Postpartum Depression - Twin Falls,ID

I suffered from postpartum after having my son. Since I struggled with depression in my past they went ahead and put me on zoloft before I even had him. Truthfully I am glad they did. Even being on that after having him I was still pretty bad. I wanted nothing to do with him for about the first couple of months after having him. I don't even want to think about how I would have been not being on anything. Then he went to stay a week with my sister and after getting him back I fell madly in love with him.

M.-
I have had the problem of getting easily depressed throughout my life not just postpartum. I think the best thing for me to do is to take the stroller and dogs and take a nice 1 hr brisk walk. The sunshine and exercise helps me tremendously. Also another thing that helps is making sure you get out and socialize without the kids. You have to make sure to put your own needs first so you can meet everybody elses. You know how the flight attendant on a plane tells you in the event of an emergency to put your oxygen mask on first and then put your child's on? Well it's kind of like that. If you aren't functioning you can't help anybody else. Do the things you enjoyed before you had kids and make sure you carve special time away just for you. Keep breastfeeding too it helps with depression by releasing hormones that help combat it. Hope it gets better for you, I know how hard it can be.
Brekka

i would highly talk to your dr's about this. i think i had heard from others who had taken med that there are some you can take while breastfeeding. don't quote me.. but i bet there is someone on here who can help. but i would call your dr.. if you don't want to take meds and there aren't any that you can take while bf.. then maybe there are different things they can suggest other than meds that you can try. i know that excersice can help with this alot too.

good luck, i hope you feel better..
T.
ps.. i should have taken meds after my second one(she was 3 mo premature and in the nicu for 77 days).. but i was afraid.. but i should have..

M.,
Pray. Ask God to help you through this. Think of things you like to do with the kids and do them,try to make yourself get out of the house with them. Go places where they can play and you can sit and watch them and maybe chat with other moms. Go with your gut on the medication. I did go on Seraphem (spelling?) after my 2nd child for 6 months and I believe it did help, however, I just never felt comfortable taking it and got off of it quickly. My doctor wanted me to stay on saying I felt fine because I was on it,but I pushed and he agreed. I have since had a third child and have not gone back to meds. I have had my ups and downs. But I've been in prayer during my downs, trusting and relying on God and NOT wallowing in my misery, not that I think others do, I just know that is what I did. I hope this helps.

First let me just say you need to stop worrying about it, or it will get worse. lol Easy to say, hard to do. I found that the more I thought about it, the worse it got. Like you said, with #2 you were so busy to be depressed. Secondly, you are not alone with all this, many women, including myself, have been there, and survived. Yes talking to your doctor is the best thing and if it comes to it, there are meds you can take that wont hurt the baby, and you would not be a bad mom for taking them (look at Brooke Shields). But the most important thing to remember is to find time for you, if your hubby cant give you that, then find a good friend. Sometimes you need a mommy time out, and again this doesnt make you a bad mom, it makes you a sane mom!! At the kid's bedtime is another great way to get some mommy time, but also some parent time. Take every advantage you can to relax, if it doesnt need to be cleaned today, let it go. I always say a messy house is a happy house!! Good Luck!

I had horrible problems with both my children. With my son It didn't actually subside cause I got preggers again 9 months after having my son. I personally think it was trying to subside about that time though. With regards to my second pregnancy It lasted 1.5 years. So there is no try and true answer. It will just be until your hormones level out again and go back to your old self.

Hi M.. Just remind yourself that depression is a chemical imbalance- so the best option is to get on a drug. Exercise helps as well, but of course when you don't feel like doing anything it doesn't help get you motivated to work out! There are many antidepressants that are safe in small doses to use while breastfeeding. I have been on wellbutrin throughout my pregnancy & am now nursing, and my daughter is doing great without any side effects! The best gift you can give your children is a happy mom, so never feel bad about taking care of your needs. Would you make them suffer if they had a medical problem?

I have three boys and never had an issue until this last time. I didn't take a shower until half way through the day. The longer you sit on the couch the harder it will be to get moving! You are forming bad habits. Make yourself do something, dishes, laundry, put away the clothes the baby has already grown out of, get out new ones. And you HAVE to get some sun. It will do wonders! Showing my baby off to my old job helped. Taking him to see daddy for lunch helpd. It makes you get up and get dressed!

I had very bad postpartum depression. My dad died while I was pregnant. It took me months to get over it. I tried pills - there are things you can take when breastfeeding. Like some of the other posts have said, you may need to think of yourself first here so that you cna be a good mom.

After many months of sadness, despair, and anxiety attacks, I finally stopped with the meds - although they did help me a lot. I started exercising and it helped me TREMENDOUSLY. Both the act of doing something for myself and those endorphins combined for exactly what I needed to get myself healthy again.

I really had a hard time so if you want to talk anymore, please let me know.

