Post partum Anxiety?

seahorse mama

Hi all,

I'm 4 months post partum and have been experiencing severe anxiety, sleeplessness and nausea...I have to wait until Feb before seeing anyone because of my insurance...I did go see a western med. doc and they perscribed me paxil.  i took one pill, felt worse and they said quit taking it.  the symptoms subside and then they come back.  I have not had a good night's sleep in a LONG time.  like weeks.  Has anyone had this happen??  What did you do?  Did it go away?

calliTyler

Hello!!! 

I'm 5 months PP and have had crazy bad anxiety for awhile now. In fact, it's after 3:00 AM here and I'm still wide awake. I have an appointment at 9:15 AM to talk to my doctor about my anxiety and restlessness... No idea yet what they are going to do, but I'll let you know! I hope that things get better for you and that you are able to go see someone and get some help in February! Just know you're not alone! GL!!!

totallyshocked

Here is advice from someone thats been there

Not only did I have PPD but I have PPA and I was a mess. Before we found the right meds I started taking Omega 3 vitamins which help with mind clearfullness, working out, eating well, therapy and MEDITATION!! They helped a bit. I couldnt drive, sleep, eat anything..... funny enough I was able to still take care of LO

 

It took me 3 meds till finally Celexa did the trick. I also has clonazepam 1mg that I take before bed, most morning and then as needed (im allowed 4 a day which I only did at the beg now Im down to 1 1/2-2 a day). They work wonders. If you do take meds I highly rec Celexa since it treats anxiety.  I only take 20 mg a day. As a warning just from personal opinion Prozac made my anxiety so bad I would even shake and eventually threw up. Everyone has different results but when I finally spoke to the certifiied doc at my office(not practitioner) he said it can be a BIG contributer to anxiety and hightens it. So try the natural methods for now, try to just breathe (I know how hard it sounds) but I promise their is a light at the end and YOU will find it. *HUGS*

Crystal318

I have PPA so bad!!!  I wake up at least 10 times a night and check LO breathing (he sleeps two inches away from my bed) and we have a video monitor in our room and I want to get and angel care monitor as well. I freak out if I am at work and its past 10am and I still havent heard from DH to tell me that LO is awake now.  I am above and beyond "first time mom syndrome".  We went to the pediatrician today because LO has a stuffy nose (yes, I am a freak) and she insisted I go see someone!!! My LO was in the NICU for 17 days when he was born so I think this has something to do with it but I finally am at the point of swollowing my pride and asking for help.  My LO is three months old.

eas15905

I will preface this by saying I didn't experience any of this with my first daughter.  That helped me have some perspective - otherwise I wouldn't have known that it wasn't normal to feel the way I've been feeling.

Anyway, I developed depression a couple of months before having DD#2.  My MW put me on 50 mg of zoloft and that helped.  After having LO I was feeling ok (not great though) but I found that I was constantly worried about her dying.  I had visions that I would look over and she would be blue.  I was waking up in between feedings worried that she had stopped breathing.  I told my MW's about this at my 6 week check-up and they said that was PPA.  They upped my zoloft to 75 mg and not too long afterwards I realized that I had gone the whole day without having thoughts that something had happened to her.  I still have anxiety but it's not nearly as bad. 

LyssaPie

eas15905, are you breastfeeding or bottlefeeding?  Your case sounds so much like mine (except this is my first child.)

I'm 3 months PP.  I have had anxiety and depression off and on (medicated off and on, too) for years and kept praying that I would not get PPD.  I did really well for the first month/month and a half, but then started getting really bad anxiety and am having panic attacks.  My son actually sleeps pretty well, (about 5-7 hours, then feeds, then another 4 or more hours,) and has been since around 3-4 weeks old, but started to get where LO will have gone to sleep and I'm up for hours afterward because I'm so afraid something's going to happen to him.  Usually by the time I can get to sleep, it's only an hour or two before he wakes up.  Sometimes I'm almost glad that when I'm getting into bed he wakes up for his feeding, because atleast I know he's OK.  I'll get him, feed him in the bed w/ me and usually we'll fall asleep together (I only do this after my husband has left for work.)  I'll wake up in a panic afraid that he stopped breathing.  Even when we're not sleeping together, I'll wake up in a panic to look over and see if he's alright (he's still in our room.)  I usually end up sleeping all day, usually anywhere between 12 and 4 pm is when we'll actually get up for the day (unless we have somewhere to be in the morning.)  It's a horrible way to live, and I don't want my son picking up these habits, but I can't seem to break the nasty cycle.

I tried putting him in his crib a couple weeks ago, and he did OK (not great) so brought him back in our room within a couple days.  Don't think he's quite ready, but even moreso I think I'M not ready.  I, too, have "visions" or thoughts that I'm going to see him blue, or slumped over, or suffocated under something, and all sorts of other horrendously traumatic things.

I was thinking of going to a Dr, but the only thing is I'm afraid they'll want to put me on medication and I'm still BFing, and I DO NOT want to stop.  I'm not really sure what to do... 

And you are definitely NOT alone.  The only thing that I have noticed helps a *little* bit, is going out w/ other moms.  There's a mom and baby group that meets at the hospital I delivered at.  I think it helps when you're around other people who you know are going through some of the same things you are. 

  

seahorse mama

called into work yesterday and went to doc as an emergency walk in.  the docs totally reassured me that it will go away and I will be fine.  I had not slept in 3 days!  They gave me some amazing pills and I already feel better. got 7 hours of uninterupted sleep and am a little groggy but not nauseaus or paniced.  I didn't even wait till insurance kicked in because it really feels like an emergency and action was required.  my partner is amazing and so supportive of us and our new family but then last night, she didn't sleep!  nuts.  please pray for us...I am also nursing exclusely and the docs didn't seem to think there would be any problems with the pills and nursing.  I was also diagnosed with PPD even though it's the anxiety piece I'm dealing with.  and now zoloft which I'm willing to try.  OK.  You all take good care.  What a blessing we have this space here. 

Seahorse Mama

Oohlalalala

Look up postpartum thyroiditis.  That caused my anxiety and sleeplessness.  It later can switch to depression and sleepiness-docs need to always test your thyroid when you are presenting with either and you are postpartum in my opinion.  GL!

 

Consider looking into taking melatonin (vitamin store) pills to help you sleep-they help me a TON and have no hangover effect like some RX and OTC sleep pills-seriously.