Postnatel depression

Oh poor you.

My son is 14 now but I suffered from PND for 2 years after he was born, resisting the anti depressants, but when I finally gave in and started to take them they turned my life around. I am so glad I took them. My doctor prescribed them for me for about 2 years, then I came off them and have been great ever since!

Although there are many other ways to try and cope I do believe that if your brain has reduced chemicals in it to function properly then that needs to be addressed in order that you can then find the energy to make the changes that will further help your recovery.

Practically I would suggest accepting all the help you can from family and friends, getting a cleaner if you can afford it, even for once a month to blitz the place, ignoring non essential tasks and making time for things that brigten your day and getting outside very day.

I would suggest Yoga, massage and a nutritional therapista as alternatives that may help you.

Best of luck and do let me know how you get in. I do remember how isolated and awful I felt for so long.
Hugs.
xx

Thanks for your reply. I had postnatal depression with my son who is also 15 years old. I tried talking therapy which helped for a while but then i realised it was my partner who i was living with at the time..was causing alot of problems and not helping the situation. I did go on anti depressants for a while but they didnt have the same effect as you...i was like a zombie and couldnt not really talk and was so slow.

So i was hoping that maybe minerals and vitamins might help.

My new partner has suggested we get a cleaner and my mum has offered to take my baby of my hands twice a week.

I actually think at the moment im down because of lack of sleep and having a baby that has reflux and cries in pain alot :/

Big hugs right back at you. PND is a dark place to be..but it will get better....just takes time.

Would you consider something more spiritual? I've known shamanic healing to help with PND.

Hi Hallos,

I don't know about PND specifically, but in general terms of depression, one of the key things is exercise. You may feel like you're already running around all the time and tired, but actually getting some time to yourself (if you can) to go out for a brisk walk for half an hour, can really make you feel more energized.

Also, take a look at 5-HTP (or L5-HTP by another name) which is 5-HydroxyTrytophan, a natural seed extract you can get from health shops, which acts as a supplement, and is what your body naturally turns into seratonin (the "happy hormone") to help with depression.

All Love and Reiki Hugs

So sorry to hear you are struggling so. PND is awful, especially as one feels one should be over the moon with the arrival of the little one.

Some helpful replies have been given. As you know, eating as [url]healthy a diet[/url] as you can is paramount.

Patrick Holford says that PND is triggered by chemical and hormonal changes, and a shortage of zinc is likely, as a lot is passed from the mother to the baby before birth. If the mother's supply is limited this leaves her deficient.particularly after a long delivery time. If you have stretch marks and poor appetite with more than 2 white marks on your fingernails then this is highly likely to be involved. 15mg zinc twice daily can help retore it. I'd also add a B complex supplement 50mg of each, slow release, as zinc works with them. The other supplement that can be very helpful is omega-3 oils, so eating oily fish at least 3 times a week will help, but a supplement like this one could make all the difference. Continue with a good mulivitamin/ multimineral.

Do read the info given here - lots of helpful advice, plus plenty more on google. A homeopath may advise you with suitable help. EFT could also be helpful too.

Big Hugs :hug:, Love and Light

Patrick Holford says that PND is triggered by chemical and hormonal changes, and a shortage of zinc is likely, as a lot is passed from the mother to the baby before birth. If the mother's supply is limited this leaves her deficient.particularly after a long delivery time.

This does not, however, look at the causes - only at the results. If none of these work in a particular case, is it not time to look at other (for example, spiritual) causes?

This does not, however, look at the causes - only at the results. If none of these work in a particular case, is it not time to look at other (for example, spiritual) causes?

I realise that lack of zinc is not the only cause - but is highly likely if the other symptoms I mentioned are present. I should also have mentioned that it would be a good idea to see a registered [url]Nutritional Therapist[/url] who will sort the nutrition side of things out for Hallos.

Hallos, I would ask your doctor to check your thyroid levels as post-partum they can dip significantly and one of the first symptoms is depression, especially as you have already had thyroid issues during this pregnancy.

