Depression During Pregnancy and Postpartum

I have, for the past four weeks been feeling extremely depressed. I have a history of depression but have not been on medication for some time and been relatively stable. I currently HATE my job. The last time I took medication was about one year ago and it was celexa and I had a very good effect from it. I am debating whether to restart this medication. I don't have an appointment with my provider for another week or so and I will be switching to a new one at this upcoming visit. I am in a position to a) call in the prescription for myself or b) have a colleague write it for me before then but I'm just trying to weigh the pros and cons of possible effects of an SSRI on the baby versus how despondent I feel right now. I am 30 weeks and 2 days along. Anyone have personal experience with celexa during pregnancy and/or after?

I don't know were to turn too or what to do. I recently just found out i was pregnant and i was extremely scared, confused, nervous and every other feelings i guess you could imagine because I'm only 19. I live with my boyfriend and we have been together for 2 years. When we found out he was so happy {or atleast he claimed to be}. Just a couple weeks ago things started to go down hill with him and i. I have been really stressed becuase we have two people that are staying with us and it seems like my boyfriend just wants to be with his friend than be with me which we used to do all the time. I dont know if its just my emotions that are getting to me i just feel like since i have became pregnant he just does not want to be around me or have anything to do with me. He never says anything about the baby. He never asks about it. We were just so happy and now it just seems like we are not the same anymore, I dont know if i am just taking thinks to seriously because i am pregnant or what? I have never been this upset about anything. I have no one to talk to and when i try and talk to him about it he just says that it is my emotions and that i am just crazy. I am just at the point that i feel i should just leave. Please give me advice i dont know where else to turn.

Is there a website or phone number that will give a person information on Postpartum Depression support groups? I recently found out that the free clinic counselor is not so free for someone with insurance (even if the deductible is way too high for me to pay) so, my only hope is to find a free support group. My past search for support groups in my area led me on a wild goose chase that dead ended at a pediatrician's office that had no idea about any support groups for PPD.

So, any help in this area would be appreciated. I live near Toledo, Ohio.

I've been thinking about depression again recently, and thought maybe I should write here and share some of my thoughts.

Hi, I'm new here and I need a little advice about anti depressants. The whole story as to how I have come to be here ...


So, now I am on Zoloft again and have been taking the medication for two days. This time around though things are different especially with the side effects. I am experiencing severe insomnia. I mean here I am at 5 am and and I have barely gotten 3 hours of sleep. My son woke up to breastfeed an hour ago and I have been unable to get myself back to dreamland. Not to mention the 2 hours I spent in bed trying to fall asleep to begin with. I just feel like my mind won't shut up. I close my eyes, but I am bombarded with my thoughts or an image of something I watched on TV ... it's really maddening.

Has anyone else experienced this with the drug and if you did do the symptoms eventually go away? Do I need to try another medication? Although from what I've been told Zoloft is the only safe anti depressant one can take if nursing.

Another newbie here with a question about PAxil and pregnancy.  Anyone been on it before, during or after pregnancy?  I'm on it now, and worried about the effects it may have on the fetus.  Thanks!

Hi I am new here. I am 25w1d with my 3rd baby and I have struggled with moodswings, depression & anxiety for a really long time... I started taking Abilify before I became pregnant but was not on it long enough to feel much of an affect. I stopped taking this med. once I learned I was pregnant because I did not feel comfortable taking any kind of medication during my pregnancy.

Recently I've decided I wanted to be put back on a mood stabalizer because I feel helpless and out of control. My dr. put me back on Abilify. I have not taken it yet. My dr. told me she has not heard of any affect on the baby during a woman's pregnancy while on Abilify... could this because there is not enough evidence? Are there any women in here who have taken Abilify and had perfectly healthy babies?

my papa died today at 11:30 pm...i feel even more down now. once more my family is tip toeing around me cuz i'm pregnant trying to not upset me. i'm left out of the loop and totally confused

I'm 10 weeks prego and recently i just feel so down. i feel all alone i mean the only person i have is my husband. i lost all my friends and i just i don't know what to do. i miss talking with people and hanging out i've never felt so alone before.

Hello everyone.

 

I’m about six months pregnant with my first child and I had a history of depression and anxiety before my pregnancy.

 

Right now I’m taking Zoloft.  It helps some, but I still feel very depressed and worried.  To make things worse, I’m going to be laid off from my job before my maternity leave starts. 

 

Right now, I’m struggling to keep everything together.  I try to filter out all of the hyperbole about parenting and motherhood, but it’s hard.  “You MUST breast fed.”  “You MUST stay home.”  “You MUST give up your life and devote every second to your child.”   My friends are childless and many plan on staying that way, so I’m also lonely. 

 

The isolation, worries about my career and the family finances have intensified my depression.  I’ve lost my appetite and I don’t want to *do* anything, even things I used to enjoy.

