Prenatal Depression?

[pollyanna123]

Anybody else think they have prenatal depression? I think I have a mild form. While I'm not depressed enough to quit eating or ponder suicide, I am constantly anxious, irritable, tired, and "down." I just don't feel like myself. In my previous two pregnancies, I attributed this feeling to the weight I gain in my face, arms, legs, and butt. I thought that was probably what was making me feel so "off" and down. However, with this being my 3rd pregnancy, I KNOW it's more than that. A long time ago in college, I had a bad experience with a certain birth control that make me all whacked out hormonally, which is basically how I feel now.

I have that feeling in my chest like I've been crying really hard, but I haven't been crying.

Anybody else get this way?

[myk]

i have clinical depression to begin with, but it's usually controlled. lately i've been having a rough go of it. if it's stopping you from doing your regular stuff, not just because you're tired but because you are anxious or severely moody, it's worth checking with a doctor.

[LaurenS]

I'm pregnant with my third child as well and I too think that the last two times, I made other excuses for the prenatal depression as well. Before I ever got pregnant, I was diagnosed with dystimea, so it's something I struggle with everyday in normal life. But with the support of my husband and friends, I've found that it hasn't been too debilitating. But during pregnancies, I feel like I am going crazy. I am too cheap to pay for counseling, but I do think it would really help me. I am checking into a co-counseling program in my area. I do think that talking about it on a regular basis can help to alleviate some of the burden. I know DH is feeling weighted down because of the way I am feeling. And my kids have to be suffering. I just don't have patience to deal with their needs right now. If you are able to seek counseling, I would go for it.

[Aliy]

yup yup and yup. Right now i'm in a slump. i have little to no patience I barely eat ( pregnancy neausea and no appiete) I just want to lie in bed all day and cry. My kids are pretty good about it my oldest comes and snuggles with me and pats my head telling me that he loves me and it'll be okay. having them show love to me helps some days. I'm also really sick right now which isn't helping.

I'm going to try and get some cod oils casue someone told me it can help with depression.

What i really need is a friend a hug and s houlder for the most part but thoes don't really seem to be something my husband is willing to give out right now

[mommytoallh]

I have to admit I was feeling similar to this too. Only with this pregnancy. I was always tired, unhappy, just a bump on a log. I was starting to get worried. I was shutting everyone out and feeling like a robot going through my daily chores/routine. Everything felt so difficult to do and deal with. Dh finally called me on it and after 2 days of talking and crying we figured it out. I was feeling very overwhelmed. There were some pretty significant changes going on in my life. My dh was super stressed at work and I wasn't telling him how I was feeling because I was afraid to add to his stress. Long story short, It helped get me back on track to say out loud how I was feeling. Boy did it help. The things I was feeling so worried about got so much smaller when I wasn't worrying about them alone. I have gained back my energy and my happy attitude. I am always a happy, positive person so it was very obvious to my family that something was wrong.
Do you have someone to talk to? Could you confide in your dh how you are feeling?

[pollyanna123]

Thanks ladies! My dh knows exactly how I feel and is completely amazing and supportive.

I just hate that this is how pregnancy is for me. If it weren't so rough on me, I think we'd like to have four kids, but this is almost definitely going to be the last time I can survive a pregnancy.

I'm taking care of my kids, but I'm not nearly as energetic and fun as I am when I'm not feeling like this.

I'm fortunate to have close friends I can talk to, and of course my dh who is my absolute best friend, and my midwife is great too.

Overall, I'm managing it, but I don't like how these hormones make me feel and I'm always glad when it's over!

[gemasita]

I have waited so long to have a baby and still am not enjoying pregnancy. I'm starting to think that it's hormonal. I was looking up D-MER and that's related to a decrease in dopamine when prolactin increases, as it does during pregnancy. I just have moments where I feel very icky and don't want to be pregnant (and this is after 4 years of infertility!). It makes me feel better to just tell myself it's probably hormonal. We probably won't be able to have more kids but even if we could, I'm not sure I could go through another pregnancy!

[jessieb503]

This is a good resource we have in Oregon/Washington but I'm sure you could call from anywhere. Best part: its free.

http://www.babybluesconnection.org/

[LaurenS]

jessieb503- thanks so much for this resource. I've been having a particularly difficult week, and it helped to read a lot of the information on the site you posted. Plus, now I have a place to call if I have no one else to talk to.

[happyhats]

OH, man, this thread is such a blessing to me. I have had serious depressive issues this pregnancy. I didn't feel this way at all with my daughter but I am SO done being pregnant now. I've had such issues feeling connected to my unborn child, I'm totally feeling antisocial, I'm just a wreck in all ways. I am in the club of this being the last baby!

[frugalmum]

I had severe prenatal depression with my last pregnancy. I also developed pica and phobias. All my other pregnancies did not affect me like this. Now pregnant again, I can feel depression/ phobias creeping up and really want to nip them in the bud.

It has to be hormonal because literally within an hour of DD's birth I started to feel better, and was completely back to normal within a month.