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postpartum depression

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Q: What to do when you think you have postpartum depression & your doctors away?
I seriously think I have postpartum depression and it’s getting really worse. It’s getting to the point where I’m scared because a couple years ago I had a problem with drugs and alcohol to cope with my stress and depression so I really need to talk to doctor about it but my doctor is away this week and some of next week. I’m finding it extremely hard to cope and don’t know what to do! What can I do? Is there anyone else I can get help from?

A: ANY doctor can help you, not just your ob/gyn. You could call the OB’s office and tell the nurse what is going on. My doctor had a standing order that any woman that called and said she thought she had PPD was to be prescribed a certain medication starting at a certain dosage, so if he was out of the office, it was still handled. Usually any time a doctor goes out of town or takes time off has another doctor on call for them, so you may be able to call and who ever is on call for your doctor could handle it.

If that does not work then go to acute care, the ER, a general physician, anyone. Get help now. Don’t wait.

Q: How do I know if I have PostPartum Depression and how can I get help?
i am a mother to a beautiful 3mth old babygirl. I had depression before i had her and now i think i have postpartum.

A: my regular family doctor diagnosed mine… if you have a regular doctor, they can tell if you are not yourself… if you dont have a regular doc, ask your ob or see about a free/reduced fee mental health clinic in your area… they have a test to check for depression and as long as you give honest answers it will diagnose it… sometimes it takes some time to find a medication that works to treat it though, so try to have some patience …. but that said, if you ever feel bad enough that you want to hurt or abandon your child, get a friend, a family member, anyone to come watch your child until you can get to feeling better… if you dont have someone to help you and you start to get frustrated – walk outside… some people might get upset by this, but if your child is screaming and you have changed her and fed her and you feel ready to explode, just walk away – put her in the crib and walk outside until you can get in a better place… yes people, its not the best solution, but if you have severe post partum and no help and no one will come watch your child, it is better to walk away outside for a few than to lose your temper and patience with a baby… alot of times i would have to just walk outside for 20 min and scream and cry and then go back in and try to take care of the kiddo… maybe alot of people dont need that and they will want to tell you all the b.s. about “mistreating a precious gift and you should be grateful you have one, ect ect ” and that is all well and good if you dont have post partum depression…. and great for them… but if you have it, you have to do what you have to do to keep your child safe and you sane enough to get help

Q: Is it possible for a mother to have postpartum depression beyond the childs infancy?
I have a friend who is 21 and she has a very jacked up relationship with her mother. Her mom has a very serious complex about herself and she wants to always be viewed as the nice 1 and the 1 thats most important and she has been this way sine her daughter was born. Is it possible for her to be still suffering from some sorta postpartum depression or is she just crazy?

A: The mother is self-centered and most likely depressed and suffering from low self-esteem, but not postpartum. She would probably benefit from some kind of therapy and a drug to even out her emotions.

Q: Can You have postpartum depression after 5 months of the delivery?
Or how long does postpartum depression usually last?

I heard there is free help hot line for postpartum depression. anyone know the website?

A: Yes, it can develop later after delivery. But please don’t diagnose yourself. Motherhood can be really hard sometimes and it can get you down, sometimes for a couple days at a time, but that’s not ppd. Most dr’s will readily diagnose you as depressed and prescribe antidepressants, but it doesn’t mean you are. Dr’s have done that to two of my close mother friends, they stopped taking them or never took them to start with and both are fine now. I’ve also had a dr almost convince me I was depressed, and I wasn’t, but he really made me question myself! But I refused to take any drugs, and seriously, a few days later I felt fine. Talk to other mothers about your feelings, look things up online, if you look into ppd it really is quite serious and has definate signs, not just feeling depressed, but other things like feeling disconnected from your baby for extended periods of time throughout the day, disconnecting from friends, family and your partner, withdrawing from normal everyday life. If you can chat to your partner, family or friends about how your feeling, and “unload”, sometimes that’s all us mum’s need. I really hope you don’t have ppd, the length of time it lasts depends on whether or not you get help – counselling, and possibly medication.

Q: How long after a miscarriage can postpartum depression hit you?
I had a miscarriage a month ago and was emotionally fine. Now I have been crying for no reason, almost hating my husband, and feeling tired and down all the time. At first I thought I was just missing my family and friends because we live several hours away and don’t get home that much, but now I think it is more. Can I have postpartum depression this late after losing the baby?

