Postpartum Depression - Arlington,TX

I have four children and shortly after my second was born, I had a horrible case of Postpartum Depression. I never personally felt that it was an elephant in the closet, but I am very open and talk to everyone about everything and found that there is a huge misconception out there.

So often I found that most people thought Postpartum was the same as Baby Blues and it IS NOT. In fact Postpartum can happen well after the baby is born, mine began 6 weeks after my son was born. Needless to say, no one was able to help me out of it but on some level it made me feel better to talk about it. I needed to keep talking to keep the bad thoughts out of my head.

I am not sure what the average length of this condition is, mine lasted a full year and I still experienced bouts for 2 years after that. My doc's office tried and tried to get me to take something, but I just couldn't do it. Not that I wanted to be a danger to myself or my family, I just felt strong enough to go it alone and I am not a big drug person.

Looking back I remember the nurse telling me over and over to take something so I don't miss my son's precious little life because I was stuck in a depression. I have to admit, I did miss a lot, so many things I do not remember, I am not sure if I would go the drug-free route again but urge anyone out there to seek professional help if you experience unusual depression or bad thoughts about yourself or your baby after birth. This can be a very dangerous condition.

Yes. I think all forms of depression, anxiety, mental illness etc. are things people are embarrassed about. People who will readily admit that they have the flu or high cholesterol or asthma or any other medical/physical condition will clam up about emotional or psychological issues. Even insurance companies are notorious for limiting the amount of mental health coverage (for counseling) but not for medical issues. It shows a total lack of understanding and validation.

My mother has had bouts with depression for many years and thinks it's just up to her to talk herself out of them by thinking happy thoughts. Ridiculous. It's not that medication is the only answer - nutritional adjustments, exercise, counseling, talking to an understanding friend (as in your case), and other techniques are helpful in differing degrees to various sufferers. It helps just to have someone say she understands and that it's not something you can help.

So I would suggest you reach out and get whatever help you need from whatever source. I had depression for a long time and it was worse post partum - getting a diagnosis and some counseling helped immensely.

I've read that book too. I also experienced PPD, but I couldn't bring myself to tell anyone (not even my husband) until well after it was over.

Common enough. My first son smiled at 6 weeks and I smiled at 8 weeks! Can't say I wanted to hurt him, just get enough rest so I felt normal. I, too, wish there were more mental health education out there. Our whole country is held back by our inability to be open about it and seek, and GET adequate treatment. So sad.

My PPD was a blessing in disguise. It was the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak. I was unknowingly suffering depression as far back as high school, but able to function. After the birth of my daughter, I could not get my head up and my husband finally told me to GET HELP! That pushed me in the right direction and it changed my life forever.

Many women are turning to placenta encapsulation to help with PPD. Scientific studies done show that it does help tremendously. A certified encapsulation specialist goes to the woman's home, prepares the placenta, and encapsulates it. The woman then takes the capsules for a couple of months. It balances the hormones, restores iron, increases energy and also milk production by 80%. The majority of mammals ingest their placenta following birth and this is not due to predators as most people think because even animals without natural predators ingest their placenta.

You can read more about it here and even read the scientific research behind it: http://placentabenefits.info/articles.asp