Just wanted to talk to people who will understand, im 26 weeks pregnant with my second baby after PP after last pregnancy nearly 6 years ago.
I've been doing ok up until now and my mood has been level and I've felt positive and happy.
The last few days ive been quite low and so so tired all the time I'm on iron tablets so that's under control.
I guess I'm just panicking a bit that it could be starting early I've been feeling a bit anxious and some little ocd type bits seem to be creeping in.
I'm under the care of a consultant and my gp sees me regularly, my midwife isn't the greatest but I will be seeing her more soon due to me hitting the 3rd trimester on Thursday.
I guess I just want a bit of reassuracne, I know there is a risk of it happening again but I've been doing pretty well so this feels a little gutting, though it could be nothing and maybe I need to not be so hard on myself as I'm still working and preg and my other children to look after so alot to deal with.
Sorry for rambling on.
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swylie
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Congratulations on your pregnancy and I hope some of the information on the forum has been useful to you - there are a few "pinned" posts on here which cover pregnancy after PP. APP also produces a Guide which might be helpful to you, which can be seen here: app-network.org/what-is-pp/...
It is positive that you are recognising some possible worrying signs and I hope that you are able to access good support from health professionals to get you through this period with the minimum stress. You mention a consultant, GP and midwife, do you have access to a perinatal team, or is it just general maternity or mental health care? Perinatal services can offer great, specialist advice but I know they are not available in all areas. I'm sorry to hear that you are finding you midwife not great; please do go and ask for another appointment if it will help you to feel reassured. APP also offer a second opinion service if you feel you may benefit from this, details are here: app-network.org/what-is-pp/...
To share my experience, I had PP in 2009 and when I had another child in 2013, I remember feeling a little on edge and worried about getting ill in pregnancy as well as after giving birth. I too had a midwife who wasnt that aware of mental health, certainly PP (she just thought I had been really unlucky, or at least that is how it came across) and whilst I was under a consultant, it was only due to having a c-section so this was purely obstetric. It was difficult to access mental health services, as I had been discharged from the time spent time in hospital/ MBU and community team when I was ill.
What really helped me through pregnancy was trying to keep things as calm and stress free as possible, getting rest where I could and trying not to think too negatively (whilst also being aware of the possibility of becoming ill). I know it's so easy to say though, and I too worked full time until a couple of weeks before I gave birth so finding time for yourself, when having other children to think of too, can be hard. I did try and enjoy time with friends and family and create some happy memories of the pregnancy too. Trying to make it as "normal" as possible, when it really didn't feel like it at times!
Sorry that my response has been a little long and waffling, but I hope some of this is helpful for you. The happy ending to my story is that I did stay well and PP didn't strike again, which was wonderful. There were anxious times of course, and this is completely natural I think. Please know that you are not alone, and with the right support, you can get through this. Take care, please feel free to ask any more questions, all the best, xx
Thank you for your reply I think some times I feel that I'm the only one going through it or having been through it though I know that's not the case.
Im a bit of a worrier and I think you can some times worry yourself into thinking it's happening, I guess when you've had it before you're more aware.
My gp is brilliant and is seeing me regularly she was my gp when I had PP the first time and has always been fab, my consultant has referred me to the very small team of people at my hospital who see ladies who have mental health issues in pregnancy and post however they have told me I may not get an appointment before I have the baby as they are so over stretched which isn't helpful.
I do have alot of support from family and friends and I go on mat leave in 6 weeks, I decided not to push myself to far as I'm so tired already and I know for me that only makes things worse.
Time will tell as to how things work out, im hopeful that this time it will be ok but also know I'll be alright if it's not I've beat it before I can do it again.
Just out of curiosity did you take any medication during pregnancy? I've been advised to take meds post delivery.
hi again, I took a low dose of antipsychotic after delivery but nothing in pregnancy (I think they might have considered it if I'd started showing any symptoms tho).
it's great to hear that you have good support, especially from a fab gp (I did too, I always felt reassured after seeing him). I wonder if the 2nd opinion service might give you some additional reassurance? Especially as you may not see anyone locally (as I didn't til 8+ months pregnant). It is a free to access service and the health professionals appreciated the specialist input. Something to think about if you feel it may help anyway.
