April 2019 Moms
kangstadt
member
Options
August Mental Health Check In
kangstadt
member
Borrowed from the TTGP board!
This is a safe place for more detailed support in mental health, struggles, and successes. Whereas general stress and issues are often discussed in R/R of dailies, this place is for a more focused discussion of the impact of mental health. Members are encouraged to use thoughtfulness and depth to examine feelings, barriers, and useful supports.
***This thread has a general trigger warning.***
U.S: National Suicide Prevention : 1-800-273-TALK [8255]
Chat option:
Link to Canadian Resources:
This post can be replied to at any time during the month. Not limited to those with a mental health diagnosis, but please be sensitive to others. We will attempt to be as flame free as possible!
Feel free to share, vent, or support other members on this thread. Share a picture/gif that expresses how you feel or provides some comfort.
If you need help getting started, try filling out the form below:
Mental Health Diagnosis (if you have been) or What brings you to this thread today?:
How far along are you:
How are you feeling?
Where are you in your mental health journey? (in treatment, looking for support, on meds, in counseling, having a rough day, etc.)
Feel free to share, vent, or support other members on this thread. Share a picture/gif that expresses how you feel or provides some comfort.
If you need help getting started, try filling out the form below:
Mental Health Diagnosis (if you have been) or What brings you to this thread today?:
How far along are you:
How are you feeling?
Where are you in your mental health journey? (in treatment, looking for support, on meds, in counseling, having a rough day, etc.)
Re: August Mental Health Check In
How far along: 7 weeks
How are you feeling: The mom guilt is real this week. Nausea has hit hard, and I've been a pretty lame mom to my 4yo. I was crying to my DH last night that I don't know how I'm going to do this and why did we think we could have a second again? So all in all, pretty emotional this week. Moms with two already, how did you do the transition from one to two?
I'm also anxiously awaiting my appointment next week so I can finally tell my son and family Labor Day weekend. My parents are older (in their 70s) and recently having some memory problems, so I'm feeling emotional about that also and I just want to tell them already! They'll be thrilled.
Mental health journey: On 50mg generic Zoloft; I haven't had my first appointment yet, so I'm not sure if my OB will want me to wean off or not. I'm thinking not, since the last time around I was put on Zoloft since it's "safer,". I was feeling pretty good and had everything under control until these dang pregnancy hormones started up this week. Now I want to cry at the drop of a hat.
Mental Health Diagnosis: depression and anxiety
How far along are you: 6w6d
How are you feeling?: super exhausted, super nauseous. I feel guilty because I’ve fallen behind on pretty much everything, which just adds to the anxiety, which makes it harder to get stuff done which makes me more anxious and it’s just a vicious cycle.
DH is excited that we have parenting experience under our belt so we can be less anxious this time around...except I’m already having panic attacks about the newborn phase. DS was sleeping in his crib in his room by 2 weeks, and DH thinks we’re just going to start there with this kid, but at our old house the baby’s room was so close to ours that it was the same distance to his crib as to the PNP in our room. At our new house the kids’ rooms are on the other side of the house and I’m already freaking out about them being that far away (and me not getting to them quick enough and they wake up my very light sleeping toddler).
Where are you in your mental health journey?: I got put on 50mg of Zoloft post partum and I had just come off it like a month before I got pregnant. When I got off it, I told my doctor that I definitely felt the difference especially in controlling my temper, but I felt like I could still handle things without meds. Thanks to hormones, I’m not sure anymore. My OB asked me if I had started it up again when I told her I was feeling anxious but I told her I wasn’t going to do that without discussing it with her, first. She wants me to try without it, but said we can address it if I feel like I need it.
I have an appointment with my therapist (who works in my OBs office so they can work together for my treatment) next week. I was able to make it through my last pregnancy without meds or therapy, but it definitely took a toll on me and post partum was awful until I got treatment. I’m hoping that by seeking treatment from the get go, this pregnancy will be better from a mental health standpoint.
How far along are you: 5 weeks
How are you feeling? Much much better now that my friend Prozac has been allowed back into my life... I think I'm back to just the "normal" level of pregnant mood swings
Where are you in your mental health journey? (in treatment, looking for support, on meds, in counseling, having a rough day, etc.) I currently talk to a therapist once a month and am back on Prozac after my new psychiatrist knee-jerk pulled me off of it.... things did not go well
And obviously talk to your healthcare provider but keep in mind that it comes down to weighing the benefits and the potential cons of meds... mommy needs to be in a good place
@dapoint23, glad things are going a little better for you again! And not really sure specifically. My DS will be 5 when this little one arrives, so part of it is me worrying how he'll take the change from only child to big sibling. Also dealing with splitting your attention between two, and oh my gosh, I'm outnumbered now so going anywhere will be doubly hard. Eep.
