Pychosis with kids

[Bindy7]

Did any of you have other kids while you were in pychosis? How did you handle your other kids? It seems most people only have 1 baby. It seems traumatic for them. My older kids are still kind of traumatized. They were 5,9 at the time I was ill...

[Lilybeth Volunteer]

Hello Bindy7

Thanks for your post. You might know if you have looked around the site that I had PP with my two sons, six years apart. It's been such a long time ago that they are now grown men with families themselves.

I was mostly treated at home with my second psychosis except in times of crisis when I was hospitalised. I do have films of my six year old playing in the garden happily with his friends and I did have a lot of support from my husband and family. I worried for years that my psychoses would affect my sons but they did very well at school (I used to think in spite of their mad mother!) and both have great careers and loving families.

A few years ago I briefly told my sons about my PP when they were born ... only basic details. I was really surprised .... they were so sorry and I had to comfort them with hugs and telling them it was ok!!

Recently I had sight of my medical notes covering both episodes of PP and I think I've said here before that it was as if I was reading about a totally different person. I was loud and argumentative at times when I'm usually a calm soul. That said I was only 23 when PP first struck and 29 the second time ......

A few months ago I had a chat with my son who was six at the time his brother was born. I told him how the woman in my notes didn't sound like me. I was taken aback when he said he could remember me arguing with his dad!! I've read that one of my delusions was of a moth that grew bigger with a face that frightened me and every time I talked to my husband, the face would come between us and I would shout loudly!! I did feel very guilty to hear this from my son all these years later but he was so lovely when he told me how proud he was that I had fought PP not once but twice ........

Try not to worry. I'm sure as your children settle down they will see that things are much calmer and won't be affected long term. As PP mums we carry so much unfounded guilt but as the years go by it does get easier and there are so many happy memories to be made.

Take good care.

[cas22]

I have 4 children. The 2 oldest became my carers when I had psychosis. They were and still are fantastic. My support worker explained to them I was ill and they seemed to really understand even if they kept calling me crazy. They gave me my meds got me out of bed cleaned the house and looked after the baby. They go to young carers and my eldest has a counsellor so she can talk about how my illness affects her. There school work hasn't been affected and that seem to be doing great. They are 13, 9,7 and 10 months.

[Bindy7 in reply to cas22]

Was it just with your last baby that you had it? Did you husband have a problem with them taking care of you?

[cas22 in reply to Bindy7]

Yeah it was just my last baby I had pp with. I had pnd with my other 3 but nothing like this. My husband walked out a week before I had the baby so he has no problem with my kids caring for me.

[Bindy7 in reply to cas22]

Really??? How did you cope? Mine left me one month post partum...

[cas22 in reply to Bindy7]

Sorry to hear that men are such a**holes! I don't know how I coped everything is such a blur. If I'm honest I don't think I did cope.