Postpartum psychosis before baby is born?

[Msashyz]

Is it possible to go into PPP at around 32 weeks?

[Jackson1991]

Hi Msashyz. I remember searching this question 12 months ago as it seemed rare and there wasnt a lot of info i could find but the answer in my experience is yes.

My partner was omitted to a Mother and Baby Unit at 32 weeks last year after her mental health began to seriously deteriorate from about 22 weeks.

We eventually got support from the perinatal mental health team (after I tried for weeks to get help and several hospital visits). When they realised things were as serious as I had been trying to explain we got a referral to a MBU.

Her symptoms (mainly delusions , anxiety) seemed to get worse after delivery, but she was diagnosed with a psychotic episode before birth when in the MBU so it is possible to have the symptoms before delivery.

If you are worried I recommend getting in touch with your GP/perinatal team to seek advice ASAP but others may have better advice.

There is a lot of support on this forum. I have spent a lot ot of time reading stories and things did get better for us and my son is nearly 1 and partner has made a great recovery due to getting the right support.

Stay strong

[Msashyz in reply to Jackson1991]

I am so glad that I found this forum. It makes me feel less alone to find that someone else had symptoms begin prior to birth. My son is now 3 months old and we are still trying to find the right meds for me. I am a lot better than I was for sure, but also nowhere near the "real" me yet. I have completely lost the ability to feel emotions and my head is just a cloud, but at least I'm not totally catatonic/angry anymore. This journey has been so hard. I've been accused of being on drugs at one point during pregnancy and no one was listening to me begging for help. The doctors just thought I was depressed no matter how much I said I wasn't. I knew something was very wrong. I've also dealt with not being able to talk for a while or walk without fainting while pregnant, so my poor brain has been through it.

I've just been in this "psychotic" place for about 5 months now and am so scared that it won't ever resolve. ☹️ There are no MBU's in the US, so the only place to go is the Psych Ward which was extremely traumatic for me. I read about a place that isn't an MBU, but new moms can go there for help with mental health conditions.

If you don't mind my asking, what meds worked? How long did it take for your partner to start feeling like herself again? I know everyone's going to react differently to medicine, but just curious.

[Jackson1991 in reply to Msashyz]

Firstly congrats on your baby boy. I am glad he has arrived safely and also to read you are getting treatment. I am also glad you have found some comfort knowing you are not alone. I am sorry you are going through this but it will get better with time.

Our journey has been very long and still not over - it took me some time to realise progress takes time. I found looking month on month better than comparing day to day or week on week.

My partner was very unwell and in the MBU for about 5 and half months and it took a while for them to find a medication that would work for her (haloperidol). She still doesn't fully feel her old self and has since suffered from depression but she is so much better than she was and feels more herself .

Be kind to yourself and keep going. I'm in awe of every mother on here and I hope you see the progress soon!

[Jenny_at_APP Partner]

Hello Msashyz,

Welcome to the forum and thank you for posting.

Yes, it is possible to experience psychosis during pregnancy. If you haven't already, do seek medical support. If you are in the UK, support should be available from a perinatal mental health team - contact the GP, midwife or NHS111 (it may also be possible to self refer or call the team directly for advice if you look up the team in your local area) and explain the symptoms and your concerns.

There is information about getting help on our website here - app-network.org/get-help/

If you are outside the UK, again do seek medical support and be aware that symptoms can change quickly.

I hope you are able to access some support. Do write here any time and let us know how you get on and if you have any questions we can help with.

Best wishes,

Jenny

[Msashyz in reply to Jenny_at_APP]

Thank you, Jenny. I am in the US and am getting treatment, but it has been hard to get this diagnosis. I wish doctors were more versed in pregnancy related issues.

[Jenny_at_APP Partner in reply to Msashyz]

Hi Msashyz,

I’m glad you’re getting treatment but really sorry to read it’s been so difficult to get support. Yes there needs to be more awareness and knowledge amongst health professionals so women get the help they need as quickly as possible, I’m sorry it’s been such a struggle for you.

I’m glad you’ve found us here and hope hearing about other experiences helps you know you’re not alone, please do write here any time.

As you’re in the US I also just wanted to check you’re aware of Postpartum Support International, they have specialised coordinators and online support groups that may be a helpful support to you as well - postpartum.net/get-help/pos...

I had PP back in 2012 after my first son was born. I was fortunate to be treated at a mother and baby unit and recovered well. I wish there were MBUs available as an option to everyone. I hope your doctors are able to find the right balance of medication for you soon, I know it can be a difficult process. Do be reassured that you can make a full recovery 💜

There is a lot of information and resources on our website - personal stories, information about PP including FAQs, as well as some ‘insider guides’ written with the help of women with lived experience of PP, researchers and academics - app-network.org

Take good care and know we’re here to listen any time it helps to write.

