Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

Do you fear you have a false sense of life will be a beautiful bliss when the baby comes?

I think I completely am one of those in the dark. People tell me its hard, and you are so tired, and you are going to cry a lot...

and I am like what? finally not pregnant, have my baby..life is going to be good.

But if mommyhood is anything like my 1st trimester, well hide the booze.

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

I guess since I am a lot older and have worked with kids forever, I feel prepared and don't expect it to be bliss. Especially those first few months, I expect to be cranky, sleep deprived and just a nut. I am hoping these low expectations make it easier in the early days.

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

I don't have any illusions about all being peachy, but I also do worry a little about PPD. And while I hope it does not happen to me, I feel comforted already knowing that a lot of women deal with it, and there is a lot more understanding and acceptance of it. So if it happens to me, I know I will be ok.

I just found out that DH's sister had it after her second child, and I know I can talk to her if I need to. (I didn't meet her till the baby was 8 months old.)

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

I always wonder if I am going to have it. I'm not a bucket of joy lately, so I am really getting worried about that.

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

I do.

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

I definitely had a case of the "Baby Blues" for a few days after I got home from the hospital. I kind of expected it, but not as bad. I cried non-stop. Most were happy tears, but I couldn't stop. I also came home to a house full of company. All the in-laws came from Boston for the weekend. I would suggest to everyone, to hold off on the entertaining for awhile. It nearly killed me.

ETA Now that I've babbled, to answer your question, yes, I worried that I would have it but I knew that I would be aware enough to get help the minute it came up.

Message edited 10/25/2006 4:03:10 PM.

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

Message edited 10/25/2006 4:19:48 PM.

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

I've always struggled with depression and anxiety, so this is a huge fear of mine.

DH and I have had long talks about the signs to look for and when he needs to step in.

I have a tendancy to think I can handle things on my own and then wind up making everything 100 times worse by not getting help until it's almost too late.

So I'm prepared for the reality that I will likely have it and if I don't I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

I cried a lot the second week and I would be half laughing saying it was the baby blues and I couldn't control it.


If you understand going in that your hormone levels are going to be wacky, you can embrace it when/if it does come.

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

I am. I suffered from depression in college and am prone to getting into low funks. I worry that all of that will lead to PPD. I just need to remain positive and rely on DH to help me through.

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

Since I get mood swings when PMS, yes, I am a little concerned....

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

I am worried because I haven't really left my house in 3 months and I keep hearing how "hard" its going to be with two. I'm not sure how the holidays are going to contribute either - will it make it easier or harder?

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

I hope you don't mind me jumping in here, but PPD has become something very personal to me.
It's no secret that I went through horrible, horrible PPD after I had Ava. I try to be as honest about it with everyone as I can be because I believe it was my willingness to tell anyone and everyone that kept me from really going off the deep end.
I've definitely experienced anxiety and depression in my life and I had kind of expected that I might experience PPD, but preparing for the worst did nothing for what hit me when I got home. For the first two months of Ava's life, I would teter back and forth between feeling sane and completely incapable of handling my life. There were days that I would wake up and I would have to TRY to keep myself alive. I never could have imagined that I was capable of experiencing the depths of depression that I did.
I hope to never in my life revisit feeling that way, and I would never in my life want to see someone go through what I went through.
Thankfully, I have an amazingly supportive DH and family who helped me out so much. I also found an amazing therapist and I owe my sanity to her more than anyone.

My point is not to scare anyone, and I hope I didn't do that, but I believe that speaking about PPD is SO important. It's not something that should be shameful or quiet. The louder you are about it, the better the chances are that you'll make it through to the other side much quicker.
If anyone ever needs the number of my therapist, please contact me. She specializes in PPD and is amazing and wonderful. I literally owe her my life.

Anyway, sorry to bring down the thread, but I am so happy now and back to "normal" and have been for a good two months now (Ava is 4 months). So just know if you DO experience it, you're so not alone!

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

I got it after having Christopher so I was honestly expecting to get it again after having Kaylee. So far, so good, but I still worry.

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

I wondered about PPD also, it can hit anyone. I will just try to stay happy and positive. I mean we are excited about the baby but hormones do take over and you do get uncontrollable bouts of emotions. I know it will be overwhelming at the beginning so I am grateful my mom and grandma are coming to stay with us for awhile.

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

BTDT is always welcomed! Thanks so much for sharing. It helps so much to hear that if I am crying and down when my baby comes home, that I am not alone.

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

Thanks Rachel for your openness and honesty- it really helps to know that there is someone out there if times get rough later on.

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

Not pregnant yet but this is a HUGE fear of mine. I wonder if people who have had more problems with PMS mood swings are more prone to this. I have terrible PMS mood swings, not every month, but most months.

My mom insists that PPD does not happen in your first pregnancy. I don't know where she ever heard that because I definitely know it can happen.

ETA: Does anyone wonder if they should not breastfeed because of this? I am afraid I'd want to be able to be put on medication if I get anxious or depressed.

Message edited 10/25/2006 10:56:13 PM.

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

I have this fear since I was on an antidepressant before being pg...I want to go back on it ASAP after the baby is born. That was a hard decision because then I wouldnt be able to breastfeed.

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

After i had DD, i was all over the place emotionally. I love my DD more than anything, but in the beginning it was real hard. My baby blues lasted a good 4 months.

I never had any past issues with depression at all either. The hormones, with the struggle/rollercoaster of breastfeeding, the physical recovery i had was very hard on me.

Now that i think about it, "the cloud" lifted after i stopped BF'ing.

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

I am a very emotional/hormonal person to begin with most of the time..so i was worried about the baby blues and how i would truly feel..

Bascially the first 2 weeks i would have episodes lasting 10 minutes max where i would cry..this happened about 2 times a day. I didn't know WHY I was crying, and after i let it all out i felt 100 times better.

What helped was preparing my DH before hand that this may happen. So when it did, he would just rub my back, tell me what a great mom i was and then make dinner or tell me to lay down and relax. Having that support made it so much easier. The blues did pass and now things are great. But its totally normal and expected..after all..your body just went through a huge ordeal and hormones are all over the place!

Re: Do you ever wonder if you will have PPD?

I suffer from panic and some depression and I am terrified this will happen to me... I am more terrified that this will happen to me in the hospital like immediately after giving birth... but from what I have been hearing, it seems to hit more once you are home... I guess I've watched too many LIFETIME movies where the woman gives birth then rolls over and is sobbing and doesnt want to even hold her baby!!