PND - how was it for you 2nd time around - pls share your experiences good or bad.

[pinkypig]

Hi, I had really bad PND (anxiety / insomnia) after the birth of my first in 2006 . I was fully recovered using medication after about 9 months (no meds now). I am due our second baby in July and am interested to hear how you went 2nd time around.

Thanks!

[magHOOVERlia74]

Better than the 1st time, was ok for the 1st 4 weeks then became obvious I was suffering again. Went onto ad's for a year but it was no where near as severe as when I had my twins

[pinkypig]

Bump. Anyone else?

[viggoswife]

I had quite a bad time with my first child - horrendous panic attacks and real fear in various situations. I didnt really tell anyone, which I think made it a lot worse. I dont think I really knew that was what it was until it had passed and TBH in hindsight I dont know how I got through it alone like that. I was very aware that it might happen again and of some of the triggers. I saw a Psychologist while I was pregnant with my second and was very open with my Health Visitor and GP about my fears. Doing that made me feel that help was close if I needed it to be and I didnt really experience anything too bad with my second. A bit of stress and tears but certainly nothing like with my first.

I also changed my diet slightly. I got a book called Optimum nutrition for the Mind and that made me feel that I was being really proactive and doing something to help myself.

[luvaduck]

am bumping for you - there must be plenty of people with the same experience

how are you now?
did antid's help with anxiety symptoms?? did you have ever feel depressed or just (not "just" but you know what i mean) anxious?

i also suffer from v bad insomnia which has got worse since the baby...

[pinkypig]

Hi luvaduck,

I never felt 'depressed' as in blue, sad, down etc. Straight after I had the baby I had this overwhelming physical anxiety reaction (felt like shock/fear/adrenalin pumping round keeping me wired hence insomnia which then can make you depessed etc). I did not have insomnia before the baby.

We picked an anti-d that focussed on anxiety(it took 3 goes to get the right one for me!) and they totally helped.

The insomnia lifted after a few months on the right meds. This was about 6 months after DS was born. I came off meds about 6 months after that.

I tend to think that insomnia is driven by anxiety and this can be eased by medication (I tried meditation and more natural remedies first be to be honest I was so far gone it was pointless)!!

PP

[gigglewitch]

unfortunately in my world it was worse each time. first time was sort of blurred, second was a ridiculously complicated pg and the hospital didn't handle it well - so opinion was that by 26wks pg I was already depressed. After a faulously 'normal' and anxiety-free pg with DC3, and thinking that I was doing really well having escaped it, by the time she was 10 days old i was in bits and totally unable to function. Massive bummer because I really thought I'd dodged it all this time. Anti-d's for 2 years as things really have been hard.
Getting sorted now though

Being prepared and knowing what the signs are, and where the help is, means if you are unlucky enough to have it again you don't need to suffer alone.
wishing you lots of luck.

[MotherFunk]

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[luvaduck]

MF - you can see your GP about short term meds -eg temazepam/zopiclone - they don't affect you in the long term but should be only be prescribed in short burst as can be addictive. might be worth having less sleep in the day before so that you are more tired that night.
are you BFing/have young kids?

pinkypig - it might be that its easier 2nd time round as you know the signs and can back to doc earlier - you know the meds worked so you can go on them earlier, or get counselling. good luck!
why don't you bump this in the morning to see if there are any more experiences?

[MotherFunk]

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[MotherFunk]

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[luvaduck]

hmmm difficult
to be honest without a prescibed drug (short term shouldn't be addictive but i undertand your reticence) don't think theres a quick fix. you could try kalms/antihistamine. have a chat to gp i reckon.

[samkearsey]

hi
i had pd with my first, but was okay with second and got it worse third time round so its a difficult call, just make sure you ask for help and get the support you need
good luck

[dollarprincess]

When i had my eldest daughter nearly 10 yrs ago, i suffered from pre natal depression from about 4 months pregnant, when she was born the baby blues hit me like a ton of bricks, she cried all hte time day and night, had reflux, then found out she had bones out of place hence why the cryin, had that sorted, but i will be honest this sounds horrible but i am not very close to her at all, i felt like my life was at the end.could of quite happily sat and had a bottle of pills and not thought twice.
Second was fine had a little bit of PND but nothing major, absolutly love Ocean to bits, she was totally different we boonded straight away, then Tehya came along, i was how can i put it, devistated when i found out i was 11 wks preg with her.
I have PCO and got told i would never have kids by myself natuarlly, Rain and Ocean were fetitly treatment babaies, so when i found out i was 11wks preg with Tehya, my world was shatteredif you understand what i mean.
My world was made didn;t think of anything else, then this.
BUt by god i love her BITS, she was meant to be here , she was my miracle baby, we have had a very hard time with her,I was depressed alot on and off with her, but now she is 2 ,shes a sod but she's lovely.

[dollarprincess]

I feel very sad because of depression during my first pregnanacy how it has effected my life with my eldest Rain, i often cry, but that is just the way we are, alot of it happens if women are honest, alot of mothers have said it.
I love all my 3 the same, jsut have bad times aswell as the good times but PND has a lot to answer for with the children and also alot effected myself and my husband, he went through alot and i look up to him alot.
But i have a step daughter who is 24 and i remember her saying when i only had Rain" i think it is aload of rubbish, there is no such thing" a couple of years ago she got depression.
Sorry for rattleing on but i had to get that ut.