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Preemies
If you went for PPD treatment...
Who did you end up seeing?
What did they ask you or make you do?
What was the outcome?
Did you have to have more than one session and if so how many?
Did you end up taking meds and if so what kind? Thoughts on the meds your taking, likes/dislikes?
Did you make any lifestyle changes that helped you after all of this?
When did you start feeling more like yourself?
I have finally made (after many, many, many reschedulings) an appointment for tomorrow afternoon with a new OB to talk to them and plan to keep it, but I don't know what to expect and am afraid they'll CPS because I'm really a nut case and just not aware of it yet. LOL!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: If you went for PPD treatment...
I haven't seen anybody for PPD, but I REALLY should have. I had a several months long stint where I cried nearly nonstop. It was awful
Good luck tomorrow! And there is NO WAY that your doctor will call CPS on you. You're an amazing mother!
How did the feeding clinic go yesterday? I really hope you're getting in touch with more competent doctors.
I was ?screened? for PPD in the NICU, I was basically given a test. They told me my score ?concerned them? and that they would like me to see my OB for meds.
I said no thanks, I would like to talk to someone about what had just all happened to me and my baby. So, a therapist starting coming to Lily?s bedside weekly, it helped a lot.
I still see her and she is actually trying to get the PPD screening test pulled out of the NICU, I guess it is the same test that is given to every mother, and she believes that although some NICU moms do have PPD, most are struggling with the unusual circumstances of an unexpected birth experience and life in the NICU and still deal with it months and even years after their child is born, it is unfair to ask them the same set of questions you would ask someone who had a normal pregnancy and delivery.
I am still seeing the therapist and looking back, I am so glad that I didn?t take the meds, I think for me, my therapist and I both agree that I had lots and lots of moments of sadness about what had happened, but wasn?t ?depressed? so to speak. She also said I had PTSD.
Time and a lot of talking have helped me get through this and there was a time I thought I would never be the same, but everyday I feel more and more like myself again.
I am also a nut, and can?t say for sure whether what your feeling is a result of the circumstances of the NICU experience, like I think many of us feel, or actual PPD, but talking to someone will definitely help. Good luck!
On my blog there is a post called ?What we went through and continue to go through?, it might be comforting to you, to know you are not alone.
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I'm kind of butting in here...
but I am a therapist (Marriage and Family Therapy) and the only time they will call CPS is if you report you are a threat to yourself or to your children. The PPD would have to be so severe that it was causing you to neglect or abuse your children, which mandates a call.
On the extreme side of PPD is post-partum psychosis, when mothers experience hallucinations/delusions and are unable to care for their children. This is extremely rare (>4% of all mothers) but would an automatic referral to CPS.
Good luck, and good for you for taking care of yourself. :-)
Hi Yellowb,
Glad that you are lurking. I love that people lurk here, like our wonderful NICU nurses and med students worried moms-to-be, because sometimes we get to thank people we don't often get the chance to thank, and I think you're one of them. Seeing what you wrote makes me feel better because they were so aggressive about getting me in for my appointment it scared me.
I really don't believe anyone would ever think I'm a danger to my children but today was a rough day for me (however they are happy as larks) and I snapped at them because I was frustrated that they wouldn't sleep. I feel guilty because I was not nice to them, set Evan down kind of roughly in his crib, and it is the kind of thing that turns my stomach but I just need to get it together somehow. (By the way, Evan laughed and thought it was fun and wanted me to do it again. I didn't, but just so you know....)
I'm certainly not neglecting them or hallucinating, but I've been dealing with so much and there are so many emotions and ongoing issues, things that aren't baby related even, I just don't know that I can cope anymore without talking to someone who can help me put the specifics and details into perspective.
ditto, ditto, ditto. ?i never went and should have. ?it think i had PTSD. ?i'm a social worker professionally and know in my heart that i needed professional help...or need, as i still struggle with the trauma and loss of "normal". ?good luck. ?you can do it!?
Laura,
If you didn't have some sort of depression or PTSD after all you and the boys have been through this year, I'd be worried. You have been through more trauma in one year than many folks will hopefully see in decades or lifetimes. I commend you for getting help, whether it be just talking to someone or medication. Keeping you sane is critical to the health and welfare of your family.
I'm so glad I could help. I don't know your story, but I commend you for seeking help. That is sometimes the hardest step to take!
As for their aggression, my first thought is that they are worried about YOU, and want to get you in as quickly as possible. When I have treated pg women or post-partum women in the past, they are my highest priority (second only to suicidal pts) since their care plays such a role in the health/safety of little ones.
As for abuse/neglect, there would have to be physical evidence (bruises, scratches, severely underweight, extremely dirty, unkept, etc) or neurological impairment indictative of shaken baby syndrome or head trauma.
Best of luck to you -- I have been lurking on this board d/t to my own prognosis. I'm terrified, but anxious to learn a lot from everyone.
Hey there! I just wanted to say that while I don't have first hand knowledge of PPD or PTSD I actually have a lot of info on the subject both personally and professionally that I can't post on a public forum, but I will happily share with you if you would like! If you have any questions or concerns especially after your appointment, I would happy to talk about it with you and help anyway I can!
For now, don't be afraid to be totally honest with your OB, don't be afraid to ask any and all questions you've had about the issue, don't be afraid to try a medication if it's offered, you don't have to keep taking it if you don't like it! And if you are interested in taking meds (which usually is only needed temporarily) I would highly recommend doing that concurrently with therapy.
Good luck! And just remember, your mental health is just as important as your physical health. And taking better care of you means you can take better care of your kiddos!
I don't really feel like I had PPD (though I've had anxiety issues in the past, so it wouldn't have been surprising) but I did have some real problems adjusting to the sleep deprivation after Robbie came home from the hospital and had some pretty similar things going on.. Scared myself.
I called my OB for a script and they called me in some Zoloft. In the end, I never even took it. Somehow just having it there helped.
I've had a few times where I did feel like I had PTSD, but so far have managed to get through them w/o seeking professional help- but I seriously considered it several times. Really, only the fact that I don't know how I'd get away to get it kept me from going.
Fortunately things have improved markedly the last few months and I'm doing okay. But I'm not ruling out that I'll seek some counseling at some point.
Though for now, YOU GUYS are my therapy.
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