just found this section! baby due any day

[4littleones]

I've had post natal depression in the past although not always diagnosed. my baby Is expected any day now. I was on anti depressants until the doctor guilt tripped me into stopping during this pregnancy. I refused to start with and continued to take them as I felt I couldn't cope without them so went on lowest dose. somehow out of nowhere I decided to stop taking them and have actually been fine ever since.

my worry now is that I'm pretty sure I will become depressed again once this baby is born.

can I request to go straight onto drugs before waiting for it to ruin the early weeks with the baby first? I don't always see it when it's there and DH tends to see it more as I'm being horrible then realise it's the depression. to be fair he is always the one I take it out on. poor man!

I'm not very good at talking about it
and very few people know about it and I struggle to ask for help or medication. I've asked for councilling 3 times through the GP and got nowhere.

any advice? I plan to breastfeed so any medication needs to be safe for breastfeeding.

[ccridersuz]

Predicting that you are going to be depressed because you were in the past is a worry that you are putting on yourself, you must stop and think about why you are feeling you need anti depressant's before you become depressed?
As an outsider, I am under the impression you worry too much about being a mum that cannot cope, thus being a depressed mum.
You must ask yourself if you are becoming reliant on anti depressant's?
Your Doctor is not guilt tripping you he is obviously thinking of your health and the health of the baby, you seem to be making it an issue because of past experience and worrying about it is obviously making you depressed with a need to medicate for something you are being paranoid about.
I know it's a strong word, but you have to see it from an outsider's point of view. I have suffered from both pre and post natal depression, but I refused to take any tablet's as I was told that they could become addictive and I know a couple of girls who had trouble coming off them.
I would seriously, consider that you are worrying unnecessarily and that having already been pregnant, that you are now a great mum and should be proud of yourself that you have given them up and are in the best of health without them.

[4littleones]

thank you Sally lass. yes I was a bit by the first reply as it's not at all what I've heard from everywhere else.

Most people I have spoken to seem to have had a proper plan put in place for when baby is born but my GP is rubbish with depression. as I've had multiple children and always had PND I don't think it's ridiculous to plan for this one before it interferes with bonding with baby.

[Smudge588]

You can and some GPs or MH teams will prescribe them as a precaution as generally the sooner you get help the sooner you recover. They aren't addictive - they used to be many years ago but they don't prescribe those now - it's just that you have to come off slowly to minimise any side effects and to reduce the chance of it coming back. If you can get a referral to MH to be monitored at the very least. Hope it goes well

[4littleones]

Thank you. does anybody know if the health visitor can help if I don't get anywhere with the GP? Being induced tomorrow hopefully

[MagpieMama]

Does your hospital have a specialist mental health midwife OP? I found mine very helpful.
Good luck with the induction and birth!