Postnatal Depression

POSTNATAL DEPRESSION

PND (IT) is postnatal depression

This is a treatable illness that will need care, time and support in order to recover.

This is not a one shoe fits all illness, if more than one of the symptoms below persist after 2 weeks please reach out for support.

• • Feeling sad & weepy
• • Anxiety & irritability
• • Feeling tired all the time
• • Finding no enjoyment in life
• • Feeling unable to cope
• • Not wanting to be with others
• • Feeling unlovable & worthless
• • No interest in sex or intimacy
• • Unable to concentrate, make decisions or forget things
• • Having no energy or enthusiasm
• • Decrease or increase in appetite
• • Feeling numb
• • Detached from your baby
• • Separation anxiety

HEALTH VISITOR

The Health visitor will contact you around 10/14 days after you have had your baby; she is there to help you and support you but not to judge you.

Understand IT’s normal.                                                                                                                                                              Great news you’re now a mummy, you’ve brought your baby home, all visitors have been and gone and now you feel alone. Feeling very tired, struggling every day, you thought there would be happy times but they seem far away. Understand IT’s normal and recognise the signs, feeling blue and you can’t function, numb or crying all the time. Please trust us we can help you take a step each day, we’ll care for and support you, we won’t take your baby away. Health visitors will guide you, we’re here to help you through, here to help you find yourself and bring you back to you. Don’t ever feel you’re stupid or no one wants to hear, please help yourself and your baby, your health visitor is near.

WORDS OF WISDOM by Support 2gether mums.

• • Try to get adequate rest (the housework is always loyal, it will wait for you)
• • Eat a balanced diet (which can be very hard when your sleep pattern is upside down. Maybe ask family and friends to bring a pot of something when they visit)
• • It’s good to talk (speak to someone about your worries or anxieties. Some people find it easier to talk to a stranger, there are a lot of support services available)
• • Anti-depressants are temporary (they can allow you to break out of the cycle of despair and get your life back on track. Please never go cold turkey, ensure you speak to a health professional who will wean you off them)
• • Involve your partner/family in looking after baby
• • Get some fresh air (even if that means just opening a window)
• • Try not to bottle things up (the bottle will explode at some point)
• • Try to do something that you used to do before being a ‘MUMMY’ (having time out makes you appreciate time in)
• • Avoid people or situations which upset you (your baby and your sanity are more important)
• • Getting over-tired is DANGEROUS (sleep deprivation is a form of torture, rest when baby rests) very important information, please do not dismiss.
• • Trying to juggle all the balls is impossible (it is ok to drop a few and ask for help)
• • Isolating yourself from others feeds the illness (PND ‘IT’ likes to keep you to itself)
• • Try to let support in when offered (an extra pair of hands can help with the juggling)
• • Please don’t feel you have to be a perfect mother (what is PERFECT? While searching you will miss out on cherished memories)
• • Parenthood does not come with a manual (give time some time)
• • Tomorrow is a new day
• • Antenatal and Postnatal depression is an illness. IT does not define you.

TRUTH BETOLD

Antenatal Depression has the same symptoms as Postnatal Depression except this happens during pregnancy.

Fathers can get depressed too. 1 in 25 fathers experience paternal depression.

1 in 10 mothers live with Postnatal depression, but unfortunately IT goes unnoticed for months or years without treatment.

Puerperal Psychosis affects about 1 in 1000 women. This illness is not PND.

Depression does not discriminate.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

• • Support 2gether Telephone 078 3504 0086. S2charity@outlook.com also on facebook
• • Postnatal illness helpline Telephone 020 7386 0868
• • Lifeline Telephone 0808 808 8000
• • Samaritans Telephone 116 123
• • Doctor
• • Health Visitor