@chermammabear, no worry, the brutal honesty is good! I'm not sure if it's a blessing or a curse, but my DS hasn't napped since he was 2, so I won't have that issue at least. My biggest fear honestly is that with DS we were living with my parents at the time, so I had a ton of help, even if it was just "here, hold him so I can pee." This time, I'll be on my own with 5yo DS and a newborn, and April into summer is the busiest part of my husband's job. So I'll be home with both of them by myself for most of my maternity leave.
I currently babysit my 1yo nephew (and have since he was 3 months) so I'm hoping that will have helped DS kind of adjust to not being the center of attention all the time. Although when I started watching my nephew, DS commented a few times that he never wanted a baby sibling because babies cry all the time
How far along are you: 7w + 6d
How are you feeling? Exhausted physically and mentally. I'm having a really hard time this week. A coworker has left our company and she was my only friend. I don't really like some of the people I work with and I feel zero motivation at work. I count down the hours till I can go home. My husband said he would be ok if I was a SAHM (something I really wish I could be) but right now it's just not a possible financially. I think all of that has really brought me down to a bad place. I'm taking Friday off and we're going on a family outing to a theme park on Saturday, I'm hoping that will lift my spirits.
Where are you in your mental health journey? Really just having a rough day. Prior to previous pregnancy I was on Wellbutrin but weaned off. I was on Zoloft postpartum but I haven't been on any meds since 2016. I'm wondering if pregnancy hormones are messing with me.
@gollygeeitsamy I’m sorry you’re having a rough time at work. Being pregnant definitely doesn’t help that situation. The work v stay at home decision is definitely a tough one. You’ve got a little bit of time to figure it out. Hopefully your fun weekend will help you out!
How far along are you: 4 weeks
How are you feeling? Nausea, very grouchy with my 3 kids. I'm feeling like my meds probably need to be adjusted. I'm worried about something going wrong with the pregnancy and trying to stay calm. I'm officially AMA, so that is adding a new level. I also have some PTSD from a precipitous labor with my youngest. We barely made it to the hospital and my total labor was about an hour and a half. I'm scared it will happen again.
Where are you in your mental health journey? (in treatment, looking for support, on meds, in counseling, having a rough day, etc.) I take generic Lexapro 20mg but will have to decrease to 10 during pregnancy if possible. I'm in counseling every couple weeks already, so I'm continuing that. I've been on my meds 13 years and they aren't working as well any more so I'll be looking to see if I need to change them or not. I'll be getting in with a psychiatrist ASAP to work on that.
@gollygeeitsamy, I'm sorry you're having a rough time at work. My sister is in the same boat, not really enjoying her job but not financially able to be a SAHM even though she would like to. Take it a day at a time. Is there any way you could work fewer hours but still keep the position?
@atjenga, my friend had a precipitous labor also - I can't imagine how scary that would be. Is it more likely to happen again if you had it happen once? It's great that you're seeing a counselor, I haven't found one that jives with me yet. Good luck with your psychiatrist
How far along are you: 8+3
How are you feeling? Pretty stable right now, despite lingering panics when I think of the events around my last birth
Where are you in your mental health journey? (in treatment, looking for support, on meds, in counseling, having a rough day, etc.):
We dropped our counseling when FIL had a stroke and we moved in to help with his many appts - we simply couldn’t coordinate care enough to get to the appointments. I don’t like living here, with MIL constantly sharing input in how DD is dressed, eats, etc., plus just not having enough space to ourselves, but we don’t exactly have enough money after I resigned from my job after DD was born (at 26 weeks after an unexpected pregnancy) to move into our own place. This past year was still the start up phase of DH’s business and so even though it did well in gross revenue, the net revenue is low. We moved twice in the first six months of the year. All this is terrible for my adjustment; it’s like the complete laundry list of stressful life events has happened in the past two years. So I’m pretty happy that I feel stable so long as I’m looking forward.
I’ve started talking about PPD to the medical team but am currently between OBs because my previous OB dropped my insurance (boo). I am hoping that therapy plus preparation and stress management strategies will keep me in a place where I can cope without meds.
Just generally getting this out there right now...
@gollygeeitsamy I hope the theme park helped this week! Is there something you love doing and maybe wish you could do for money? Maybe it’s something creative, maybe it’s a product you really love, maybe it’s just doing accounting (or whatever) without the awful coworkers. If you start the side hustle now, you can try to build it up over the next few months to the point where you can step away from your job without the total financial loss, but without the demands of full time work. Easier said than done obviously...and if it only gives you a creative, productive outlet that doesn’t involve your kids, at least you’ll have that to buoy your spirits?