postpartum psychosis

[Kevin357]

My partner gave birth a week ago but 3 days ago she stared acting irrationally , hearing voices, paranoid illusions, similar to schizophrenia. It took me 2 days to get anti psychotic drugs low dose from gp but no major improvement. Mental health are involved but no real support or diagnoses. I’m struggling with fatigue looking after baby. Does anybody have experience of this and tips they could share to get help quickly, plus can this manifest to anything dangerous to the baby?

[Maria_at_APP Moderator]

Hi Kevin357,

I am sorry to hear your wife has been having these symptoms for the past 3 days. I know this is a very difficult time, so I don't want to bombard you with questions, but I just wanted to ask if you have access to the mental health team out of hours.

At the moment the main thing is I think is to get treatment for your wife and support for you, it can be frustrating not to have a diagnosis yet, but when I was ill I found that mental health works so differently to physical health and unfortunately we don't have a quick test yet for it. You can still be treated very effectively for your symptoms nevertheless.

Do you have family that can support you with the care for baby and allow you some rest? Is your wife managing to sleep at night?

Please also, don't hesitate on calling the emergency numbers 999 or 111 if there is an emergency, I appreciate these are very difficult times and emergency services are really strained atm, but don't let that stop you from calling them and following their guidance.

Take good care, my thoughts are with you and your wife. It is a frightening time, but with the right treatment and support your wife will make full recovery from this.

[Ellie_at_APP Partner]

Hi Kevin357

Welcome to the forum. I'm really glad you've found us. My name's Ellie, I had postpartum psychosis in 2011 after the birth of my son, and I oversee APP's national peer support.

I'm so sorry your partner isn't well, and is experiencing delusions and acting irrationally. You must be really worried.

Postpartum psychosis is a serious illness, but really treatable, but the person needs to get help a quickly as possible. It's good you have got her some support from her GP and she is taking a low dose of anti psychotic, though it sounds like this isn't working that well yet? It can take a while for medication to work.

I'm not sure where you live, and whether you are in the UK? You mention that mental health are involved. I wondered if she has been fully assessed, and seen a psychiatrist? I would say this is the most important thing to do.

Do you know if the mental health team is a specialist perinatal mental health team who support women who are unwell and are pregnant or have had a baby?

Most areas of the UK now have specialist perinatal mental health teams, and if you aren't under them, this is something you should ask your GP to refer you to ASAP. If you google where you live and 'perinatal mental health team' you should be able to find out if there is a team in your area. It's so important she sees someone who knows how to treat postpartum psychosis.

I would recommend keeping a diary if you can, of her behaviour and symptoms, so you can be clear with professionals what your concerns are, when you see them, particularly of course all the behaviour you witness that really concern you.

If you are very concerned about her, especially if you don't feel she and the baby are safe (I know you mention this in your message), I would not hesitate to ring emergency services (999, 111) or take her to A&E if you can, as postpartum psychosis is a psychiatric emergency.

It's difficult to answer your question whether it can manifest as any danger to the baby. Each person's symptoms are different, but the short answer is yes there can be a risk to herself and the baby if the illness isn't treated which is why it's so important you get the proper help. I don't want to scare you though, it's just to really emphasise to you to keep asking for help if you don't think she is getting enough treatment and support, and you don't feel safe looking after her.

Do you also have friends and family you can call on for support? I know this is difficult in the current situation with Covid and the rules of the lockdown, but I would say this is the kind of situation where it's appropriate for family / friends to visit to support you and your partner, and there is an exception for this in the rules (visiting someone who needs support).

I don't know if you have found all the information on our website? We have a page for partners, which should answer all the questions you have, and gives information the symptoms and what to do to get help:

app-network.org/partners/

I also wanted to let you know that we have a Facebook group for partners of women who have had PP. It is a secret group so if you join it won't show up on your news feed, and your Facebook friends won't know that you belong to the group. It's a place where you can connect with other partners of women who have had PP, and we post information and support on there. It is quite a new group, but you're really welcome to join it.

facebook.com/groups/APPpart...

It's so great you have found us and reached out for information and support, I hope some partners will reply to you as well, as we do have quite a few partners who are members of this group.

Lastly the most important thing I wanted to say to you as that your partner will get better, and recover from this, and be herself again. There are many of us who are examples of that.

Take care and please don't hesitate to ask any questions, and to keep seeking support here.

Ellie

[mimibell Volunteer]

Hi Kevin, I’m so sorry to hear this is happening to you and your partner. I suggest contacting your local mental health team urgently, your GP or any other medical person you are in contact with. In my case my health visitor was fantastic. Don’t be fobbed off and stress how urgent the situation is. Also, you can call 999 or 111 or go to A & E.