 

Has anyone seen a therapist while pregnant?  Did it help?  Was your SO supportive of the therapy?  (My husband is nervous about me seeing a counselor.) 

my friend told me I might have ppd. She had it with her 2nd child. Here's my story...

In November I had my son via emergency c-section. They didn't know until then that he was breech. He was born ON his "supposed" due date according to the ultrasound. Well he had meconium in his lungs. They told me he was very sick. Later on he had a seizure from sedation meds. they gave him (and they never asked our permission) to put a feeding tube in him. We were in the hospital with him a week trying to get him well and teaching him to breastfeed. He had no suck or gag reflex when he was born. They told me he would be 'slow' (he's not).

My son is 7 months old now and I don't feel like I used to still. Like I said my friend says I have ppd. Pretty much I don't have a babysitter. I am with my son by myself most of the time because his Dad works. I refuse to put him in daycare this young. I hardly ever want sex. I mean, I didn't want it all the time before I had him but I at least wanted it a couple times a week. Hell, we think he was conceived one night when we had sex 4 times.

I'm tired a lot, but I can't seem to take naps when he does hardly ever. And he has a hard time going to sleep at night so I am up with him until 2 in the morning sometimes. I feel like my nerves are shot. Everything gets on my nerves. We have this place here called Advantage Behavioral Health that deals with depression, anxiety, etc. They take you as a patient and charge you based on your income. They give you meds. and all. I've been there before but it's been a few years and I had quit going on my own. Do you think i should start going back there?

im new and i need a freind.
i had severe depression and anxiety before the baby and she is almost 3 months ans still colicky. i spend my days crying and my nights throwing up form crying all day. i jsut need some relief. my husband trys to help but hes kinda in that im th eguy role andi m in the im the woman role. it jsut happend and i dont know how to tell him i need more help. ive tried and i end up crying and making him feel guilty and he makes these faces that make me feel so bad. im on meds that i dont think are working cus my homones are erratic. what do i do? i see a therapist but it doesnt help. i have two other girls to take care of and i feel so helpless with the baby and i snap at them alot because im so frustrated. how do calm enough so the other girls dont hate me?

I finally told my aunt I didn't want her there when the baby is born. She threw the BIGGEST guilt trip at me. "This is important to me. It's like I told your mom, you can't take it back. Promise me you'll call me." Well, no shit I'll call you, but I thought that this was supposed to be important to me? All it is right now is a ton of anger and frustration. I told her I don't want anyone other than Becky in the room whether I have a c-section or actually deliver. This time I got, "Becky will be there. She wouldn't leave you. But I will too. I've done it before and I can help you." Honestly, "Everyone annoys the shit out of me and I don't want to deal with them at that time." But no... no... "I wont make a scene or anything. If I say anything I'll take them outside quietly."

Well, just in my own defense... and because she effectively made me feel like shit I feel the need to justify myself:

This is supposed to be something that changes my life blah blah blah. Well, whether it's some 'miracle' or I'm fucking irate and bitchy... I only want my best friend in the room. It's EXTREMELY personal, and I don't trust anyone else. With as much as I love Becky, and she's got me through so much of this already, I wouldn't have anyone else there to share the first moments of my daughters life. I want to have my own experience, which means not having them "help me", tell me what to do, share their horror stories with me, or say so much as one word to the nurses or dr's. I don't want anyone to "stand up" for me because I'm young. Not to mention that if I don't have a c-section, with my ptsd, it's going to be extremely emotionally nerve wracking. I just want this one time in my life to feel safe, and I know the only person that I can do that with is Becky. And yeah, I get upset with Becky a lot. I know things aren't perfect. I know she's not family or anything like that, but those things are put aside because I love her, and I know that she does love me (even when it doesn't feel like it sometimes.) I just want this to be okay, and I wish my family could respect me. There's only one person I trust. I'm sorry.

Even if I had a huge change of heart, and decided I wanted anyone else in the world around me, it would not be my aunt.

I'm sorry that you've all hurt me. I'm sorry that I'm ready to move on. and I'm sorry that I'm not willing to share my life with you anymore.

Hello.  I've never posted here before and was wondering if anyone can relate to what I'm going through.

First of all i have severe anxiety and paranoia.  I had this before i became pregnant.  I was taking Ativan for it and now I am unmedicated.  This anxiety is severe.  i worry 24/7.  I can not make my brain shut up.

Moving on, I developed the depression about a month or two ago..  I'm sure that the anxiety triggered it.

Has anyone else ever felt this way?  I'm 26weeks pregnant and despite the fact that I have two perfectly healthy children who are 6 & 3 and this pregnancy has been pretty much normal I still worry daily that something bad is going to happen to the baby inside of me.  i actually can not seem to convince myself that I'm even really going to have a baby.  =/  I think, well i KNOW, that I have read entirely too many stories about stillbirth and so now i'm TERRIFIED that it's going to happen to me ....  I know that it's rare but that means nothing and I can't seem to convince myself that my baby will most likely be fine.  I tend to convince myself of the worst case scenarios....   Every morning when I wake up, the first thing I do is wait to feel my baby move because I'm that scared...  

