[yentroc]

Will you have PPD with your second?

I just found out I'm pg with #2 and had PP anxiety/PTSD with my first. The worst part was horrible insomnia.

DD (now 4) has been having insomnia herself for the past week and I can't get back to sleep after she's been up for 2+ hrs/night and it's triggering all my previous anxieties (esp since I'm now concerned about this next post partum time)

I went on Zoloft for 8 months after DD and would love to avoid going on it again.

For those of you who had issues with baby #1, did you with subsequent babies?

TIA

 

[Surfacing]

Hi Yentroc, the biggest determinant of whether or not you'll have depression after you give birth to your baby, is having depression while you are pregnant with your baby. Kind of makes sense, if you are depressed/anxious now it will carry through, most likely. That said, this would be a good time to look into treatment, coping skills, support.

Why do you not want to take meds again?

I had depression and anxiety after dd1 was born. I became unstable again during my pregnancy with dd2 and went on meds. I have had mood issues all my life but during pregnancy and after birth they were on a whole new level.

Please take care of yourself. You are not a bad mama if you need to take meds. If it makes you a better mother and a happier, healthier person then not only you but your whole family will benefit.

 

[LynnS6]

There's a good book called "What Am I Thinking: Having a baby after postpartum depression" by Karen Kleinman.

Just like Surfacing, I had PPD with ds, things went downhill when I was pg with dd, and so I went on meds. I was NOT happy about that, but it wasn't really a choice. I had to up my dose of meds (Paxil) when dd was born, and I've been ever so slowly working my way off them. I'm in no hurry. Stability is more important to me right now.

 

[Surfacing]

Yes Lynn, isn't it a whole new world when your meds are helping you? And why would you want to give up such a good thing?

We all need hope and encouragement.

Yentroc, you say you had PTSD after your first birth. Have you had a chance to work through any of that? Your worries can impact your experience of your second birth. If you had a traumatic first birth, consider reading about birth trauma. An excellent book by Penny Simkin is called When Survivors Give Birth. It's meant for women who have a history of sexual abuse or traumatic birth.

Also, having good supports can help (maybe a doula that you trust at your birth - sometimes you can find a good doula who is willing to volunteer or pwyc or sliding scale - check the DONA International website). Having good postpartum supports helps too.

 

[Stephenie]

I am only 11 days postpartum with my 2nd, so I can't say for sure, but so far I am not experiencing ppd and I did have it with my first. I also had a lot of issues from the birth, it was very traumatic. I found hypnotherapy to be very helpful for dealing with the pain and guilt I was harboring from my first birth.

good luck, mama.

 

[mamazee]

I had it very badly with #1, but not so badly with #2 - I've been depressed but I've felt like I can handle it this time. I think the difference is that #1 was colicky and really intense, and #2 is blissfully serene and sleeps well. Like the hormones are still wacky but the outside forces are different. I do feel very hormonal all the time though and I get teary and irritable. But not terrible intense feelings of being woefully inadequate and thinking the baby would be better off without me, like with the first.

 

[yentroc]

Thank you all mamas.

I had PTSD not from a traumatic birth but from a traumatic experience during pregnancy (my dh was in an accident and almost died, was hospitalized almost my entire pregnancy).

So post partum, I was convinced that something bad was going to happen to dd, had panic attacks and insomnia. Plus, like a pp said, she was a colicky baby and did NOT SLEEP... I seriously feel like my PTSD was compounded by the fact that dd slept in 30 minute cycles day and night for the first couple months.

I KNOW that things will be different this time but feel like there's "body memory" of trauma. I've been kinda anxious, but have to remind myself that things will be very different and I'm a different person now.

I'm not totally opposed to going back on meds if need be, I'm just taking it day to day. I'd ideally like to wait until after the first trimester (I'm very newly pg)

I really like the idea of hypnotherapy, I'll look into that.

Thanks again for sharing your experiences, it really puts it into perspective.

 

[readytobedone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yentroc Thank you all mamas. I had PTSD not from a traumatic birth but from a traumatic experience during pregnancy (my dh was in an accident and almost died, was hospitalized almost my entire pregnancy). So post partum, I was convinced that something bad was going to happen to dd, had panic attacks and insomnia. Plus, like a pp said, she was a colicky baby and did NOT SLEEP... I seriously feel like my PTSD was compounded by the fact that dd slept in 30 minute cycles day and night for the first couple months. I KNOW that things will be different this time but feel like there's "body memory" of trauma. I've been kinda anxious, but have to remind myself that things will be very different and I'm a different person now. I'm not totally opposed to going back on meds if need be, I'm just taking it day to day. I'd ideally like to wait until after the first trimester (I'm very newly pg) I really like the idea of hypnotherapy, I'll look into that. Thanks again for sharing your experiences, it really puts it into perspective.

please look into EMDR--it's drug-free, it's targeted at PTSD, and it changed my life!

 

[derstina]

I had it bad after my first, and had a much easier time after my second (still weepy/hormonal times for sure, but nothing that felt overwhelming and insurmountable like the first time). The circumstances of those two pregnancies and births were completely different for me, though. First time was unplanned and it was quite devastating to get used to the idea of being pregnant. It was very bad timing for us, as I was working full-time and trying to finish my master's thesis so we could move across the country when my husband graduated. Then we moved 3000 miles away from everyone we knew (except my BIL, who doesn't count because he's completely self-centered) when I was 30 weeks pregnant. Add in a traumatic birth and complete social isolation and sleep deprivation for the first year of my son's life, along with a husband working ALL the time to get his career going, and living with my a**hole of a BIL and you have the recipe for terrible PPD.

The second time was a planned pregnancy, I had friends, my husband was working a much more sane schedule, and I took lots of fish oil after the nausea subsided. Also, I got more sleep the second time around and that made a huge difference, I'm convinced. I had such horrible nipple trauma that my lactation consultant recommended resting one nipple completely (just pumping) for a while, so I would pump before bed and my husband got up with the baby and gave her a bottle. She slept longer stretches early on than my son anyway, so I ended up getting 5-6 hour stretches every night! Awesome.

So, I know I'm more at risk this time than the average person because of my history, but I'm trying to focus on the factors I have control over. We'll find out soon enough...this baby's due in less than 2 weeks now. I am also probably going to have my placenta encapsulated this time, too.

Oh, also...I have recently been taking Hyland's Insomnia remedy and it's worked really well for me. It says something on the label about being for insomnia due to stress and worry (I was lying awake for hours, trying to shut my brain off & it just wasn't working). And I've given my daughter Calms Forte (also by Hyland's, I think) when she's had trouble getting to sleep as well...doesn't work as magically as it seems to for me, but seems to help sometimes.

Good luck.

 

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I did not have it as bad but I decided to start taking zoloft at the first signs it was coming back and only ended up taking it for 3 months vs. waiting 3 months before going to the dr after dd and was on it for 18 months.

 

[Lisa1970]

I had horrible PPD with my first. I have never had it since. I actually went to a psychiatrist over the PPD with my 2nd because I was so sure I would get it. But I never did.

 

[snowgirl]

I had it with DD and thought I had made it with DS. But at 3 months pp it came back due to some triggers. It is not as bad. I am back in therapy and doing better. Take meds if you need to. Like op, you need to take care of yourself to take care of your children.

I do think that if you have had it before you are more susceptible to having it again.