Apologies for the flippant title- am not trying to make light of anything, just trying to put into as few words as possible the basics of my problem.
I currently have 2 DS's- a 22mo and a 4mo. After birth of 2nd DS I was diagnosed with having PND by the midwives... It was not a diagnosis I was happy with, at the time I felt I was just struggling physically from the birth (very, very anaemic) and emotionaly wiped out by lack of sleep whilst dealing with a small toddler as well. I argued with my husband a lot as he was working full time AND studying for an Open University degree in the evenings, so for the last 4 months I have effectively been single parenting, and it was him who highlighted my 'irrational' behaviour to the midwives and first mentioned PND as an idea. I was given AD's which I took for the first month, but I then stopped taking them (against any medical advice) as I felt "better" and didn't think I needed them. Plus, I am an awful person for just thinking I need to 'pull myself together' and 'just get on with it' and not allow myself any time to consider how I'm really feeling underneath it all.
Anyway, to cut a long story short(er), in the last 3 months I have not been taking AD's I have found that every time I get my period I am totally wiped out with a wave of gloom, I can't be bothered to eat, I am almost permanently in tears (or feeling like I am just holding them back), and I just find dealing with 2 small children and their constant demands is almost too much for me. It lasts for approximately 4 days, and then slowly it fades away and by the following week I've forgotten all about it. But the following month it comes back, a little stronger, a little more debilitating.
I've never suffered with any sort of PMT before in all my life, so I am unsure if its just crazy post pregnancy hormones that will settle down once my periods go back to normal in a month or two, or if its a sign of something more serious like PND. Can you even get that sporadically like I am describing??
I am so bloody stubborn I won't listen to my husband when he (very gently and kindly) suggests that's what it might be, and I admit I'm almost scared that if I talk to a dr I will get 'labelled' and be chucked back on AD's against my will like last time, and no 'real' help will be forthcoming anyway so I may as well just grin and bear it cos there are 2 kids demanding my time so I don't have the luxury of wallowing in these feelings.
But then on the other hand this nagging voice at the back of my head says this is a bit of an extreme reaction to a period and I should be listening to those who know me best, as if it is PND am I in a fit state of mind to even judge myself??
Am so confused. Has anyone got any experience of this, or can give me a kick up the bum to go say all this to a doctor and just accept the outcome?!
Much appreciated.
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Antenatal/postnatal depression
PND or PMT?!
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BassAce · 19/09/2012 14:14
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