I dealt with depression after the birth of my son for many years. I truly believe that depression is caused by feeling like you should be doing something other then what you are already doing or feeling like you have no control over your life. I don't know if this is true for you, but for me it was helpful to appreciate what I did have in my life and then really tried to figure out what it was I wanted for myself. After figuring that out, I was able to move and make decisions in the direction of the goals that I hoped to accomplish some day when things were not so hectic and when all my time was not given to raising children. While I was not able to just go do what I wanted, I did end up making time to complete the things over a long period of time that gave me some pride and fulfilled some of my desires that I had. Also, raising kids is so isolating, so do your best to go through the motions of getting yourself up and dressed, and being social whenever you can. Try not to give in to the exahaustion, take walks, and take care of yourself and try to look within at what is eating you. WHen you can address the source, you can overcome this without medication, but always realize that if you need medication it is something that can be temporary in your life. Counseling is also great, so just remember that there is always hope and there will be change- this is not forever.
D.

I think mine lasted about 6 months or so. At one point I remember telling my husband that he could have the baby, I was moving out! Of course, I didn't but I was so miserable with the lack of sleep and I felt like my son didn't even like me! It is a truly heartbreaking feeling when you know you are depressed and wonder if you will ever feel normal again. A year later I am over it but I do remember what it felt like and hope I never go through it again, but if I do, I will make sure to see my doctor about it instead of trying to deal with it alone. I know I made my poor husband miserable for a while and he was worried as I would cry for absolutely no reason or throw dinner (including the pans I cooked it in!) in the garbage because it didn't come out quite the way it should have! He would later dig the pans out and clean them like the sweetheart that he is while I sat on the couch clutching my baby, sobbing in his hair! I felt like the worst mother in the world! Anyway, I remember my doctor coming to see me a few hours after the delivery and telling me that in the next 6 weeks until my post-partum visit that if I needed help dealing with any depression, don't be a hero, call me, and I will gladly prescribe something safe for you to take whilst breastfeeding! I wish I had taken him up on his offer! Next time I will. Good luck to you, and don't try to deal with this on your own, it can be bad news for your kitchen utensils!

I'm sure you've heard all these suggestions before, but I'll say them again! Call your doctor. Explain that you are breastfeeding and not feeling quite yourself. The doctor will have the best advice, and they can usually prescribe medication that is breastfeeding compatible, if it comes down to it. Make sure you take enough time for yourself away from the kids. Do something special for yourself at least once a week. Share your feelings with your husband. Let him know what he can do to make you feel special and loved. Call a friend or write in a journal or blog about how you are feeling.

I had a really hard time with postpartum depression. First my doctor tried medication and nothing she prescribed worked. But she referred me to a psychologist, and I've been seeing her for 3 years now! After my daughter was born, tho, a different doctor gave me a new medication and that worked really well. I breastfed my daughter and it was safe to take the medication at the same time. I started taking it when I was pregnant and it had no effect on my daughter at all. Sometimes you just need something to straighten out your hormones and brain chemicals and all that and then you're fine. It gets worse with ever pregnancy, tho, so if you have any more kids be prepared! Try going to a councelor or psychologist. They can help you come up with coping strategies when you're feeling down. It helps alot! I love seeing my psychologist! I only see her about once or twice a month now, but it has been very helpful to me. She even helped my husband come up with ways to help me when I got into a down slump. It's been very good. But it's okay to take some medication when your breastfeeding. It doesn't hurt the baby, and the kids will actually benefit more if you're happier and more motivated!

Hi M.!!

Oh, I totally understand what you're going through. After my third one I had the worst post partem. I really didn't know how bad it could get.
You know, I was thinking it might be good to get into some kind of moms group, other new moms. I'm sure a lot of them are feeling the same as you are.
After I had my last one I just started really getting involved with others (even when I didn't 'feel' like it). Seemed to really help. And you know, take some time for yourself. That is a huge help to you emotionally. Even if you're simply running to the mall for an hour. Go have coffee or soda with a friend.
I am just so proud of you. And I am so ecstatic that you have such a passion for the Foster Care community. That just blesses me so much that you do that.

God bless you!!!

T.
http://tinamccomb.stayinhomeandlovinit.com

Hi, M.! I would recommend you be evaluated by your doctor. Three months is a long time for depressed feelings. The general guideline used by healthcare professionals is if you have been feeling persistently depressed more than two weeks, you should be evaluated. I recommend starting with your family physician or OB, as they can rule out hormonal reasons for your down mood (such as low thyroid levels, etc.) If everything turns out fine physically, they can refer you to a mental health professional. You do not have to start medication if you do not want to. Many people are able to recover from depression with cognitive-behavioral techniques and talk therapy. If at any time you feel like hurting yourself or someone else, please get yourself to an emergency room when you can get immediate help. Good luck and God bless!

-J. (former ER nurse)

P.S. I just had another thought. Have you had to take anything to help your breast milk to come in or any meds for nausea? Reglan (otherwise know as metoclopramide) can cause depression-like symptoms due to their sedating effects.