Preventing PPD before it starts?

[Salihah]

I would love to hear from anyone that has taken actions to prevent PPD before it starts and felt something they did was effective in either preventing or lessening the extent.

I have had PPD with all of my births, but in varying degrees. With my first baby it was very severe, yet I wasn't aware of how much so until later having another birth to compare to. Later births were not as bad, but all had some time and degree of apathy, paranoia, and anxiety that were enough to effect daily living and functioning. My last birth was probably the least bad.

Baby boy #4 was just born on Sunday. I've been using supplements in the last trimester on advice of the book, Chemistry of Joy, which is about using nutrition and lifestyle changes to treat regular (non-PPD) depression. I am hoping it will help. I also am not in the stressful environment that I was for prior post-partum, just a better life right now and hoping that helps, too.

But still, I worry about that black abyss, if it will come or not, and anything I can do to make it easier if it does.

[Parker'smommy]

This may not be a popular idea here at MDC but I started taking Zoloft in my 9 month of pregnancy to avoid PPD with #2. PPD was SO severe with #1 that I just couldn't bear the thought of it happening again. My OB did some research and we decided that it was okay for me and my situation and I did it. I'm not sure if studies have happened AFTER 2/05 when I had my baby to say otherwise now. My baby was born fine and wonderful. I had some baby blues on day 4 after baby was born, but that was the extent of it. I then weaned off of the Zoloft when babe was 6 months old. I breastfed with no problems and I do not regret taking the drugs a bit.

good luck!

[Salihah]

Thanks so much, Heather. I am really glad to hear that you were free of it the second time around!

[orangatan]

I had a hard adjustment after DD, more than baby blues but not full blown PPD. This time around I took, on the advice of my naturopath, a fish oil suplement of omega 3's, a multi vit B supplement and homeopathic drops made for depression- unda 2 passiflora, 10 drops 3-5x a day as well as bach rescue rememdy as needed for anxiety. I also made sure that post birth we did not have any visitors that I didn't want, no expectations, DH took a few weeks off, ect. This worked great and I only went through a few weepy moments but they were ok.

[Salihah]

Orangatan, that's encouraging, thank you...the fish oil and B vitamins are part of the supplements I've been doing. I think it has been helpful. I also am doing vitamin D because I'm usually deficient and that really can affect mood. I still am worried that in another week or so I'm just going to wake up in the dark hole, but maybe there is hope I won't. Dh is working from home right now so that helps. We have dinner coming from friends a few days a week, which is a huge help. My mother-in-law is driving out from Pennsylvania and should be here tomorrow, staying for a week...that may or may not help, lol.

[BabyMae09]

If you saved the placenta, eat it. smoothies are the way to go. I had horrid PPD with my first, and none so far with my second. I ate 80% of my placenta in smoothies. can't even taste it - and I felt SO good!

[Sweetiemommy]

I think the nutritional stuff will really help. There is an amazing book called The Natural Guide to Pregnancy and Postpartum Health, that seriously addresses nutritonal deficiencies. It is very helpful, tells you what your optimal values should be (you can get all your values checked by a doctor) but what is "normal" is not the same as what might be "optimal" because the doctors are just looking for serious disease states, not for what might lead to a problem, kwim? Anyway, another thing that REALLY helps is support and lack of stress. I can't say enough about different it is to have someone help you versus being left alone to wallow in the abyss. And I'm not being one of those weird "mind over matter" people about depression, but something that has helped me IN ADDITON to nutrition, rest, moderate exercise and social support is to remind myself that my thoughts are due to hormones and not an actual reflection on reality. For example, this time around I started to get hysterical about my husband coming home late for work one night and was having some seriously crazy thoughts, and I just managed to tell myself, hey, it's a postpartum thing, I have to chill out. And I was having trouble calming down still, so I seriously picked up a book and read a chapter, just to distract myself. I allowed myself to let the emotions go away, versus inviting them in and dwelling in them. But I don't know if that would have been possible if I didn't have all of the other positive factors keeping me borderline, you know? I haven't fallen off the edge, I'm usually able to pull myself back. So hopefully I stay that way!

[Salihah]

BabyMae09, I do have the placenta. My MW put it in the freezer in gallon zip lock bag. She didn't label it, which made me nervous because she also put a gallon bottle of an herbal peri-rinse she made in the fridge and the next day my parents came to visit and my dad drank a glass thinking it was ice tea. He complained that it needed more sugar and I was like, "Dad, I didn't make any ice tea" and then I realized, lol. The MW did say she can take the placenta if I want and one of her apprentices prepares it with some herbs, dehydrates it, and then puts it in capsules. If it worked so well for you, I think I might try that.

Originally Posted by Sweetiemommy

I think the nutritional stuff will really help. There is an amazing book called The Natural Guide to Pregnancy and Postpartum Health, that seriously addresses nutritonal deficiencies. It is very helpful, tells you what your optimal values should be (you can get all your values checked by a doctor) but what is "normal" is not the same as what might be "optimal" because the doctors are just looking for serious disease states, not for what might lead to a problem, kwim? Anyway, another thing that REALLY helps is support and lack of stress. I can't say enough about different it is to have someone help you versus being left alone to wallow in the abyss. And I'm not being one of those weird "mind over matter" people about depression, but something that has helped me IN ADDITON to nutrition, rest, moderate exercise and social support is to remind myself that my thoughts are due to hormones and not an actual reflection on reality. For example, this time around I started to get hysterical about my husband coming home late for work one night and was having some seriously crazy thoughts, and I just managed to tell myself, hey, it's a postpartum thing, I have to chill out. And I was having trouble calming down still, so I seriously picked up a book and read a chapter, just to distract myself. I allowed myself to let the emotions go away, versus inviting them in and dwelling in them. But I don't know if that would have been possible if I didn't have all of the other positive factors keeping me borderline, you know? I haven't fallen off the edge, I'm usually able to pull myself back. So hopefully I stay that way!