A: Please remember that depression is not always post partum, and can be triggered by MANY factors (emotional, hormonal, and if you have an underlying issue can be triggered by different medications). Anytime you feel like your emotions are getting away from you and it is disrupting the quality of your life, please seek help. Your doctor and a councelor could help you out quite a bit.

Q: Should a woman that had postpartum depression try to have another child?
My friend wants to have another child, the first time she had one she got postpartum depression and ended up giving him up for adoption to his grand parents because she was incapable to care for him.Do you think its a good idea for her to try again? Or should she just try to deal with it?

A: Postpartum depression is treatable. With her first, did she consult a doctor for help? If she did and she still couldn’t handle it, then she should think long and hard about why she wants a child. If she didn’t, why not? There are many helpful ways to manage symptoms (drugs, therapy, etc.).

Q: how do I help my friend with postpartum depression?
My friend who has 4 daughters has postpartum depression even though her last one is 4 years old. I think she still suffers from her depression time to time – still on medication. I don’t know much about it but I want to help. What can I do to help her?

A: Hopefully she’s talking with a therapist who specializes in ppd. The therapist can put together a comprehensive strategy for her so she can recover completely. She will need specific nutrients to support her brain chemistry, good nighttime sleep, emotional support (that’s you!) and sound physical support so she receives regular breaks away from her children throughout the week.

Dr. Shoshana Bennett

Q: Can you get postpartum depression when you are still pregnant?
Today when i woke i did not feel myself. I really havent ate much of anything and i want to be alone and all of a sudden i get really angery for no reason and then i start crying for no reason. I am 36 weeks pregnant and i was just wondering if you can have postpartum depression while you are pregnant.

A: You can definately experience mood issues!

With my son I did start having the depression issues you describe while still pregnant, and it continued for a couple of weeks after.

With other pregnancies I have had some depression during pregnancy and not at all afterward!

It can really vary. But try to think of it as something that will pass to avoid making yourself feel worse. :)

Hope it passes soon!
You’re almost there!!! :0)

Q: Can someone recommend a great book on Postpartum depression?
I’m looking for great book, resourceful books about women who have gone through Postpartum depression and beat it. If you have stories of your own and would like to share, I would love to hear them. Thank you guys so much!

A: Don’t have a book to recommend, but I think Brooke shields did one…Just from my experience I would get on an antidepressent (talk to your OB about it), Get outside everyday for fresh air, exercise everyday, talk to someone (find a moms group!), do not get caught up in Television, shower and get dressed everyday, open the curtains and let the light in, and if need be see a therapist/counselor.

Q: How can I help my sister with postpartum depression?
Hello, My sister has a 2 yr old boy, and recently had a beautiful baby girl, the baby girl was born with a very rare liver disorder so we as a family are dealing with this day by day. I want to know what can I do to make my sister feel better, I believe she has postpartum depression and just she is just soo overwhelmed, what can I do to help and make her feel important because she really is the best person / sister I have ever met.
Thanks

A: Just be there for her. I am suffering from post partum depression right now. I wish family will help me out a little and be there for me to talk to. Maybe you can spend the day with her and help with the kids.

Q: Are women more likely to get postpartum depression after having a boy?
I dunno, it seems too common to be just coincidence. First off, I had my daughter in 2003 and didn’t have postpartum depression after her. Then I had my son in 2006 and I am now suffering from PPD. Plus, I belong to an online group for mothers with PPD and I can’t think of any of them with girls! There are 23 active members most with more than one child and recurring PPD. I’m not saying mothers with girls never have PPD but, could there be something scientifically speaking that makes moms of boys more likely to get it?
Just to be clear, I have had depression before I had kids but I can tell it got alot worse after my son. I couldn’t function at all I just wanted to die. I am on medication now and I see a therapist and am doing much better

And I’m not gonna sit here and debate whether or not depression exists. that’s not the question I asked. People who say it doesn’t exist or its all in your head are just narrow-minded and obviously never had to deal with the illness themselves. and they should count themselves lucky. It is a real physiological illness, it’s debilitating and millions of people have it.
I do thank god every day for my son. and I think despite the fact that I’m not anywhere near the best mom in the world, he will likely grow up to be a great guy. But knowing all that doesn’t suddenly make me not sick anymore. Wish it did!

A: It is not gender specific at all….just genetic & hormonal. Some women are just genetically predispositioned for PPD. (Just like a woman can be for certain female cancers. I am for cervical, already had dysplasia a few years ago at only 21.)

