Postpardom Depression

Hi J.,

I had an IUD placed after my last child 2 years ago. I have loved it ever since. I personally do not think that the IUD would cause postpartum depression but I could be wrong. I had depression after my first son and my last son. I think that the best thing you can do is to talk to someone. It is hard having a child, and alot of presure. The best advice I can give you is to enjoy it as best as possible. Talk to other moms like me...always willing to meet new mothers. Get to know the joys that your child will bring to you.

I had an IUD placed in around the same time. It was my second one and this time I just did not feel like myself, but things didn't really start until my son (third child and now 16 months) was about 6 months old. I was sad and irritable all the time and just did not feel like myself. I had no reason to feel this way and finally 5 months ago was able to admit (that is the hardest part) that I needed to talk to someone other than hubby. I went to my doctor and just broke down in tears. I was afraid to go on any medications because of possible weight gain (that was one of the causes to my sadness) and she gave me some options such as talking to someone and my repsonse was, when would I have time to do that on a regular basis, she then suggested different medications and we settled on one called cymbalta which is a weight neutral anti-depressent. There are some side effects at first and they differ from person to person. Mine was loss of appetite and I felt like I had all this energy to do stuff. The first night on it I stayed up all night and cleaned out the playroom, organized it and a few other rooms which actually made me feel so much better to get my house in order. It also is used to treat nerve pain, which I had been having due to a c-section with the pregnancy.

My husbands comment after about two weeks of me on this is that he felt like I was the woman that he married again. I was happy and wanting to do things, not crying all the time and felt great. Since I have been on this drug, I have run my first marathon, lost the baby weight and just feel like me again, I cannot even begin to describe what a difference this has made for me.

My oldre children have even said that mommy is much more fun to be with now. It broke my heart that I waited this long and made them feel like I was not fun to be and I am so glad to have me back and see the difference it has made in my life and my families.

I don't know anything at all about IUD so I will leave that out of it. I do know that PPD can hit anytime within the first year. Even if you were fine for the first 6 or 8 months and then get it at 10 months it can still be PPD. I got it at 9 or 10 months with my little boy. I had no idea until a nurse came to my house for something and noticed my curtains were all closed and I hadn't been dressed in days and asked how long since I'd opened my curtains and I didn't remember. She started digging and informed me that PPD could hit anytime in the first year and validated all the craziness I was feeling. It was bad to go through but I was glad to at least have a reason for the feelings.
You can talk to your doctor or midwife, you can talk to a nurse, you can join a mom's group and get out of your house a couple times a week and hang out with someone who is dealing with the same issues. You can talk with a counselor. Or you can ride it out.

The only thing I know about IUD's is that the two people I know that had them got them out quite soon because they caused a few problems.

Good luck.

Hi J.. Here is a great program in the Seattle area to help with post partum depression. They offer counseling and a support system. http://www.family-services.org/NewParents/BeyondBabyBlues...

Hi, I didnt have much depression right after my son was born, however about 2 or 3 months i started noticing a big change in my attitude and how i interacted with people. I didnt want to go nowhere, i could barley get out of bed, much less do anything. I was finally told to talk to my Doctor and he told me I had Post Partem Depression, which suprised me because I have never shown any signs of depression at all, but he put me on prozac and I became my old self again. So talk to your Dr. to find your best course and you will feel better. If you ever need to talk you can email me at ____@____.com and i will gladly listen and offer any advice i can.

Hi J.,

Sounds like you go the baby blues. I think that you need to look at your life and how it is balanced. You need to address all aspects of your wellbeing. I know you probably have focused mainly on that baby since he was born so this might be the problem. Are you doing anything to keep your self in balance? What do you do for your body physicaly, mentaly, spiritualy, and socially? Have you been taking care of your body? Do you take time to relax, watch a movie or read, something for yourself not a kids cartoon or book? Do you pray or meditate? And one most people don't think about to you get to see your friends or visit with family other than the ones you see everyday? I think you need a night out and some positive reinforcment on how special you are. If you ever come over to Spokane I would be happy to take you out. I hope you feel better and call some friends you haven't talked to in a while.