Best wishes,

Jenny x

[Lilybeth Volunteer]

Hello Msashyz

Congratulations on the birth of your son! I’m sorry to hear you have been through such a traumatic experience. I had PP many years ago and was sectioned to mixed general psychiatric care as there were no MBUs at that time. Thankfully I eventually recovered and found my place again.

As you are in the US I wonder if you might also find support at Postpartum Support International at postpartum.net? Depending on which State you live in, there maybe a local co-ordinator to connect with. On the pages you will find a drop-down slot with Postpartum Psychosis listed.

You are definitely not alone. Be kind to yourself and take your time to heal. 🌻 We are all here for each other.

[Maria_at_APP Moderator]

Hi Msashyz, congratulations on your baby, I am so sorry that you have been experiencing psychotic symptoms for many months now, and that you were not listened to when you asked for help.

I had pp in 2018 after the birth of my daughter, although I was experiencing some elevated mood prior to the birth and my speech was accelerated, it all unraveled a week postpartum. I spent 10 days in a psychiatric ward which I agree with you it was very traumatic, I was very unwell, and it is not a place that caters to new mums. I was able to transfer to an MBU where I was reunited with my baby and where my recovery started.

I remember the early months of my recovery feeling like a rabbit in the headlights. Not many things made sense in my mind, pp is a huge upheaval and it takes a lot of time for our brains to recover. I was also weaning from a high dose of antipsychotics and benzodiazepine, antipsychotics made me feel very flat and out of touch with my emotions. I wondered if you are experiencing something similar on your medication.

I hope you are able to get the right help, Jenny has shared some great resources from the APP website, and I wonder if you can show it to the professionals following you at the moment.

Take good care,

Maria

[Survivedwithcolor]

MESSAGE FROM APP ADMINS: This post contains distressing information. If you are feeling vulnerable, do take care if reading this post.

Good morning,

I’m currently in training to become a volunteer with PSI for issues in postpartum psychosis. I experienced a very severe case in 2002. I’m also in the US. According to what I’m learning through PSI, a perinatal mental issue can occur anytime during pregnancy or within the 12 months after the birth. I was very interested to hear that; the time periods commonly listed in research literature in 2002 said only that PP happens within two months of the birth, and I was subsequently misdiagnosed because my timeline did not fit that pattern. Knowing what I know now, I realize that it actually probably did, but my symptoms were not immediately in the acute phase and it was missed.

Relevant to you, I was experiencing depression prior to pregnancy, and had begun an antidepressant. When I found out I was pregnant, I discontinued it. I was working full time and suffered from a lot of stress as well as extreme nausea during the pregnancy. I began having pretty severe panic attacks and started seeing a therapist to try to get me through the pregnancy without meds. I do not remember having psychosis during the pregnancy per se, but I definitely had some mental health issues going on. I believe that may have set me up for psychosis after the baby was born. I was also subsequently diagnosed with bipolar 2.

After the birth I felt my mood crashing and went on a low dose of Prozac so I could continue nursing the baby. This kind of held off other symptoms for a few months, or so I thought. When the baby was three or four months old I began sinking again, started getting paranoid, and things spiraled from there. I did not have a psychiatrist to monitor me, but I was still seeing the therapist who had been treating me for the depression and panic attacks. Unfortunately she didn’t have any experience with psychosis or PP, and didn’t recognize what she was seeing. I started hearing voices telling me to harm myself and became extremely suicidal. Because we lived in a small rural area, I didn’t get proper treatment for a long time. My condition continued to worsen. I was not doing well at all.

Somehow I managed to survive this out of sheer grit. The baby quit nursing at ten months old, and within 24 hours I was catatonic. My husband got scared and called the doctor. They said to take me to the hospital, and I was finally admitted.

Very long story short, hospital staff wasn’t sure it was PP because I didn’t fit the correct timeline of onset within two months of the birth.

So… yes, you can have issues during pregnancy. Yes, my lived experience is that many practitioners in the US were and are still undereducated about PP, especially depending on where you live. Yes, it can take some time to recover from this. And yet, my providers were totally wrong - it is temporary. You will get better!

Regarding medication, this may be the cause of your feeling detached and unfeeling. Many of the psych meds do this to you. I went entire years without shedding a tear. I took many different medications, and they all had side effects, and then they’d give me more meds to counteract the side effects. What a mess.

My best suggestion to you is to find a couple/few things to hang onto that make you feel a little bit normal. For me these things were sensory - walking, hot baths, drawing, painting, writing, music. Try to carve out a little time every day for this escape time. My name is Survived with Color because that’s how I got through PP. somehow my colored pencils made sense to me when nothing else did.

You’ve found a rare spot here with moms who know what you’re experiencing, and I look forward to talking with you some more. Hang in there. You will be well again, I promise!

[Lilybeth Volunteer]

Hi Msashyz

I hope you are well and the therapy is making a difference in these early days. Just wondering if you found support locally via Postpartum Support International and hope the shared resources have been helpful.

Try to rest when your son is sleeping, not easy when there is so much to do but take it easy when you can. 🌻