It’s actually the complete opposite in my group of friends. One had a girl & ended up with PPD but the others had boys & turned out just fine. Another friend has both a boy & a girl but didn’t end up with it at all after either of them.

Q: Does anyone know where I can find on line videos that I can download about postpartum depression?
I am doing a research presentation on postpartum depression. I am looking for video clips that I can download of Andrea Yates, as well as other cases that have had mass media attention, or maybe just informational videos about ppd. Can anyone give me a site?

A: For any kind of Videos there’s YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/
To download videos from YouTube and any other site :
Get Firefox from http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
And then install the Download Helper extension from https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/3006/
It works great for me.

Since the videos are in the .flv format you need to get a flv player. You can get a very good one (and completely free ) here http://www.download.com/FLV-Player/3000-2139_4-10505954.html?tag=tab_pub

Also you can use this site http://javimoya.com/blog/youtube_en.php and copy/paste the url’s from the page with the video there but personally I’d recommend using Firefox

Firefox is the best !!!

And for movies and anything else use http://www.torrentportal.com/ and http://www.bittorrent.com/ and http://www.torrentspy.com/
To download from this site you need a torrent program like these :
BitComet http://www.bitcomet.com/ or
Azureus http://azureus.sourceforge.net/

Q: Question for women who had postpartum depression?
I just had a baby 1 week ago and told my doctor how I was feeling and he gave me a medication for it. For you women who had postpartum depression and were prescribed something how long were u on the meds and how soon did u see it take effect? I’m scared that I won’t get better.

A: I didn’t seek help for my post-partum depression until about 3 months after I had the baby. I think I was in denial about it. Honestly, after talking about it with my family and doctor, I started feeling better knowing that I wasn’t alone. My doctor prescribed Lexapro (10mg). I started feeling more like myself about 1-2 weeks into the meds.
Things will get better-the first step is getting help! Best of luck to you!

Q: Could I have postpartum depression even though I am already taking Lexapro?
I have been taking Lexapro for two years and I just had my baby four weeks ago. She is precious and I love her with all my heart. The problem is, I cry all of the time and feel so overwhelmed..I feel I am an emotional wreck! My question is, shouldn’t the lexapro have prevented me from experiencing postpartum depression this time? It helped me overcome PPD after my last pregnancy and I was thinking it would prevent me from having the condition this time. Any input is appreciated. Thanks.

A: Of course. You may want to talk to your doctor about switching your SSRI or supplementing it with a secondary antidepressant. It’s a trial and error process, but your doctor knows which SSRI is most likely to treat which symptoms.

Q: Did you have postpartum depression after a c-section and how did you cope?
I had a c-section 7 months ago and I’m having so much trouble finding help. I finally got an appointment with a counselor but it’s not for another month. I’m not so interested in taking medication; I just want to feel better about myself and what happened to me. Just wondering if anyone else had postpartum depression and what helped?

Thanks in advance.

A: Counselors often recommend combination therapies, which offer drug treatment and therapy treatment. However, many studies show that the cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) used to treat depression works as well as combination therapies. This is because drugs often create dependence, or when the person tries to stop using the drugs, they relapse more easily. CBT teaches you new methods of thinking that help eliminate the depression altogether.

Basically, you will likely be taught that you have depressive errors in your thinking patterns right now and what those errors are. Treatment usually consists of correcting these cognitive errors and substituting more positive thought processes. You may be given special activities to do as homework to test your faulty thinking patterns (hypothesis-testing activities). But it is really up to you and your counselor to work as a team and figure out how best to go about treating this because it is a very serious and a very real issue you are having. Let them know you prefer not to go on medications, and if you are breastfeeding then they will agree that is best.

Also, one other point is that it will only be diagnosed as post-partum depression if this is the first time you have had a major depressive episode before and if it occurred for the first time within the first four weeks after having your baby. Otherwise, it is just the common major depressive disorder.

Good for you for getting that appointment, try to hold out until then. There’s not a whole lot for you to do while you wait to meet with your counselor, but definitely find some support systems. Have close family or friends available to talk to when you are feeling down, and maybe someone who can help with the child care when you are having a particularly bad day. Keep reminding yourself that this is a real problem and you are a great mother, only a great mother would seek help for this. Take some time for yourself every day, even if it’s just 15 minutes to sit down and flip through a magazine or lay back on the couch for a bit. Exercise also releases natural endorphins that can help with feelings of depression.

And remember that you just need to hold out until you meet with your counselor, then you will find that things start getting easier! Best of luck to you and congratulations on your new baby! Keep taking care of yourself!

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