what the hell is wrong with me?

[bellymama]

my son is 7 months old. i have felt fine until recently. suddenly i feel very short tempered, easily aggravated. i am unable to just take a deep breath and go on with things like i was before. all this week i have just felt like i am going to scream or cry or run away. i hate feeling this way. i love my son so much...i hate when i get impatient with him.
i don't know if its PPD, or if i am about to start my moon again, or if my hormones are crazy or what, but it sucks and i want it to change.
i don't know much about ppd, or depression period, i have never suffered from it before. any thoughts for me?

[anamama]

DO you have a supportive partner or friend you can talk to? If not, ask around and find some good counsel. My family and suffered from my ppd that was undiagnosed and untreated. It was awful. I wish I had that time back over again with my little babe. I don't even remember much from the first year of his life.
Even if it's not full blown ppd, having baby, and being a SAHM in these times is stressful and difficult. Often our partners, friends, and even family don't really understand. It's important to talk to someone who will hear you and hopefully help you.

[dany]

Originally Posted by anamama

Even if it's not full blown ppd, having baby, and being a SAHM in these times is stressful and difficult. Often our partners, friends, and even family don't really understand. It's important to talk to someone who will hear you and hopefully help you.

:

How is your sleep? Diet? Exercise?

It indeed could be your cycle starting back (mine came back this month, and WOW that week before was a doozy : ). It could be cabin fever.

But it may very well be PPD; if it's such a drastic change that you're asking this question, I would talk to someone - and like anamama pointed out, having someone truly grok where you're at is important, no matter the "why".

[mlec]

I don't have much time to post, but I felt that way, too. Someone on MDC recommended the book The Mood Cure by Julia Ross. I ordered it off Amazon.com and I tell you it has *changed*my*life*

[2boyzmama]

Yeah...sounds pretty familiar For me it happened with my second son around 4-6 weeks post partum and then again around 4 months or so. I felt exactly like you described--not able to just breathe and let things pass that never used to bother me. I wanted to throw things, I wanted to slam doors, I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry...it was very scary to be that out of control!

I don't have any words of wisdom or advice for you except to say that if you remember how scary these impulses are for you, you'll be better able to deal with your son when he's 2! I look at my 2 yr old and can literally see him starting to lose control and I feel for him. I do absolutely everything I can to help bring him back into control...sometimes a hug and quick nursing is all it takes, sometimes I have to let him completely lose it and get some anger out before he can calm down.

Let yourself lose it (safely, of course) once in a while. Lock yourself into your bedroom and have a good cry. When you're finished, have a glass of wine. Let hubby take the baby for even just a half hour so you can take a bubble bath. Or if you'd rather, go find something safe to pound on (a boxing bag...I really like to go for a run and pound my frustrations out that way)

You're a good mama, above all always remember that!!

[~mindboggled~]

I feel the same way mama. I wish it would just stop. HUGS to you. The only thing that helps me is when everything is calm and I can watch my DC laugh. But how often does that happen??? lol

[ezrasmummy]

I would definitely recommend that you see a doctor (whomever you trust) to check things out. It could be a hormonal imbalance, thyroid issues, PPD or just a stress reaction to difficult times. But hang in there b/c help is available for any of the above. You can do this.
Take good care of yourself and good luck!

[sparklett]

Originally Posted by ezrasmummy

I would definitely recommend that you see a doctor (whomever you trust) to check things out. It could be a hormonal imbalance, thyroid issues, PPD or just a stress reaction to difficult times. But hang in there b/c help is available for any of the above. You can do this.
Take good care of yourself and good luck!

I agree. Go see a doctor, and think about talking to a friend or therapist, if possible. Don't let it get to the point where you can't handle it. There's a sticky on this thread that will take you to a PPD quiz. You may want to check it out just so you can get a general gauge of where you're at. Good luck, and try to get some rest.