Postpartum Anxiety? - Dublin,OH

I suffer from anxiety and was reluctant to take medication.
But it has been the best thing for me. Think about it in terms of another ailment. If you were diabetic, would you question taking insulin? I also relaized that i've suffered from anxiety my whole life so I will probably be on medicine indefinitely. I came to terms with this and am happy I did.

I replied to a post about panic attacks while pregnant a couple months ago. I saw that she updated "so what happened" and this may help you:

http://www.mamapedia.com/questions/15107172721928241153

Get theyself to the doctor. You need to be in top form, so you will have enough energy and a clear enough mind to care for yourself first.

Why are you afraid of meds if they will help? This may be part of your anxiety condition. There is no shame in looking for help. Wouldn't you be willing to do what ever is necessary to make sure your child was healthy and safe?
Well this is part of it.

I am sending you strength. You are not alone.

Why in goodness sakes are you more afraid of meds than you are of "losing your mind?"

Get your OB/GYN to recommend a good pro to help you with this. I have taken meds for depression when I lost my late husband. I did myself a favor and every other person that cared for me. It was such a relief to downplay the anxiety and the frequent bursts of tears when driving. I was getting a bit over the top in creating memorials here, there and everywhere.

The behaviors that you describe are connected and very worrisome. Seek help NOW. Don't be afraid. You still get to make decisions. Bring along your spouse. You nened someone who sees what you do and hears what you say. Be open, be truthful, be good to yourself this way -- and your child. It is not too late for post partum depression.

Please don't be afraid to take the medicine. I went undiagnosed with PPD for 2 years after I had my first baby. By then, my second was already here and I had lost too much time of enjoying my kids. I know there is a real stigma for anti-anxiety meds but they don't have to be taken long term. For me, I was able to work through my frustrations and fears in counseling while on the medication and now am much healthier and of sound mind going into my 3rd pregnancy. PPD isn't something that you can just "snap" out of so please don't feel like it is something that you can just make all better. It is truly a chemical imbalance that needs to be corrected. I didn't know that the longer a depression goes untreated, the longer it takes to correct it. I check in with a psychiatrist every 6months and have basically stopped meds. But, I am in a place where that is possible through the combination of meds and counseling. Plus learning alternative stress reducers.

I also include work outs that have really helped me, continuing to do this has kept me from needing to go back on many of the meds.

Keeping you in my thoughts as it is not an easy decision to make. Best wishes and hopefully you will begin feeling better (and less anxious) soon!

I have not been through this, but the OCD behaviors you mentioned (skin picking and counting) would concern me enough to at least talk to my doctor.
Sometimes a big event in life (i.e. birth) can escalate previously small OCD behaviors.
For your own peace of mind, talk to your doc. Best wishes!

Post partum anxiety is very real. It's post partum depression's not-so-talked-about sister. There is also post partum obsessive compulsive disorder, and post partum psychosis. I have PPA and obsessive compulsive thoughts. It's also a common misconception that post partum mood disorders occur soon after delivery. It can occur as late as 12 months post partum.

Get yourself to your doc as soon as possible. Also talk to a therapist. In the meantime, try to stay as relaxed as possible. Cancel anything that's not important. Clear your schedule. Avoid overbooking, over-stressing, over-doing. Keep it simple. Also, talk to someone. Your mom, your significant other, a friend. Do a Google search and you'll find online support groups too. Get out of the house though, go for a walk, get physical exercise, get some sunshine (vitamin D). Take some time for yourself.

I was also afraid of meds, and really resisted at first. I've been on zoloft for about 9 months now. It took a while to kick in, and I had to have my dose adjusted a couple times, but now I feel great. I also breastfeed, and I'm able to continue breastfeeding, even with the zoloft. It's one of the "safer" anti-depressants/anti-anxiety meds out there. I'll be weaning myself off my meds soon (with my doctor's help, of course). What's important for me, is to get plenty of exercise, get outside (get out of the house!) and to not overbook myself. I have to force myself to take "mental days," days where I just take care of myself. I also have a night out with friends once a month and my husband watches our girls. It helps so much.

Please, seek help. It will only make you stronger. If you need someone to talk to, send me a message. Best of luck to you.

