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Depression in pregnancy

Hi there, my name's Jo. I'm pregnant with my 3rd baby and I'm suffering from depression.

I feel realy low and can't get excited about being a Mum again. I'm 17 weeks gone and I'm terrified. My relationship is suffering and I'm worried my two boys will pick up on my mood.

Does anyone have any advice? I am seeing a mental health nurse every week and she is looking into medication that is safe to take in pregnancy.

Is anyone else going through this? Would be nice to chat to people wh can understand what I'm going through.

Replies

  • Hi,

    I was diagnosed with ante natel depression at about 19 weeks into my pregnancy. I just felt like I couldnt get excited about being pregnant as I was convinced I was gonna lose baby anyway and my entire life just seemed to hard and stressful. So I can sympathise with how you are feeling.
    In the end I went to counselling on a weekly basis and made sure I opened up to my husband about how I was feeling and after 11 weeks of counselling and time off work I now feel better and more positive.
    Is the mental health nurse giving you counselling ?

    Mrs W 29 + 4
  • Am glad you're feeling more positive. Have you had your little one yet?

    I am seeing her every week for talking therapy and have been for about three months but it seems to be getting worse.

    I've suffered from depression for a number of years now, so it hasn't just come on now that I'm prenant. I came off meds last year and I feel guilty about going back on them now that I'm pregnant but I feel that I need to. Not sure how much longer I can keep getting out of bed on a morning.
  • No i'm due on 2nd April, getting a bit impatient with it now though !!
    I had depression for a few years on and off before I became pg too. Personally I would tell you not to feel guilty about going back on the meds, at the end of the day you need to be healthy and strong to grow this little person inside you and if being on the meds does that then there is no need to feel guilty ! Pregnancy is much harder than some people realise, especially the men in our lives who'll never get to experience it. I know I personally felt like no one could possible understand what I was feeling or thinking and I started to shut my husband out; and it didnt help that I witnessed two other people in my office just sail through their pregnancies with no troubles at all !
    You need to do whats right for you, maybe try a different type of therapy ??
  • I was suffering quite a bad depression before pregnancy, finally found the right medication to get happy, got so happy I got pregnant! I had to stop taking the medication and my mood slumped and i became quite depressed again.

    I see a psychiatric nurse too, I had sertraline prescribed after doing lots of research into what anti depressant is safest in pregnancy, setraline is, some drs will say prozac but i recommend you refuse it because it is a difficult medication to come off and this will affect the baby.

    It was difficult to accept the meds with the pregnancy as no matter what I think or feel in myself I am determined to do the best for my baby but this was a necessary course, the depression took a bad turn and i became despondant, couldn't eat or drink or think comfortably. that was a couple of months back now I'm nesting and preparing and excited to meet baby.

    this is my first baby though, lot of it has to do with the great unknown, if this is your third baby you surely known what to expect? I hope thinks pick up, if you don't find nurse or meds help, cbt or dbt are safer forms of therapy during pregnancy than psychoanalysis...
  • Thanks for the responses.

    My nurse is getting back to me today regarding meds. I really feel that I need something to help me get out of bed on a morning. I wasn't sure which tablets were safe to take, I've tried both sertraline and prozac before so hopefully if I do get either of those my body will react ok.

    Did you get any side effects when you started back on meds?

    Think another reason I'm worried about taking them is whether they'll harm the baby in any way. I haven't smoked, drank or even taken paracetemol since I found out I was expecting.

    Also I have this feeling that I'm going to die while giving birth, is this a nomal anxiety?
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