My sister had pretty severe postpardom after her first. The doctor first recommended drugs which they didn't want. Then he said, "well you can try B-complex". B vitamins are huge and if you're not getting enough it can be the problem or at least part of the problem. Maybe talk to your doctor about how much you are currently taking and how much you should be taking?? It might be good to make sure your taking enough of the other vitamins you need as well. My sister said she felt like she was trapped inside herself. She had a hard time even speaking in full sentences. Vitamins worked for her hopefully it will help you too?!

I too went through a depression stage soon after having an IUD placed. I was unsure if I had done the right thing or based my decision for the right reasons. It took a long time for me to come to realization that I needed to talk to a professional. I don't know of anyone who wants to hear that they need to talk to a shrink. But trust me. It helped a ton! After a short time, I was able to be myself again. IUD still in tact. Enjoying my family, my friends, and my life again.
If you need anyone to talk to, I am just an email away. I wish you love and happiness in the decisions that you make.
x. C., Mother to 5 boys and loving every moment of it.

Hi J.. I just wanted to chime in that I react to some progesterones with depression. An IUD is a progesterone only birth control and yes, the specific progesterone in it may be causing the side effect. I have had one OBGYN tell me that birth control does not cause depression, but others plus my current midwife say that in fact progesterone is more likely to have that side effect than the estrogen added to most pills. Although most birth control pills have both progesterone and estrogen in them, there are many, many different kinds of progesterone so you can likely find one with a different type of progesterone. At any rate, I think you should definately talk to your OBGYN/midwife about alternative birth control methods for starters.

Best to you.

I would say the first people you should talk to are the people in your support system. Let them know how you are feeling. Most people do not recognize the symptoms because we are so good at hiding them! The second person I would talk to is your doctor or a counselor. This can be treated with out medication depending on the degree of the depression but only a professional and you can decide what's right for your situation.

I experienced a lot of stress with my second pregnancy and I struggled with depression through my adolesence, so I was prone to anxiety and depression. I felt myself slipping and I got help right away. Things subsided and I felt pretty good until my son was about six months old. Again I got the help. This is a fight not to be fought alone. We tend to lose sight of things and we need someone there reminding us how important we are. The thing to remember is that it's not always like this. You can and will rise above!

Hi J., I don't think it has anything to do with your I.U.D I had one put in after my child and went through the same thing . I went back to my obgyn and asked her if the iud could cause the depression she said no. that depression can start at any time. it could be with the first child or not. everyone is different. but what i would suggest is make an appointment either with you obgyn or your regular family doctor and tell that person you feel depressed and if they can check you for that and what medications you can try. alot has to do whether you are breast feeding or not if you are they can prescribe something with you breast feeding . but i would start there.it is amazing how many people suffer from depression. good luck sweety you are taking the first step to make you feel better.and maybe seek some counceling it really helps with the depression.

Hi J.!

I to have suffered from PD and it really started to effect My family life. I have a 7 yo daughter and a almost 4 yo son. I love them both very much. I did not experience PD until I had My son. The interesting part is that I to got the copper IUD in shortly after his birth??? I don't know if this has anything to do with it though. I do know that I ended up going to My Dr. and the put Me on 10 ML of an anti-depressant and it helped greatly with that as well as anxiety I have also experienced. Iff you have any other questions please feel free to Mail Me.

Take care-
R.

I know the feeling. I don't think I started to get depressed or moody until my son was about a month old...and then it hit and it hit HARD! I went on the birth control pill 6 weeks after birth and it just seemed to get worse and worse. I ended up taking myself off of the pill as I couldn't stand the mood swings. Since then, I've been fine. My son is now almost 15 months old.

I would suggest talking to someone. One thing I found out that helped was getting out of the house. I noticed when I would take my son for a walk in the stroller or in the pack, I'd feel better. When I'd sit at home all day, I would be in a horrible mood. I felt bad at first, but I loved it when I went back to work because it got me out of the house. So perhaps something like that might help?

I would talk to your doctor - or see if there's a support group in your area for new moms. Many pediatric or ob-gyn clinics will have flyers. If not, you could look into starting one yourself. I'm sure other newer moms in your area would love to get together!