Postnatal Depression

This page is not meant to substitute medical advice or guidance, please seek help from a GP or health visitor for information, advice, diagnosis and treatment if you or someone you know may be suffering from PND.

What is Postnatal depression?

Post natal depression is an illness. Having PND ( postnatal depression) is not something to be ashamed or embarrassed about.

It is not the baby blues which some women experience after the birth usually on days 3 and 4, where mums may be a bit tearful. This will usually clear up in a couple of days. PND is what some women. If the baby blues don't clear up and symptoms may worsen then you could have Postnatal illness ( PNI) It may start in the weeks after the birth or up to 12 months later. Approx 1 in 10  - 1 in 7 women may suffer. It can last for several months so it is important to ask for help. It is important to know that help doesn't have to come in the form of anti-depressants  there is also counselling or just increased help and support from friends and family so please seek help from you midwife, health visitor or GP. At the very least if you suspect you may be suffering with post natal depression  do tell a friend, partner or family member. You will be surprised to find out that friends and colleagues will suddenly admit to having had postnatal depression if you are honest with them about how you are feeling. They will be able to offer you support and understanding.

How do you feel when you have PND?

It is important to remember that some of these symptoms will be experienced by mums (and dads!) at some point, they are part and parcel of having a new baby e.g. tiredness, mild depression, anxious. If you feel you are experiencing these for a continued amount of time with no improvement then please seek help. You do not need to continue to feel this way.

A few of the possible symptoms of PND

• Tearful    - Not surprising if you have little sleep and little one is crying but if you feel this way regularly for no apparent reason this may be a symptom of PND.

• Irritable   - Snappy and irritable with your husband / partner, friends and family and children sometimes but not necessarily with your baby.

• Loss of appetite or comfort eating

• Depressed - Feeling miserable or low seemingly constantly, this can be distressing as you feel you have no reason to feel this way as you have your perfect baby, life, family etc. You may have good a bad times of day and occasionally good as well as bad days. Bad days may seem like they go on for ever and it can be hard to remember the good days and times.

• Exhaustion - Total body and mental exhaustion, tiredness is to be expected with new babies however depression can cause you to be completely exhausted to a point where you may feel you are not able to do anything. Often when going to bed though you are unable to sleep and lie awake worrying over your baby , yourself etc.

• Anxious - A feeling of impending doom, A sick feeling at the bottom of your stomach, again with no real reason. You may worry about your thoughts and feelings towards your baby and your self. Feeling overly anxious about baby's well being and needing others reassurance is also common.

What makes women get Post natal depression?

There is no specific known cause of PND although any of the following may mean you are more at risk than others

• Had PND / Depression before

• None supportive partner

• Financial, career, housing, family problems.

• Un satisfying birth or a poorly baby.

• Mental Health problems in your family

Health Visitors will ask new mums to complete a multiple choice questionnaire ( Edinburgh Postnatal depression scale) about how they have felt over the past 7 days. This questionnaire can give health care professionals an indication as to if you may be suffering with PND. Please be honest with yourself as well as those who can help you. Mums can easily change their answers to this questionnaire to make them appear less likely to have PND. You are not helping anyone by doing this, you must be true to yourself. Some fear that by answering honestly that they will risk having their baby / children taken off them - This is NOT the case. Health staff are not (as you may think!) out to get you or prove a point. They want to help - let them.

Should you wish to complete this online for your own information (although we strongly suggest you tell someone else about your results!) Visit http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40002172/

Help Available

There are postnatal groups available ask your health visitor or midwife for details of those in your area. These are a great place to make friends and find support

Clare's Experiences

I have experienced Postnatal depression following the births of both of my children. Following my sons birth I felt down and low for no particular reason, as well as tired and emotional however I loved my son to bits. I had just moved house to a great house and location and had a great family supporting me - I was lucky - but I didn't feel like it. I never felt like harming my son or myself for which I am thankful - but this is a rare occurrence with PND although I didn't know that at the time. I had read about PND and completed the Edinburgh questionnaire from my health visitor but I lied when I answered most of the questions. I put down how I was feeling to being how all new mums must feel especially as I was surrounded by boxes from the  house move!

One day when my son was about 6 months old and my husband was washing the car outside  I realised I needed help. My son was crying so I put him in bed and I left the room as I was getting stressed and upset as I felt useless as I couldn't console him, ( I had changed, fed and winded him) I went and sat in the cupboard under the stairs ( not something I would normally do!) My husband came in and found me and went to look after our son. This was a turning point. We both recognised I was suffering but due to our fears and misconceptions of PND we did nothing. Luckily I felt better quite quickly after that but I had already been suffering with the illness probably from not long after his birth. I can't tell you when I got better exactly as I had one good day and then another and another and then it becomes harder to remember the bad days instead of the other way around.

When my son was 9 months old I became pregnant with my daughter. I had a brilliant birth but very quickly began to feel down and physically shattered to a level where I couldn't get out of bed. One day I woke and just couldn't move to get out of bed, I had absolutely no energy or inclination to move regardless of the fact my children were crying. I recognised this as PND  immediately and telephoned my family who came straight round and I went straight to my GP and asked for help as I didn't want to carry on as I had before.

Bad days are horrible and you feel like you will never be you again, I would find myself staring into space at nothing, I wouldn't want to talk at all, go anywhere or see anyone. You can't remember the good times. My mum would phone me to see how I was doing, when I told her it was a bad day she would try to remind me of a good day or time I had had, I couldn't remember it though and wouldn't have believe her until I found a website that suggested writing a diary. Not a full blown diary but just putting a tick or a cross on a calendar to mark good or bad days. Good days felt so good to put a tick in the box, Bad days were noted quickly but slowly over time there where more ticks on my calendar, getting closer and closer together bad days getting less and less until I would occasionally have a bad day but I had turned the corner I was saying goodbye to my PND.

PND is distressing for the sufferer but also for the rest of your family and friends who are watching you go through this, not knowing how to help. They need support too.

You WILL conquer your PND and you will come out of it although it is hard to see that. Ask friends and family to help you take photo's of your good times, write a diary of your good days and what you have done together as a family. I didn't and I regret that as I have very few memories of my children's first year.

Remember you don't feel yourself because you are ill, you will however feel yourself again - be patient & don't expect to much of yourself!

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