hug99: My advice, if you suspect PPD, go and see your doc and get some help, the sooner the better. My boys are now almost 11 months old and I should have seen someone a long time ago.
It's normal to feel sad or down about things after having a baby. Your hormones are out of whack and you're overwhelmed with all of the responsibilities that come with motherhood. It's when it goes beyond just feeling "sad" that you need to be concerned. For me, it was laying on the couch for pretty much the entire first year of DS1's life...not talking to family or friends, being quick to anger, crying constantly and thoughts of either harming DS1 or harming myself. I also wasn't sleeping, so I know that didn't help. My (then) OB prescribed Welbutrin, but it only contributed to my problems. It actually wasn't until two years ago that my doctor gave me Zoloft for anxiety (at the time there was a former friend wreaking havoc on our lives...it was very scary for us) because I was having small panic attacks and hyperventelating all day long. My OB recommended that I take it toward the end of my pregnancy with DS2 to help with the PPD and it was very effective. I haven't had any issues since the twins were born (stopped taking the meds after DS2 was about 6 months old), but my doctor has told me to watch for signs and call as soon as I notice anything. So, I definitely recommend talking with your OB and seeing if that might be what you're experiencing. Life doesn't have to be this way. You really CAN enjoy having a newborn. Good luck!
Yes and every day I wich I had gotten help earlier. I never wanted to harm my babies BUT I got no joy out fo the ENTIRE first year and it hurts every time I think about. Go ASAP if you even suspect it. Don't miss out like I did.
QUOTE For those of you who used meds... how do they determine when you stop? They usually want you to stay on meds for a good while - maybe 6-9 months minimum. I started Zoloft in March. I've been doing so well that in a month or so I'll probably cut down the dosage, go with that for a couple months, see if there's any change, and if not, try stopping altogether. That's what the psychiatrist recommended last time we talked. Assuming all that works, I will have been on it for almost a year.
Just a suggestion that you be sure to get counseling, with or without any medication. I see a lot of people saying their OBs called in a prescription without any initial counseling, and I'd avoid that if at all possible. I had moderate PPD, and did very well with counseling alone (and an exercise "prescription"). I did ultimately decide to try medication (Celexa) under the supervision of a psychologist, but it did absolutely nothing for me. Unfortunately my health insurance changed, and I haven't been able to go back to the psychologist (well, I could, but it would cost me a fortune and I'm doing OK without for now) so I haven't tried anything else. Some people have a negative reaction to the medication (or it just doesn't help which makes them feel even more depressed) and I've heard over and over how important it is to be seeing someone regularly to monitor these feelings and make changes is dosages or prescriptions. This is not something you want to mess around with on your own. Good luck! -Rachel
I also want to add that as my therapist said, when she brought up the topic of medication and I was hesitant, that with talk therapy, you can get better but it will take thiiiiiiiiiiis long. You can do medication alone, but it will take thiiiiiiiiiiiiis long. But if you do both, it can take thiis long. Know what I mean?