As others have said, it's absolutely natural to worry and be anxious. You sound to be getting some good advice tho and I hope the info here has also been helpful. There is nothing quite like a shared experience is there?
I was exactly the same - from 28 weeks I was convinced it was starting earlier but I went to antenatal yoga and discussed my symptoms (not sleeping well, slightly too much energy, foggy brain) and it turned out the majority of mums were the same. I also was convinced after second baby came that I had pp but again it was normal anxiety with side effects of meds.
Basically what I'm saying is - everyone goes a little crazy during pregnancy and after birth so it's good to know what others feel like. I devised a plan looking at early warning signs but I expect most mums had those symptoms.
Time will tell if you get pp again and it'll never be as bad as first time if you are under mh services - good luck.
I'm 3.5 months in the raising second child and enjoying it so much x
Hey there,just wanted to give you hope that whatever happens you will recover.i had PP twice,in 2011 and 2014.now my boys are 5 and 2 and life is so much easier.i am slowly coming down off quetiapine (anti psychotic),i had to take this in the second pregnancy-i only took 100mg a day,a t the time I was concerned for the health of the baby if I took more (he was fine) but if I had more then my psychiatrist has said it may have reduced some of the symptoms after I had my baby.is there a perinatal team in your area?I had a treatment plan after I had my baby,increased meds,closely monitored.i was meant to stay in the mbu straight away but there were no beds available,if you or your partner feels you are high risk to PP I would ask for a bed as I got very unwell at home and should have been admitted straight away.i was told it was a 50:50chance of becoming unwell again so I really hope you are well.i would say don't be scared to ask for support and a plan in place once you have had the baby xxx
Thank you for all your replies today hasn't been to bad I just think I worry alot about getting poorly again which makes me a bit paranoid I think.
I'm seeing my gp next week and I'm going to speak to her about my concerns, I also have a consultant appointment at the beginning of Dec and she said last time she would like to discuss putting a plan in place for me so hopefully I'll start feeling a little more positive again.
I will also look at the 2nd opinion service as I think that could be useful.
It's good to hear from other ladies that have had a second baby and are doing well x
I had PP in 2012 and had a second son in January, happily with no recurrence. It's a very anxious time and so hard to find that balance between monitoring your mood and behaviour, trying to stay relaxed, and trying not to second guess yourself all the time and cause yourself more stress. It sounds like you have good support which is great, and finishing work will hopefully give you more time for yourself. Try not to put all the responsibility and pressure of spotting any early symptoms on yourself. Your hormones will be all over the place and it's normal to behave a bit differently at times (nesting for example!). Be really open with those around you and I'm sure they will notice anything worrying.
I found my second pregnancy went so fast and I didn't really start actively trying to relax until I finished work at 37 weeks, when I finally dug out the pregnancy yoga DVD and the colouring book I bought months earlier! I felt a lot better once our plans were in place and written down, I'm sure you will too. It all kind of clicked into place and felt more ordered, I'm not sure when that was but it was well past the 30 week mark.
That's great you have a good GP (mine is fab too) and I'm sure she will reassure you next week.
Thank you for your reply I've not been to bad recently I think I was having a bit of a panic.
I've been emotional on and off but every one is reassuring me it's normal at this stage of pregnancy which I find helps me to put things into perspective.
I'm seeing the mental health team attached to maternity on Thursday to review how I am.
Hopefully with the right support all wI'll be ok xx
Thanks you for taking the time to reply. I'm glad that you have been reassured that being emotional is normal at this time in your pregnancy.
I hope your review on Thursday goes well and that you have also been reassured by other mums here who have had a second bundle of joy without PP. Not too long now until your maternity leave when hopefully you will have more time to rest.
Take good care ... we are all here if you would like to talk at anytime.
Good to hear in a reply on the forum that you are feeling positive. Have you started your maternity leave yet which will give you a little more time to rest during the day?
Hi swylie, hoping that you are still feeling positive and having some time to rest up. Take care, and feel free to come back to chat with us when you want or can. xx
Hi thank you for your replies, I've not started mat leave yet but it's not far away just a couple more weeks which I know I can get through.