Thank you!! I will definitely look for that book on Amazon. Especially since it is directed at preg./post specifically. I do know I have a lot of imbalances with electrolytes and some vitamins already due to some pre-existing health issues and I've often thought that is what contributes the most to my depression, and stress. Like you said, I can't get by with a mind-over-matter treatment for it, but mind does help. Self-talk, like you explained, was a huge benefit to learn for me. Just being able to realize and tell myself, "this is depression, or this is PPD" helped me not feel so freaked out or overwhelmed. Distraction is a biggie, although I've felt sort of bad or guilty by picking up a book or watching a movie on my laptop, like I'm avoiding the problem rather than dealing with it. Escapism. But the way you put it, it is more coping with something that is temporary and will pass, which is true, and there isn't much more I can do sometimes than just get through it.

The stress is a huge facet for me. Like my dh working from home right now, its because he is unemployed right now. So he is doing some graphic design work just as he can find it, here and there. But it could be 40 hours one week, and then 3 weeks of nothing. 6 hours another week. Finances are really a trigger for me and put me over the edge. I am telling myself that I cannot think about it right now. I have a brand new newborn, am low on sleep, and need to focus on baby and myself being well right now. But I have to tell this to myself more times in a day than I can count. And those spikes of irrational anxiety and panic are difficult. Although they are not anywhere is bad as they have been with past pregnancies.

I really appreciate all the ideas and support. Thank you to everyone. I'm open to just about any ideas to keep myself out of that black abyss.

[gabbyraja]

I've not read other replies, but felt I yhad to throw this out there. I had PPD w/my first 3 births. So bad I was hallucinating and having panic attacks after the first, and would fantasize about throwing my third down the stairs. With my fourth I finally tried consuming my placenta. My husband dehydrated it and he and the older kids inserted it into capsules. I took 1 in the morning and one in the evening, and I'd take one whenever I started just not feeling quite right. They lasted about 2 months and I never got more than "the baby blues". I got a little teary in the first week, but the "I love this baby so much it hurts" teary, not "WHY did I do this to myself again and ruin my life!?" teary. It was the MOST wonderful thing I've ever done and I will be both dehydrating and making a tincture this time. I heartily encourage you to forego societal norms and give it a try.

[daisymommy]

I don't share my story with many people, but I will do it here.

With both babies #1 and #2 I had severe post-partum depression, bordering on psychosis and suicidal thoughts, & fear of harming my baby. It was the most awful time of my life...both times. I went on anti-depressants both times, and it definatly helped, by about 90%. I just felt "flat". But not sad or anxious, or afraid of harming anyone anymore, so that was good. But I still felt like I was a bit living under a fog, waiting for the clouds to clear the air.

With baby #3 I heard about encapsulating my placenta. The whole idea grossed me out, but I was more worried about PPD than I was about the ick-factor. So, I decided to give it a try. I paid a doula to do it, and started taking the capsules at 24 hrs., every day, for 2 months.

And I am hear to sing the praises of my placenta! Even after my baby was in the hospital with jaundice, and after he had to have heart surgery at only 3 weeks old--things that would have surely driven me into the ground before...I really would have lost it with the heart surgery--I handled it all fine, and never even had the baby blues through it all. Not a day of depression! I am shocked at how well it worked! I felt so calm, and HAPPY, the way I always thought I should feel after having a beautiful baby. My body healed very quickly, my bleeding slowed down and didn't last very long at all, and I had a crazy amount of milk as well.

I would do it again in a heart beat!

[randallquiver]

I'm keeping track of all these tips. I'm due in September with #4 and also quite concerned about how I can prevent what I went through with #3. I'm considering placenta encapsulation- which I never thought that I would be open to before. But after last time I'm open to anything that may l keep me from crashing.

It's encouraging to hear all these ideas and hear that some of them helped.

[kt~mommy]

when i saw this post i thought of the placenta thing a pp mentioned. i had ppd also, though didn't realize it until about 6 weeks later, and really want to avoid it in the future. this is definately number one on my prevention list

[maman_a_deux]

I've also been interested in have my placenta put in pills this time around so I thought I would post a resources I found. This is a website that helps you look for certified specialists that encapsulate your placenta for you right after birth. It might be worth it if the thought of dehydrating your own is a bit much in the days following birth

They also have training programs for people who want to do this for others. Hope someone finds it useful.

http://placentabenefits.info/specialists.asp

[Alair]

Encouraged

I'm so encouraged to see all of this wonderful advice. I had severe PPD, psychosis and a year and a half of OCD following the birth of my first born in '99 and there was no support out there!

I'm beginning to become a firm believer in essential fatty acids. The more I read and research about the importance it has in our brain and body functions, the more I'm convinced that we're being undersold on its necessity. I think you're absolutely on the right track with watching your nutritional intake. Keep awesome positive support around you and don't beat yourself up for distracting your mind - ruminating gets us nowhere!

Best wishes. I'm here if you ever need to talk, rant or let it out.