There are other causes [url]see here[/url] which need addressing if the first attempts don't help. In view of the biochemical/hormonal upset that giving birth can have on the body and having a history of hormonal imbalance then if it was me then I would look at physical causes at the outset.

Wow thankyou for your replies. Im off to the doctor tonight but i did get them to check my thyroid levels at my six week check and has i havent heard anything..can only guess they are ok. I will double check tonight. Im not on any multi vits at the moment as ive just finished my pregnancy ones. Im still expressing my breast milk and so i need to make sure i can take mulit vits etc.

Re spiritual.....ive been to a couple of good friends who are healers and they talk about family clearing and ive done some theta healing. I seem to have fear around my skills as a mother and also my new baby daughter cries alot and her crying seems to go through me and i cant seem to calm her down and that is making me slighty depressed. The doctors have said she has reflux., she only catnaps and does cry alot after feeds even though ive cut out dairy and soya now. My little girl was born on 20th June 2012 ..summer solstice....her name is Sophia which means wisdom.

I was aslo thinking about EFT for fear and stuff that i know is bubbling around.

Thanks again for all your advice.

many blessings to you all,
Rachelx

I realise that lack of zinc is not the only cause - but is highly likely if the other symptoms I mentioned are present. I should also have mentioned that it would be a good idea to see a registered [url]Nutritional Therapist[/url] who will sort the nutrition side of things out for Hallos.

I didn't explain myself well. What I meant was - a shamanic practitioner could find the spiritual cause behind the lack of zinc.

Re spiritual.....ive been to a couple of good friends who are healers and they talk about family clearing and ive done some theta healing. I seem to have fear around my skills as a mother and also my new baby daughter cries alot and her crying seems to go through me and i cant seem to calm her down and that is making me slighty depressed.

I'm not really diagnosing here, because that would be up to the spirits, but I would guess it is soul loss, with (possibly) an intrusion. If these have occurred because of family problems, then a shamanic practitioner can look also at the spiritual causes of these problems.

Here is my shortlist of things that could be useful (some similar to what other people suggested - I would advocate to do a combination of approaches rather than just one thing):

• Physical movement of any enjoyable variety (walking, dancing etc)
• Nutritional approaches
• EFT (if the birth has been in any way traumatic I would recommend to see an EFT or EMDR practitioner to help with any unpleasant memories)
• Increasing your social activities - may be joining groups or classes in your area
• Any fun, pampering, self-caring activities
• Counselling or CBT can sometimes be helpful

Masha

Hello Again,
Ive been to the doctor and she is happy to just keep an eye on me and that im doing all the positive things to make sure the depression dosnt get any worst.

I have been walking with the pram to my mums house so i can get sleep or take a bath or shower.

I know i have to perhaps done some EFT as ive just sat down and thought about feeding Sophia tonight and i got a sick feeling in my stomach....

I sleep on a mattress in her bedroom and i try so hard not to let her cry to much as we only live in a terrace house and my others kids are getting humpy being woken up.....also doing the night feeds are so lonely.

I am so sorry to hear about your problems. I used to see ladies with this proiblem when I was a pharmacist at a women's hospital. I know that anti-depressants can be helpful. And if you they put you on Cittalopram or Sertraline there is evidence to show they are OK when you are breastfeeding. But I hope you can avoid that.

EFT can be very helpful - and the beauty of it is you don;t need to a practitioner - you can do it yourself. It empowers you and that is so important with depression of any sort.

Hypnotherapy can also be useful. I had a study day that included advice on how to treat PND with hypnotherapy.That may be another possible avenue to investigate.

Reiki could also be helpful and if you were my client I would probably use a mixture of both.

Apart from that doing the sensible things like eating well getting exercise are always sensible.

Good luck

love and light

Sally

Thanks again for all your replies.
Im up expressing at the moment and so far little sophia is asleep in her moses basket in her room. If she starts sleeping through the night this will make a big differance to me 🙂

will keep u posted.
xxx