I've been given some regular counselling at the hospital every week now pretty much up until delivery, I was unsure to start with but I've had a couple of sessions and I think it will help it's good to have some where to talk things through, my anxieties etc.
I'll keep you posted on how I'm doing i like coming on here as it reassures me that I'm normal and there are others out there going through similar things.
Just a quick update, on mat leave now which is nice.
I've finished seeing the counsellor for now but I'm booked in for sessions after baby is born, my gp and consultant are keeping a close eye on me in the mean time.
The counsellor has been brilliant and has given me some really good tools for any time in my life really not just after baby, I have also started a self care box for after baby is born with some essentials in for me and some treats (Thorntons champagne truffles being one thing)
I'm feeling quite positive at the moment though I'm very tired and achy.
I have 23 days left now so next update will be once she has arrived
Good to hear that you are now on maternity leave, so not so much pressure for you. It sounds as though you have a good after care plan arranged with your gp and consultant. The self care box is a lovely idea as we sometimes forget to treat ourselves ......
Not long to go now ..... hopefully now you don''t have to think about work you will be able to relax and have a few minutes to yourself.
Wishing you all the best and looking forward to your next update. Take good care.
I go into hospital on Friday for a planned c section I'm getting nervous now but i think that's pretty normal.
I saw my mental health nurse yesterday and she is happy with how I'm doing (she specialises in perinatal mental health) and my plan should all be in place for when i go in Friday so everyone knows and I've had say in any treatment should i need it.
We will see how the next few weeks go but i feel very supported lots of different professionals keeping an eye on me.
I can well remember that nervous excitement, which as you say is pretty normal in the circumstances. I had an elective c-section years ago and was awake, though sedated, when my second son was born.
You must feel reassured to have all the support around you. We'll all be thinking of you on Friday. Take good care of yourself. xx
I have had my second child after experiencing pp with my first born. My second baby is now 10 months. I did not get pp again.
Like you i had my worrys throughout pregnancy. Accepted that it was a possibility of becoming unwell again but it would not be as bad as the first time as family and health professionals are all on board and are aware.
I had alot of support and once baby was born my partner/mum would be on hand to do nights feeds to ensure i had plenty of sleep.
Wish you all the very best, let us know how you get on. Xx
Hi swylie, I hope the pre-op appointment yesterday went well. I remember when I had a planned c-section with my 2nd, my mind was really put at ease at my pre-op as everything finally fell into place. It's really natural to feel a little nervous (& excited too!) and I was definitely the same.
I have really happy memories of the appointment itself in fact, with my best friend accompanying me (hubby was at work) and then doing some last minute Christmas shopping afterwards - this was in November, I wanted to be prepared that year, unlike this year when it was all last minute in the week leading up to 25th Dec!!
I'll be thinking of you. It would be lovely to hear an update but we completely understand if you don't get chance. Take care, wishing you all the best, xx
Baby Eleanor arrived safe and well yesterday morning, I'm very much in love but I'm taking things one step at a time.
Hospital have been fab got my own room and hubby to stay to over to support me. My care plan was given to everyone that has looked after me and generally i feel very supported.
My perinatal mental health lady will be coming out to the house on Monday and I've also got an emergency prescription for olanzipine at home should i need it.
I'll keep you up dated as to how it goes from here when we get home. Thank you for all your support. X
I have a quick question as i was well for my pregnancy and wanted to try and breast feed we decided to not go for any prophylactic meds.
So far I've felt ok but today i had a bit of a panic attack well this evening, only one but it really caught me off guard and made me really upset, i see my mental health lady on Friday and I'm thinking of asking for a low dose of meds mainly because i don't want to start to get ill though i guess it could have been a one off. Hubby is worried I'll be drugged up again like last time but surely a low dose of some thing might just give me the confidence that I'm ok but also potentially nip in the bud if there is any thing there. If that makes sense.
I have an emergency prescription of olanzipine but don't feel by any means I'm that unwell to need to take it. Any advice would be great i had clomipramine last time which worked well and I'm wondering about a low dose of that.
Oh and I'm no longer breast feeding as me being well is more important and it's meant daddy has been able to do feeds while i sleep.
I saw my perinatal mental health lady yesterday and we've agreed to go onto prophylactic medication.
