Did anyone become unwell despite meds and perinatal involvement prior involvement

[Bluelady-sing]

Did you still become ill

[Becciandbump]

I became anxious and low in mood despite involvement but I avoided psychosis and I think the perinatal team involvement played a huge huge role in me avoiding it I hope you’re doing okay xx

[Bluelady-sing in reply to Becciandbump]

Why would I not be ok?

[Bluelady-sing in reply to Becciandbump]

What did they do

[Becciandbump in reply to Bluelady-sing]

I was allocated a cpn who I saw and spoke to more regularly than my usual cpn I had a mobile number she was like my best friend for the pregnancy and was there for me with all my worries I saw the psychiatrist about once every 6 weeks and he visited me at home right up u TIL my daughter turned one, instead of me going to outpatients because I had a fear of visiting the unit which was at a hospital I’d once been an inpatient in. They created a birth plan to help keep me stable post birth to avoid admission to the mother and baby unit I’m eternally grateful for the fact they kept me out of hospital xxx when you’re pregnant the hormones can really cause mood swings so I found their input essential to get me through those nine monthsy cpn was so understanding over the diabetes I found it tough not being able to eat any sugar or many carbs and having to cook every meal from scratch to keep my blood sugars stable to keep the baby well so my cpn was a good person to moan to every now and again about how hard the diabetes diet was! I also found the psychiatrist the nicest one Ive ever had in 20 years he treated me like a mum not a patient . They decided I should still take my medication whilst pregnant and I had extra scans to check on the baby because of it and because I developed gestational diabetes which taking an antipsychotic can be a risk factor for. My medication dose was doubled the day I gave birth for 8 weeks to prevent psychosis if possible and it worked. They also supported me in my wish to have an elective c section to minimise the amount of lack of sleep I would have had had I had a long natural labour. I used hypnobirthing relaxations to help with my anxiety during pregnancy. My husband did all the night feeds for the first 4 weeks whilst I was in the riskiest phase for psychosis so that I got enough sleep had I not had a husband willing to do that because that’s what I felt would help me they would have offered me to go to the mother and baby unit for observation where there were nurses who could have taken the baby off me for an hour in the night if I was sleep deprived they said if I’d liked for a couple of weeks until they knew I was okay but I chose I wanted to stay at home

[Bluelady-sing in reply to Becciandbump]

Did taking the medication the risk given the gestational diabetes

[Bluelady-sing in reply to Bluelady-sing]

If the mother and baby unit only offered you an hour's respite what was the point in going there.

I do not think having so many people was worth it

If the scans were abnormal what would you have done?

[Becciandbump in reply to Bluelady-sing]

Sorry I was generalised in my comments from my understanding they have nursery nurses that would fully help you look after the baby if you were unwell what I meant was that when I delivered the baby the midwives on the ward took the baby for me for the odd hour the first two nights I gave birth so personal experience was that the midwives gave me an hour or twos rest be rest assured that if you became unwell there would I’m sure be nursery nurses and fully qualified staff at perinatal wards that would fully support you maybe one of the APP moderators could explain this further for me as I’ve never been in a mother and baby unit they would make sure you baby was looked after and safe but I’m told mother and baby units are much nicer than normal psychiatric wards and are very homely xx

[Hazello Volunteer in reply to Becciandbump]

Hi becciandbump, just wanted to say what kind and helpful feedback you've given here.

I was in an MBU after my episode of PP and the staff were absolutely amazing, and yes nursery nurses would care for your baby to give you breaks at times. However they also were really appropriate in encouraging your independence and would not take over or look after baby every night because they are always looking towards discharge and how you'll cope without them when back at home.

Hazello

[Becciandbump in reply to Bluelady-sing]

