Postpartum Depression - Philippi, WV

A.,
I agree with the one other poster who said all pregnancies are different & your reaction afterwards to each is different also. After my son was born in August of 99 I was perfectly fine. I went back to work when he was 6 weeks old & although I was tired, I wasn't exhausted & definately not depressed. After my daughter came along in February of 2001, it was a whole different ball game. Granted, my kids are close together (18 months or so) so that means they were both in diapers, etc., but still the way I actually FELT after my daughter was just totally different & pretty much awful. It took me several months of crying & screaming at my husband to realize I was depressed. I called my OBGYN & was told by the nurse that if I hadn't had any symptoms while still in the hospital then it wasn't postpartum, just normal depression. Well, at the time I didn't have a PCP for myself so I put it off even longer. After 9/11 when my husband was being shipped off for 4 months, I had to go to the Dr. for a totally un-related issue & she asked me how I had been feeling in general & I just completely broke down. She put me on a low dose of Zoloft starting immediately right there in the office. (She also told me that what the nurse at the OBGYN told me about the timing of the depression was off & that it most likely had begun as postpartum). Within a couple of weeks I felt about a million times better, even with having to deal with being on my own for months with 2 tiny kids, not having a job, looking for a new apartment because our lease was up & knowing that my husband was going to miss our new baby's 1st Christmas. For the first time in months & months I at least felt hopeful & knew that I was able to get through this tough situation we had ended up in. Without a doubt you should talk to your doctor & see what they have to say about your situation. Don't put it off & hope it will go away on its' own, not only for your sake but for your new family as well. You want to be able to look back on the beginning of your baby's life as a beautiful time, not a dark & depressed time. I wish you all the best!

1 mom found this helpful

I have no advice. I can just tell you I am right there with you. My emotions are so out of wack. I cry all the time. I am driving myself crazy

It's completely normal! I was 21 when I had my daughter last June and although I loved her to death I was still hit with postpartum. I felt like I was too young and I was depressed because I didnt have freedom anymore and I didnt feel like anyone helped me but it all went away in a month or so on its own.

Do not be afraid to accept any help you can get. Having and caring for a child is extremely demanding and exhausting. I was depressed with both my children (now 4 and 5) and it is awful. I cared for nothing. I didn't experience suicidal thoughts, but I honestly did not have a will to live. I didn't take care of myself (shower, brush, etc) unless forced. I ignored my husband because I was just so numb - the days all blurred. I have to force myself to get up and shake a bottle of formula for my baby and prop it. Thank goodness God was with us and took care of my children while I was like that. I took a few pills, and found Prozac worked for me. I am like a totally different person now - alive. Meds are not always the answer and therapy helps. Please, make an appointment - you are not alone.

Motherhood is as amazing as it is hard. In the beginning it all seems like it is falling on your shoulders, but you know your baby better than anyone. It is true. You and your husband need time together. You are worn out/tired/prob a lil sore still depending on how your labor was. Do you have any outside help? Family/friends/neighbors? Tonight, just sit down and pour your heart out to him. Does your hussband know what you are feeling? he needs too. You are not crazy or physcho...just a new mom. If you ever need to talk...I sent you a message on how to a hold of me. Huggs

I'm 29 and just had my first baby 7 months ago. I struggled with Postpartum Depression, too. It's tough. I cried a lot and was terrified that something was going to happen to my baby. I sought help from my PCP. I was on medication for about 4 years due to anxiety, and I stopped when I had the baby. It was the wrong choice for me. She put me back on it. I don't think meds are the answer for everyone. If you don't want to take them, talk to someone. You shouldn't try to deal with this alone. You don't have to, there's help out there and this is what it's there for. There's no shame in saying you need help. Good luck.

check this website out...http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/postpartum.htm Just copy and paste into your browser, or type it in... i just did some research and found that site.. tells u just about everything u need to know.. hope this helps

I ahve had three pregnancies & they were all different. I was fine after my Son in 89. I had my Daughter in 96 and I thought the world was coming to an end. I was very tired and edgy and all I wanted to do was sleep. I had a really hard time. I didn't want to clean or cook or anything else. All I did was take care of the baby & cry & fight with my husband. I ended up going back to my OB for my check-up and she immediately put me on an Anti-depressant. It's totally normal to be depressed after having a child. I had a few symptoms after I had the twins, but it was nothing like after my daughter. Good luck! Everything will be okay. Hang in there.

A.,
It is hard to say if you are going through PPD or just overly exhausted. Regardless, go to your Doctor as soon as possible. You owe it to yourself and son to be as healthy a possible. I went on Zoloft soon after my first son was born and it helped a lot. I know this sounds simple but drink a TON of water. Being hydrated helps more than we realize.
Good Luck!!

A.,
You are not allone, call your ob /gyn health care provider, call the hospital at which you had the baby support is available, and can help, it is a tough time after having a baby and most of all continue to get the help.

A.,
I had my twin sons in Oct of 2005 and after they were born nothing was good enough. The house was a mess, I didn't want to do anything, I was having a very hard time healing after giving birth, I felt like my husband wasn't doing anything (he really was, we both got up at night and split the chores, etc), I was constantly stressed about money, etc. It took us a long time to get into a schedule that worked for the 2 of us and our twins.
Once I went back to work (he stays at home), things were really horrible. I know it was because I envied him getting to stay home while I had to work and so we really started fighting and I thought for sure we would split. He finally approached me one day and said he thought I was depressed and to please speak to a doctor. All that did was anger me more. After fuming for a couple of days, I realized how I was acting, so I eventually did say something to the doctor (I didn't want my kids to hear yelling and see a crazed mom) and he gave me a sheet to fill out and it turned out I did have mild depression. I think the biggest contributing factor is that I don't know if I will have more kids. I want to have as many as I can, but we can't afford it. So I'm always depressed when I think about it. The doctor prescribed Wellbutrin and it has really been helping me. Although I still want more kids and we never have enough money and I think our house is always a mess, I feel better. I don't go from laughing to crying to smiling to yelling anymore.
Talk to your husband about how you are feeling and try to work out a schedule where you can get some extra rest. Things are exhausting and getting burnt out won't help. See if you guys can take turns sleeping in on the weekends or something like that. I would also see a doctor if you don't see an improvement soon.
I hope my advice helps some!

I have a 4 year old and 2 2 year old twin boys. With each child I felt like I wanted to divorce my husband after they were born. I don't think it was post partum depression, but rather I was tired and not receiving the help, understanding, and support from my husband. My husband travels a lot, and I didn't have those feelings when he was gone because I had no expectations from him while he was gone, but when he came home and didn't help out and expected me to be super woman and do everything and wouldn't help out with the baby at all that's when we would fight. My husband is just the type of guy that won't have anything to do with the baby unless he can communicate with it and they can understand and communicate back. Yes, that's not correct and he got better with the twins because he had to, but not much. I don't know if this is similar to your situation, but if it is, somehow you really need to get him to understand that you need his help, support and understanding. Figure out what exactly you need from him because maybe he is clueless, and sit him down and discuss it with him. Hopefully your husband is much more empathetic than mine. Good luck!!