Has anyone here gone through post partum deprssion?

Question

One of my friends had a baby a couple of months ago and thinks she is going through it. If you have how did you feel and what were your symptom's? Also how was it treated. Thank you in advance she is really embarrased.

Could it still be ppd even though her baby is already 4 months. I know she needs to see her doctor but they can't get her in until next week and she asked me to find some info for her.

Answer 1

My sister did but she got through it ok

Answer 2

I had it horriblly with my first. The first two weeks all I did was cry which I was told was normal. I had a very hard labor and didnt get to hold my son for 5 hours after his birth due to complications. I felt like I loved my son but I didnt know if it was because I wanted to or because I felt like I had to. I was so stressed out I could not sleep, I worried all the time about the smallest things, as he got older I still didnt feel bonded with him. I didnt do anything because I thought everything I was feeling was normal to a point, I could give 1000 reasons why I was feeling that way, but bottom line is I didnt want to let everyone know that I felt like the worlds worst mother. Now my eldest is almost 3 and I love him to death I finally seeked medical attention when he was 12 months old and found out that I had clinical depression and the birth made it worst, a year and a half later I found out I am not clinical depressed I am bipolar. It is a wonderful thing that your friends is seeking help, I wish I did sooner because I have a second child and I got on medication to keep the same thing from happening to me again, and I felt so much closer to my second child sooner. My first child and I have a wonderful relationship now but it took a while and the guilt is still there.

Answer 3

I had PPD after the birth of my first daughter. I didn't know I had it until it was gone. I gained a lot of weight, abandoned all my friends, and stopped hanging out with family. My family could tell something was wrong but they assumed I just wasn't happy. I had gotten married, found out my husband had cheated on me while we were dating, that he had been using drugs the entire time we were dating, And I had a new born. SOooo. Needless to say It was probably everything else in my life that I was depressed about but the hormones didn't help.
If she doesn't want to get dressed at all. If she won't hang out, if she won't talk, If she won't eat or eats to much. Those all would be signs.
If she has thoughts of harming her baby she shouldn't be left alone.

Answer 4

It could still be PPD. Most will say that it only lasts a few months, but for me, my PPD still came up many months after (it can last a year). It can take a long time for all her hormones to go back to normal.
When I had PPD, I was extremely emotional one minute and then completely disconnected the next. My Dr. almost wanted to put me on some antidepressants, but then it got better.
It helps to have someone to talk to AND someone to talk the sense into you! Sometimes PPD can cause you to have unrealistic feelings and thoughts and someone needs to be there to bring her back to reality.
I hope this helps! Best wishes!

Answer 5

Postpartum Depression

Many new moms feel happy one minute and sad the next. If you feel better after a week or so, you probably just had the "baby blues." If it takes you longer to feel better, you may have postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression can make you feel restless, anxious, fatigued and worthless. Some new moms worry they will hurt themselves or their babies. Unlike the "baby blues," postpartum depression does not go away quickly. Very rarely, new moms develop something even more serious. They may stop eating, have trouble sleeping and become frantic or paranoid. Women with this condition usually need to be hospitalized.

Researchers think that changes in your hormone levels during and after pregnancy may lead to postpartum depression. If you think you have it, tell your health care provider. Medicine and talk therapy can help you get well.

Hope that helps, follow the link to get more details.

Answer 6

It could be ppd.

I had it for quite a long time. Unfortunately, back in 1985, I didn't know what it was. But I was moody, tired, had no interest in my daughter (HORRORS!), didn't want to eat, couldn't sleep, etc.

It is not something to be embarrassed about. Many women go through it. From what I have heard, it could be genetic or it could be hormonal. But it doesn't make her a bad mother.

Now they treat it with medication. I would tell her to talk to her doctor about how she is feeling. Hopefully, her doctor will be able to help her out.

You are a good friend for trying to help her too! :)

Answer 7

I had post partum depression starting 6 weeks after my son was born.

My sypmtoms were mood swings, lots of crying and feeling like the world would end if my husband forgot to take the trash out one more time. :)

Around 12 weeks, it got much better but I wish that I had asked for help. It would have made it much easier to enjoy my newborn.

Answer 8

PPD is bad. I had it with all my births. My symptoms were anger,irritability, I couldn't cope with ANYTHING that came my way, I couldn't sleep(even though I was exhausted)....I just didn't feel happy like I should have. I didn't feel like those other moms that were out jogging with their new babies. I just wanted to stay home and hide. I told my doc. I went on anti depressants. It helped. It is NOT anything to be ashamed of, hell we can't help that it happens!
Post partum psychosis is another one I dealt with after I had my first child. I'm glad I only had that once. I remember looking at him and loving him so much. I felt like that now that he was out of my body and in the (cruel) world that he was hurting. I wanted to send him back to God so he would be safe and comfortable again. THAT'S POSTPARTUM PSYCHOSIS.
Fortunately I educated myself about all of this while I was pregnant. I even put lists of symptoms on the fridge for my family to read...(that's how worried I was and freaked out that it could happen to me). When I had that first thought of my baby 'hurting' I knew what was going on and I told my family.
Again, we can't help it. But we can get help for it. Your friend needs to call her doctor and somebody needs to be with her and the baby until she does.
Good luck to you,
D

Answer 9

Nothing to be embarrased about, happens to alot of people. Just keep an eye on her until she goes to the doctor. I had it for about 9 months after i had my daughter. It was rough and I needed help every now and then.

Answer 10

Feeling restless or irritable
Feeling sad, hopeless, and overwhelmed
Crying a lot
Having no energy or motivation
Eating too little or too much
Sleeping too little or too much
Trouble focusing, remembering, or making decisions
Feeling worthless and guilty
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
Withdrawal from friends and family
Having headaches, chest pains, heart palpitations (the heart beating fast and feeling like it is skipping beats), or hyperventilation (fast and shallow breathing)
feeling afraid of hurting the baby or oneself and not having any interest in the baby.

Answer 11

If your friend is breast feeding the baby, she may not want to take medicines. Sometimes people mistake short periods of sadness for serious depression. If your friend goes to a doctor I hope she finds one who takes the time to really find out if she has depression or not, and not one who just writes out prescriptions without thinking about it.

Here are links to sites that discuss the issue:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/1/T011000.asp

http://www.babylune.com/top-five-ways-to-prevent-postpartum-depression/

http://www.jonbarron.org/newsletters/05/7-18-2005.php

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/ppd.html

http://www.depression-release.com/

I wonder if there is a relationship between not breast feeding the new baby and developing ppd?

When you don't breast feed you have to dry up the milk -- your body may believe that the baby is gone -- and the body grieves. The grief the body feels translates itself into what they call post partum depression.
Breast feeding is a joyful experience, it bonds mother and baby, and gives the baby immunity against childhood diseases.