If the scans were abnormal to the point the baby would not have survived I’d have been devastated but I would have been happy to love and care for a baby with a disability and it was a worry going for my 20 week abnormality scan but all was perfect because I trusted that the psychiatrist knew what he was doing and would not have let me take a drug he felt was unsafe. The perinatal teams are the best people who can advise you maybe you could ask for a pre conceptual counselling session with a perinatal team which is what I did when planning a pregnancy. My normal psychiatrist advised me not to have children as I’d been psychotic in my 20’s so many times he thought my risk of ppp was very high and I wouldn’t cope but the perinatal team never judged me and fully supported my desire to be a mother and it’s because of the perinatal psychiatrists faith in me and faith in his own ability to keep me well that I have 2 beautiful children. If you have a strong desire to have children I’d recommend talking to a perinatal team for advice they can advise you which medications pose the least risk to the baby. I actually took a drug that there was no research on in pregnancy but the risks of me taking it were worth it because a well mum equals a well baby. I had testing due to my age being almost 40 for Down syndrome but I would have continued with a pregnancy and only had the test so that I could fully educate myself as to how to care for a child with Down’s syndrome should it occur. Please feel free to ask any questions I always thought I’d never had kids due to my mental health and they’ve been the making of me they give me a reason to stay well and keep my mental health good and I want to be a good mum to them. The best advice I can offer is to try and focus on getting your mental health to the best it can be before getting pregnant things like mindfulness and yoga can help I wasn’t well enough in my late 20s to be a mum but by 37 my illness had stabilised and I was functioning well at work and at home. If someone with my past history of psychosis can avoid post Partum psychosis I’m sure with a good perinatal team around you there is hope xxxxxxxxx hugs

[Pikorua Volunteer in reply to Becciandbump]

Becci, such a beautiful and heartfelt account in order to help and support. Thank you for being so passionate and supportive. I am a mature mum and I am so grateful that birth went well with a very good team at hospital.

I just was very unfortunate afterwards with PPP and BP diagnosis.

I am so grateful to those ones who always tried to help me and still do. I value each day and cherish the moments of life.

Sending you health and happiness for you and your family.

x

[Becciandbump in reply to Pikorua]

Sending happiness and good health to you too, the bipolar diagnosis gets easier with time I hated it at first just wanted to pretend it would go away but after 20 years I’ve learnt to live with it and am very open I don’t hide it it’s part of me and something that you learn to just accept with time x

[Becciandbump in reply to Bluelady-sing]

I think there are lots of things that predispose some women to diabetes,whether there’s a family history of it, some medications, sometimes it’s just how your placenta affects your ability to produce insulin, BMI (although my bmi was low) xx if you have any risk factors for it they screen you for it when you are 24 weeks pregnant. Not everyone gets it don’t worry but I thought I’d mention it because it did affect my mood no chocolate for nine months when you’re pregnant and have cravings haha so that’s why I found the perinatal team helpful because it made me fed up x I’m no longer diabetic it disappeared after I gave birth but the chances of developing type 2 diabetes later in life is slightly higher if you’ve had gestational diabetes xxx it hasn’t put me off though I’m considering a third pregnancy so gestational diabetes is not that bad as I’m willing to do it again xx

[Becciandbump]

I was just trying to be Polite in my response by asking if you were okay as you asked if people still became ill, so was just trying to be kind xx I didn’t mean to cause offence and I wasn’t suggesting you weren’t okay just saying hope you were x

[Becciandbump]

Sorry I’ve rambled on in my reply to you probably did not need to hear my life story sorry but I just couldn’t rate the perinatal team higher they were fab!!!

[Becciandbump]

Also I really hope you don’t mind me saying but I saw from one of your other posts that you were considering ivf just wanted to say and reassure you I have a good friend who has two children through ivf as a single mother she’s amazing and it’s really hard work for her but she’s a really really good mum thinking in advance of any friends who can support you could be something you could do I know she has a good friend who takes the children for the odd weekend to give her a break xx

Having a good network of support around you as a new mother is vital in helping new mums feeling they are able to cope

I had just noticed one of your other posts of thinking of ivf and it made me think of my friend and how I admire her XX

[Bluelady-sing]

If they told not have children based on past history it was wrong and unlawful

[Becciandbump in reply to Bluelady-sing]

for me personally my psychiatrist was just advising me that my risk of being unwell was something to consider when planning a pregnancy due to my previous mental health issues he was just trying to support me and educate me and prepare me the best he could for me embarking on pregnancy, his advice was invaluable to me Because I stayed well and am grateful for his input. I don’t know your circumstances so I can’t comment other than answer your original question that I remained well with perinatal team involvement and medication. Planning a pregnancy always raises lots of questions understandably and I’m so glad you’ve found this support group in Order to be able to ask what other people’s experiences are. Some of the APP moderators are amazing and will be able to give you professional advice as I am only giving you my personal experience and I’m not a mental health expert just someone who has lived experience of it and personal experience is always subjective so I apologise if there is any misunderstandings xx take care xx

[boat1]

I didnt. Last two times was carefully planned and all was ok.

[Bluelady-sing in reply to boat1]

What did you do or not do