You can absolutely have PPD anytime in the first year after a birth. It will only get worse without treatment as this is a hormone issue as well. I ended up with PPD which I finally had disgnosed 10 months after the birth of my first child. Once I was precribed medication and went through some therapy, the depression resolved.

I would note that PDD is something that normally does not just go away, it only worsens with time, so I would strongly discuss this with your physician as soon as possible.

I recently had my third child and went on Zoloft immediately after the birth and am currently breastfeeding. I did a lot of research before my little one was born and this seemed to be the safest medication while breastfeeding. It has helped wonders with PPD.

It's not too late for postpartum issues. It takes 9 months to have a baby and your body takes at least that getting back to where it should be. I agree with everything all the other gals said but I also wanted to add....get your thyroid checked. It's common to have thyroid problems after a pregnancy and some of those symptoms can be anxiety and emotional disturbance and the tremors and headaches. (that's the one that got my attention especially) I have Graves disease and my doctor told me it's very common after a pregnancy esp if you have a family history.
If not, then it doesn't hurt to check and the other things need to be addressed as well. I was very hesitant to go on medication but when I couldn't take it anymore, I was biting everyone's head off constantly, I went on zoloft and it's done a lot of good. I wonder now why I waited so long.
Anyway...good luck. I hope you feel better soon!

It could be. I experience Post Partum depression after my second daughter and took Zoloft for a couple of months. It really seemed to help me get back up on my feet. Recently, my husband and I both started taking recently started taking an herbal supplement called Luminex to help with depression and anxiety, and it’s been very helpful in improving our overall mood. It may be something for you to look into. It contains natural ingredients like St Johns Wart, griffonia seed, folate, and vitamin B12. Hang in there mama!

When my son was 3 months I finally called my doctor and told her I think I had PPD eventhough I was depressed I had extreme anxiety. She saw me within an hour of calling her and said that what I was feeling was normal and gave me Lexapro to help. It made a world of difference just the first day.

I had major anxiety after weaning my son - it was the change in hormones! I spoke to a psychologist about it and shared how I felt when I was on birth control (depressed, cranky) and he decided that I was just more vulnerable to the hormonal changes than some other people. I ended up returning to normal about six weeks later, after my period returned and my hormones evened out, but going knowing I could go back to the psychologist at any time really helped.

If I could do it again, I probably would have asked for some medication just to take at night or in an "emergency." I didn't want to get on a long-term medication if it was a short-term problem, and I think that was the right choice for me, but I should have asked for more help in the short-term. The point is, you aren't going crazy and it's probably related to all the hormonal changes! BUT I think it would really help you to go talk to someone. Just knowing that you have options can make you feel better.

One more thing - it's cheesy, but listening to relaxation meditations on the internet helped me to relax! Try googling "self-guided meditation relaxation" or something like that and you will find a ton of recordings for free.

I experienced these almost exact symptoms about 4 months after my 4th baby was born. Friends and family kept telling me that I may have postpartum depression but I didn't believe them because I had never experienced this after any of my other babies. I was like you... I had no desire to be on medication, so I tried time alone, massages, breathing and other techniques I thought would help. After a few weeks, things just kept getting worse. One day I was sitting at home with my 4 kids and the baby was screaming, my husband was out of town and I was so overwhelmed that I almost got in my car and drove away. I kept seeing myself do it over and over... at that point I knew I had a real problem. I called my OBGYN and asked to be seen that day. They got me right in and after talking to him I felt so much better. He explained that it wasnt my fault and that most women who have postpartum depression can not get rid of it on their own.
I finally gave in to trying some medication and I am SO GLAD I did. I took Zoloft for about 7 months and it was like a miracle! In fact, I felt so good that I got pregnant again a few months after going off of it!
I am due in just a few weeks with our 5th baby and my Dr has already told me that if I , at any time, begin to feel sad or anxious or any of the symptoms I had before, I can got back on the medication. Sometimes it doesn't take long to zap your body back to normal. I know it's scary, but trust me when I tell you that you are not alone! A lot of women go through this. You will feel so much better if you talk to your Dr. Good Luck!! Hang in there!!