PPD

[sugabeanzs]

Hey there! I know this is still a hush hush topic to most but I was wondering if there were any of us out there that suffered from Postpartum Depression. I am toying with whether or not I have it or if it is just other things. (Plus I am about to start flow this week so I think that is coming into things also). But I had twin girls about three months ago and they were in the NICU so did not have them home for 6-7 weeks. So really they have not been home together long. I think now the sleep deprivation is setting in and not wanting to do anything because I am so tired. But I am withdrawn and whatnot but I want to take care of the girls so I know that is not an issue. But I was wondering if any of you out there had it and if there is a way to deal with it OTHER than medication. I have been on Zoloft before for Anxiety and hated it! I hated the side effects and the weight gain. So are there home remedies??

I would love for us to share experiences with after birth blues/depression because I know not a lot of people talk about it and it is out there!

[Warren Dew]

Well, one theory is that postpartum depression is associated with depletion of essential fatty acids from the mother's brain to help develop the baby's brain:

http://www.obgyn.net/newsrx/womens_heal ... 101-19.asp

According to that article, "A mother's brain, which is 60% fat, can literally shrink 3% each time she has a child unless she intakes essential fats sufficient for the needs of herself and her baby".

The main fatty acids that tend to be missing from modern diets are omega 3 fats; the ideal ratio of omega 3s to omega 6s is about 1:2, and most Americans' diet has a ratio closer to 1:20. Good sources are fatty fish - sardines are good, since they are also low in mercury - and "omega 3" eggs from hens fed a diet high in flax seed - check for eggs that advertise at least 200mg of omega 3 per egg. Regular eggs are not good and corn oil is also particularly bad in this regard.

I cook for my wife and myself, and switched us to a diet high in omega 3s for her pregnancy. She had the opposite of postpartum depression - after having the baby, she really felt happy for the first time in years. Partly that was finally getting the baby we had been trying for for so long, but the diet may well have had something to do with it too.

For what it's worth, we follow the paleo diet. In addition to keeping my wife and our baby happy, it's also helped my wife steadily drop the weight gained during IVF treatment and pregnancy. If you're interested, you can find more information at http://cavemanforum.com/ and http://paleodiet.com/ .

[riogirl71]

oh suga, I am sorry sweetie. You probably have a little baby blues and not depression. About the weight, it took you 7 mos to gain, it will be 7 mos to lose, that's what I read... Don't be so hard on yourself. You dealt with so much and having one bean is hard imagine 2!!! So you have every right to be exhausted and overwhelmed. Allow yourself to cry some and take a little time here and there for you, maybe a bath and have DH watch them.
As for diet, I found that my GD diet was very filling and actually lost weight when pregnant (the baby grew fine). It basically says to eat 30g carbs for bfast, 45 at lunch and 45 to 50 at dinner. 3 snacks at 15 to 30 carbs. I ate all the time. Lots of yougurt, nuts, low carb bread (Miltons is great), low fat cheese, salads, sugar free pudding, pasta, etc... I think you would amazed at how fast you lose weight.
Hang in there sweetie, you are an awesome mommie!

[sugabeanzs]

Thanks for the advice! I appreciate it all! Rio I think I will make that change in my diet. I think it will help because of the PCOS and whatnot. But I knew I had a problem today when I wanted to just throw Mackenzie on the bed and let her cry (not literally throw her btw) and just deal with it herself and not wanting to feed them and such. So I called today and I had about every symptom of PPD and they put me on some meds to see if that helps...he said I should only have to be on em for 6 mnths or till I start to feel better. I will def try more omega 3 though that makes a lot of sense. I really wanted to do this without meds but after what happened this morning it scared me to death so I want this quick fix then to maintain it with diet and exercise.

Symptoms:
Not wanting to take care of the girls (scared me to death!)
Not wanting to get out of bed at all even though I can not sleep
No appetite
No sex drive
Mood swings like crazy
Wanting to walk out on my wonderful husband for no reason
etc etc

I really just wanted to put this out there cause I know a lot of ladies suffer from this and it is normal and I do not want to hide it because I love helping others when I can. I did not know how often it happens in people till I did research on it and when it happened to me!

[cornybaby]

Sug, you poor thing. I went through something similar, although it was when Abby was still in the NICU. I didn't want to get out of bed. I didn't want to go see her. I cried uncontrollably over EVERYTHING. Finally, at one of my doc appointments, I was crying because the elevator was broken and I had to take the stairs. That was the day they put me on Prozac. The crying started as soon as I came off of the pain meds, but luckily I didn't even take a full month's worth of Prozac before I had a handle on my emotions. As for the sex drive...I wasn't able to have IC throughout the entire pregnancy because of my complications and now, 10 weeks post c-section, I am just barely getting interested in it again. You hang in there...you're doing great and these feelings are only temporary. I think a lot of us go through it, people are just afraid to talk about it.

[sugabeanzs]

I agree. I just think it is weird how it happens out of no where! Literally this time 2 weeks ago I was fine. Nothing wrong. Then BAM! Yeah, I cried on the phone with the doctor and nurse as they were asking me about it. I hope I do not have to be on it long because I hate anti-depressants and side effects I get from them (was on zoloft in high school for anxiety). So he said it could be better in a month, 2, 6 etc. But he was happy I asked for help because not a lot of people do. When do the meds start to kick in?? I just hate that I am not enjoying my girls as much as I should! I mean look at how hard we tried for them! But I know there is an end to it.

[kholtan]

Suga!!!!
Do not be hard on yourself dear! PPD is not something we can control. A good mom knows when she needs help and takes it! You are doing exactly what you need to. Babies are hard! Take time for yourself and let us know if you need anything or just to talk. I could pm you my #.
Take care!!!

[zoegirl]

congrats on your twins! So glad they are home safe.

I suffer from depression/anxiety for 12 years also and so was at elevated risk for PPD after my son was born 10/23/07.

My depresssion becomes worse with the shortening days. Ever since we started TTC and I went of my meds, I've used light therapy Oct-Apr to help me - I bought it at sunbox.com. Also, avoiding sugar and caffiene seems to help. ALso, if you have time, YOGA! There is a book called YOga for Depression by Amyi Weintraub. It is very good and recommends poses that are beneficial. The best yoga dvd I have is by Ali McGraw. It has some difficult parts, so unless you are very flexible, start slow.

[sue e]

Hi Sugabeanzs,

I just wanted to say I have had PPD since Jessica was born, its loads better than when i first had her. At the beginning, i couldnt even tell you which child was mine, lucky for me because of health after having her i wern't let out of the hospital for over 2 weeks, so was diagnosed in there and started on meds straight away. The meds are loads better than years ago and because there are so many more, chances are you will not have the side effects, you had last time. If you do, just ask to try a different one.

i was told it is best taking them for at least 6 months and not to stop them abruptly once you feel better. They normally take about 4-6 weeks to kick in (i think). You will get there, you just need to look after yourself in the process. Congratulations on your 2 little ones,

love
sue e xx