[beth]

One of the worst aspects of postnatal depression is a feeling of failure for not being a textbook mother. There's a myth out there that mothering is easy and natural, but it sure isn't when your hormones are out of balance and you cannot control how you are feeling anymore. It's a pity that more doctors and midwives do not discuss the possibility of the problem with their pregnant mothers so that both they and their partners know what to look out for in those early days and weeks. It's so important to foster a strong mother-child bond from the start and postnatal depression makes that very hard to do. Ita terrible condition but many mother's find it difficult to tell others what is really going on. Often they are caught unawares by it. This is where eduction comes in.

[babydawn]

I hear that this issue is a big secret, I must live in a community where things are very out in the open. My doctor was very up front with me about Postpartum depression. The hospital where I had my babies as well. In fact, the hospital has you fill out a questionaire in the hospital to see if you are at high risk to be suffering from it. Then, if they feel you are, they do follow up calls to your home after that. My doctor always told me in the hospital that if I had any symptoms to call immediately. Then at the 6 week check up he would check again. I felt that I was very well informed. I guess more doctors and hospitals need to be like the wonderful ones that I have had access to.

[beth]

Hi Babydawn, It sounds like you have had wonderful treatment from both your doctor and the hospital team. Yes, there must be regions where the medical treatment is less enlightened about these issues. It's not preventable but it's treatable and it can happen to anyone. Obviously, we need to get the message out there so that no mother or her baby suffers needlessly because of this awful condition.

[babydawn]

No doubt that I have had wonderful treatment. I do agree with you getting the word out that it is often a common side effect of having a baby. I have suffered from depression off and on since I was 13, I have 4 children and didn't have any problems with postpartum depression until my 4th. It was so much WORSE than any other depression I have experienced. I called immediately when I started having symptoms, they got me in that same day. That was about 2 months after my baby was born. I only had to be on meds for about 2 months after that and now I am fine again. Had it not been for the wonderful medical care that I had recieved and my willingness to call my doctor and say, "hey, this isn't right, these are the thoughts that are going through my head." I would have completely lost my mind....literally. They would have had to lock me up in the nut house. I strongly encourage anyone suffering from anxiety/depressive type symptoms after having a baby, even if it's been a few months since you've had your baby, to call your doctor. He/she will understand and get you the help that you need.

[beth]

Hi Babydawn, it sounds like you had the best possible outcome imaginable. I was never diagnosed with postnatal depression but looking back, and with what I now know, I definitely had it after my first child. I couldn't stop crying and felt completely overwhelmed, but the doctor simply told me to wake up to myself and go home and feed my baby! Trouble was, I was so upset, the milk wasn't too plentiful either and that lead to a host of other problems as you can imagine!! I certainly got poor treatment, and I just had to pick myself up by my bootstraps (something that's clearly impossible). Fortunately it went away never to return but I can recognise it now in new mothers and it needs immediate attention.