At the same time, the depression has left me feeling sort of (I hate to admit ti) trapped by the baby.  I worry about him constantly and i think that that is why I'm feeling.. trapped.  I'm just tired of worrying, but I love him and I'd rather have him to worry about than not have him....

Recently I fell into such a horrible depression that I began to think, "Well, it doesn't matter what happens to my baby because life sucks anyways."  and "He might be better off if he doesn't make it full term because at least then he won't have to be trapped in a world like this one and live a miserable life." =(  i was really feeling that low about my life that I was truly believing that at least if my baby were to die in the womb that he would be spared having to live in this horrible world.   I rarely feel that way anymore, yet the depression is still going strong.

I think that I just don;t trust my body even though I've had two successful pregnancies in the past.  i think that because my anxiety is so high that it causes physical symptoms (heart palpitations, panic attacks, tense muscles, adrenalin rushes, etc) taht I'm just terrified that my body will say, "Yeah this kid can't be in here any longer."  I don't know.  Maybe i AM just crazy.

Has anyone else ever felt this way while pregnant?  Someone please tell me I'm not alone..... 

I am currently trying to conceive, and I'm trying to get as much info about taking drugs for bipolar disorder during pregnancy.

I was diagnosed with bipolar I when I was 16 after being hospitalized for a manic episode (I'm now 29). Before that, I was diagnosed with depression. I've been on anti-depressants and mood stabilizers since then.

Right now, I take Fluoxetine (prozac) and Lithium and have been stable for 5 years. I would probably continue taking fluoxetine for depression, but I'm wondering if I could stop taking the lithium while pregnant and breastfeeding since it causes birth defects. This seems like quite a risk though, and I can't figure out which option would be best.

Does anyone who is bipolar have experience being off meds while pregnant? Or has anyone taken lithium during pregnancy?

I am 31 and about 4 months pregnant. I have an 11 yr old and a 7 month old. I was diagnosed with depression when my Son was 9 yrs old. My then husband didn't believe in therepy so I had to fight for help. He finally gave in and I counciled and put on Zoloft. When we sperated I lost my medical and my medication. I have been fighting NY State for help ever since. I was off my meds for my last pregnancy and now this one. I get depressed to the point where I don't eat and sleep all day except for when I have to work. I still take care of my younger Son(the oldest lives with his Father)as best I can and have a wonderful man in my life who treats him as his own. I am very well loved and now even my ex is apologizing to me about not getting me help when I needed it. His new girlfriend is on Prozac and Wellbutrin. He wishes he could help me know and has written letters on my behalf to the places I am trying to get coverage from(we are not legally divorced yet). The other day it got so bad I hid in my room and begged my boyfriend to come home from work early so our son wouldn't suffer. I am afraid I will have another nervous breakdown and lose our Son to his SOB Father and they will take this new baby away! The stress really gets to me! I could use the advice and friendship of anyone who wants to contribute. Please feel free to read my profile before friending me. Thanks for reading.

Im new here! And new to pregnancy.

My Name is Andrea or Andi, Im 21 and 7 weeks pregnant. I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and Borderline Personality when I was 16. I have struggled with depression most of my life. I am off meds, and have been for quite some time now....but I still get down. I have felt down a few times since being pregnant, and just want a place to reach out and get some support, since I am financially unable to see a therapist at the moment.

Congrats to all mommies to be and new mommies!

Im here for all of you! Feel free to add my personal journal, and my contact info is in my profile!

Have any of you read The Ghost in the House by Tracy Thompson? You can read a detailed article about it right here. The article was written by a well-known blogging mother who has suffered from depression before, during and after her pregnancy.

I'm going to read the book for informational purposes, just to be aware, and I thought some of you might be interested in it too.

Where do I start to explain where I've been and where I want to go?
Let's "pointform" my trip to "The Dark Side of the Moon"(depression & pregnancy)
-No history of clinical depression but had undiagnosed eating disorder in late '80's and then "lazy vegetarian" (i.e.malnourished but thin) from 1991-2001
-Had 2 miscarriages in 2001
-Healthy baby boy in Oct. 2002
-Severe PPD until I went on paxil end of Nov. 2002
-Tapered off of it late 2003
-Clinical depression occured again in March 2004
-Put on Remeron March 2004
-Did not curb depression, put back on Paxil CR June 2004
-Tried to taper off it but had anxiety and depression flare up again.
-My son will be 4 in October and I am considering being pregnant again but not without my meds.
-worried about the side effects but cannot afford the luxury of trying to taper or wait since I'm forty.

Obviously I haven't been around in a long time - my baby is 2 now. I've sort of let things self run but I noticed someone wishing there were things in the memories section - so I figured I would ask anyone if they wanted to help moderate and such here - because I am running too many communities and am way to busy with six kids to be doing much here. Let me know. lucynda@telus.net