It would be good to get some help for you from a friend or relative so you can rest. When I was unwell my sister moved in temporarily to help with my daughter.

I was taken to an adult psychiatric hospital and was allowed regular visits. After about 10 days I was found a place in a mother and baby unit and my daughter and I were transferred there. This allowed for me to recover whilst still being able to bond and look after my baby and my husband visited daily and slept at home whilst being able to go to work too.

I hope you get the help you need ASAP. It’s a tough journey, but there are a lot of people here who have been where you are now and have come out the other side.

Best wishes, Michelle

[Lilybeth Volunteer]

Hello Kevin357

It’s such a shame that the joy of a baby should be tarnished by such a worrying illness. I’m sorry to hear that although mental health are involved you have no real support or diagnosis.

I hope, as other mums have said, that you can find support for yourself. It must be overwhelming at times, caring for your newborn and trying to help your partner. If she does have Postpartum Psychosis it is a very frightening experience which I had years ago and can relate to delusions and hearing a voice which made so many negative comments about me.

Please don’t hesitate to ring the mental health crisis team if you feel your partner is getting worse, if you are in the UK. Or your GP out of hours service.

I hope you can find the support you need. We are all here if it helps to write again. Take good care of yourself.

[AndyHenderson Volunteer]

A couple of points to add to the above.

Anti-psychotics usually take some time to have any effect. I'm sorry to say you're unlikely to see an immediate improvement. People react to drugs in different ways, so there's also an element of trial and error in finding a suitable treatment. You need to take care of yourself and the baby, so hospitalisation may be necessary and you should not see that as a failure on your part. PP is a serious illness.

Also, doctors are, in my experience, reluctant to provide diagnoses for mental illness; however, that's not as big an issue as it might be for other illnesses because the treatment would be the same, regardless.

I'm sorry to hear what you're going through. But be assured that the overwhelming majority of sufferers recover well. It takes time, unfortunately.

Andy

[Rob84 Volunteer]

Hi Kevin

When my wife became unwell with PP, due to the severity we ended up taking her to hospital (accident and emergency) where she was eventually assessed and admitted to a mother and baby unit (specialist mental health facility for new mums.) Thinking back I cannot imagine even attempting to manage the situation alone, so I can only echo the above and suggest emergency help if the GP etc. are not making referals to specialists. I hope you're okay and get the support you need ASAP.

Rob

[JackBruce]

Hi Kevin, all the other replies cover it, I'd go with their advice. The only thing I'd add is that both times my wife had PP I thought it wasn't too bad at first and I could manage, but when I've talked to her since, what she relates she was thinking was way more delusional than she appeared and she absolutely needed impatient care both times. I know that may be a worrying thought but I needed a psychiatric nurse the second time to make me see that we weren't coping and she needed hospital treatment- best thing we did and she was home again before too long. (Though you may not need this at all.) I'm worried the GP is gate keeping specialist services in your case and she needs more urgent attention to help make this decision.

[Lilybeth Volunteer]

Hello Kevin357

I hope the posts here have been helpful and your partner is safe. Hopefully you have had support for yourself in caring for your newborn and looking after your partner.

During my psychosis I thought I was fine and everyone else had a problem! Eventually I was sectioned for my own safety, without my sons, as there were no specialist units available many years ago. If your partner is diagnosed with PP it is a temporary and very treatable illness but a medical emergency, so the sooner your partner is diagnosed and receives treatment the better she will feel.

We are all thinking of you ..... take care.

[Hidden]

Hello Kevin357

I just wanted to add that the usual thing is to start with a low dose of antipsychotic and to increase the dose quite rapidly.

Also, sleeping pills are often given as mania stops you from sleeping.

The thing is, your wife is seriously unwell, and if it was a serious physical illness, you wouldn't try to care for her at home, even without a new baby to consider.

PP isn't something you can cope with alone. I know very well no one wants to go to a psych ward, or on a mother and baby unit. I actually ran away with my new baby to try and avoid it. But if your wife is admitted, she is safe, the baby is safe and she is getting treatment.

I know it's not what you want, or imagined for this stage in your life, but she will get better, with treatment.

Take care, and yes, call emergency services or whatever it takes to get the care you need. And try to get the help during the working week as things are so much more difficult at weekends.

[Lilybeth Volunteer]

Hello Kevin357

I hope by now the mental health team or GP have been able to offer your partner more support. It must be very overwhelming .... I hope you have family or friends to talk to and help with your newborn. Please take care of yourself.

[Lilybeth Volunteer]

Hello Kevin357

A few months on since you posted and I hope by now your partner is receiving support from the mental health team. Please remember to take care of yourself too.