We had a good chat about my anxiety and pleased with how things are. I think the issue i have is lack of confidence mixed with anxiety but that's understandable after how poorly i was after my son.
Hi swylie so sorry that we missed your post 2 days ago, it wasn't showing on my news feed for some reason.
Sorry that you had a bit of a panic attack and are feeling a bit of lack of confidence... it's great you've talked to someone from pmh team and you will take some meds, and that your husband will be doing night feeds.
Take care of yourself and hope you will get some replies from second time mums, I don't have personal experience of that I'm afraid x
I've been offline for a few days, just catching up with your updates now. Many congratulations on the birth of baby Eleanor. I'm sorry to hear you had the panic attack and am so glad that you have take a positive step in talking to your MH worker and started meds.
I know when I had my 2nd child, I had my low dose of anti-psychotic packed in my hospital bag and started taking it the evening after my elective c-section. For us, it was something we could try and it felt like we had to try anything and everything! Of course it is a personal decision with meds, with the guidance of professionals, but it was the right one for me and my family. As you'll probably know from my other posts and replies, I also bottle fed my 2nd child (as we'd had to when ill with my 1st and I was sectioned so apart from him). And I did stay well with no recurrence of PP. There were occasional times where I would be anxious, but my psychiatrist, when I mentioned it, said it was completely natural - there would be something wrong if I wasn't a little that way given how ill I had been the 1st time.
I really feel strongly about Dads being involved, especially in helping when there is a PP risk and I think that feeding is a really practical way. I also believe that the wonderful bond my eldest has with his Dad is partly from this. As much as there is a lot out there about breastfeeding, it is not the right choice for everyone. Having rest and sleep is certainly important at this time for you. I promise you that the confidence will come, try not to be too worried about it. I found that hibernating and pleasing no-one except my immediate family was all that mattered and so what I focussed on.
I hope you are feeling better and slightly more assured since you last posted. I found that each day was a step closer to being out of the "danger" zone, but I equally tried to take things slowly, calmly and one day at a time. I did have uncertain moments and chatting through with my husband and others did help ground me. I found things could very easily be magnified and I was over-alert to them, but this wasn't always a bad thing. My husband was a very good grounding and a sensible voice of reason - I hope you have that too and are able to enjoy some of these special early days.
I hope you continue to get rest and lots of cuddles with your lovely baby and family. Take care, we are all thinking of you, xx
I've started a low dose of anti depressant but it has made me feel jittery and horrible. I'm really worried about taking anything that has a sedative effect which is why I've been trying to avoid the anti pyschotics.
I just really don't know what to do for the best but know i need some thing i see the lady from pmh on Friday and I'm going to have to sort some thing. Thank you for your reply I'll let you know how i get on.
Hi swylie, it's so hard to know what to do for the best isn't it? I hope you can have a quiet (& warm, it's freezing here!) day today before your appointment tomorrow. Never hesitate to ask for further support from a GP or Out of Hours if you need it in the meantime. Rest up and I hope the appointment brings you some more answers. You can do this, one day at a time. Take care, thinking of you lots, xx
I contacted my perinatal mental health lady today and she came out to see me, I'm going back on olanzipine with clomipramine tonight see if we can nip things in the bud now.
Thanks for the update. It's good that you are getting such good professional support. How are you feeling today? I hope the medication last night has already had some affect?]
Take care, keep writing whenever you want but no pressure, and I hope you can rest and relax as much as possible. I hope you have enough practical / family / friends support as well.. X
Ah this is great to hear. Sleeping well is such a key isn't it? I know I feel awful and jittery if I don't have a good nights sleep, it can make a huge difference. Though the meds have that sedating affect there are positives in that it helps you to sleep well! I hope CBT will be helpful too.
Take care, and I hope you have some lovely enjoyable cuddles with Eleanor
Have you sorted meds for end of preg and/ or after delivery. Are you having early epidural? requested side room ,night help for baby from midwife in hospital and then family member/ partner when you go home. I'm taking quetiapine to relax after plus lithium may take lithium in a few weeks . Am fine on no meds thank God but want to more sure to lower post natal risk this time although nothing happened with meds after delivery last time. I'm also 26 wks 😄 Good luck sorry for bullet points but I think these all important
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