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Conditions

Post Natal Depression

Postnatal Depression is exactly what it says it is – feelings of depression after the birth of your baby. Symptoms typically include tearfulness, irritability, lethargy, lack of concentration, and feeling guilty, lonely, overwhelmed and unable to cope. Postnatal depression affects as many as one in ten new parents, it most normally occurs around 4-6 weeks after the arrival of a new-born and can affect men as well as women. PND is just as serious as other forms of depression and does need treating – so don’t necessarily dismiss it as a case of the ‘baby blues’ which most new mothers get. Some mothers suffering from post natal depression will have thoughts about harming their baby, and themselves. This doesn’t make you an unfit mother, but does mean you need to urgently see your GP. It can take a considerable amount of time to fully recover from PNT and during that recovery process a relapse is always possible, so having the support of your partner, family and friends is always a great help. Antidepressants are often prescribed to great effect and behavioural therapies are also commonly deployed.

For more information about Postnatal depression:

The Association for Post Natal Depression
Patient.co.uk
NCT

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What the Men in White Coats Say

Comments and Questions

The EB doctors have been looking at your comments and have answered some of the common questions below. Remember that it is always best to check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.

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I am on sick leave from Post Natal depression over 4 weeks now. There has been some issues at work before and immediately after my return from maternity leave. I wonder whether post natal depression is considered as 'disability' and whether I will be protected from the Equality Bill. Many thanks!





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hi i am 32 yrs old and my other half is 24 yrs older than me we have been tryin 4 baby now for the last 4 yrs please email me





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I was pregnant with twins age 23 me and my partner were delighted. At 32 weeks my waters broke and they had to be born by emergency C section, they were 8 weeks premature and they were 2 boys! I was on auto pilot the whole time they were in hospital, 1 of my twins caught Ecoli septicema and almost didnt make it! It was a rollercoster of a time for me and my partner. Thet are now 9months old and i have been on citlopram 20mg for the last 3months as i felt unwell had no energry felt guilty ans had suicidel thoughts. Only last week i went back to my GP to say that the feelings and the thoughts were comming back and my GP up'd my dose to 40mg daily tablet, but i feel as if i am back at square 1, i do not understand the way that am feeling and i have thought many of times of ending my life as i just want this horrible feeling to go away, i have two gorgeous baby twin boys who mean the world to me and the best partner ever, i feel so guilty for feeling like this, i should be the happiest person alive, but am lost and very unsure about what to do. Its affecting my partner as well and i think that he is going to leave me and that my baby boys deserve better than myself, i just feel sooo lowesy......Is this the end? How do i know my babies will be cared for properly if i was to end it? I just dont feel like am any good at the moment i have people around me but am very lonely...x





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ive been to my doctors and they've said i have post natal deppression. my son has not long turned one but ive been like this for a couple of months now and ive felt really low and suffer from panic attacks, im always thinking somethings wrong or jumping to the worse cass senario and i feel as tho i cant be on my own anymore. i started work in april and im now on the sick which work complains arent helping i feel as tho my partners going to leave me for no aparent reason and my son doesnt want me. i have been on tablets for months but there not working anymore and things have seemed to get worse but i know i need to get through this for my son.





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every 3 or 4 weeks i get really sad, cant cope, cry and feel really alone. i feel as though i cant talk to anyone and im rubbish at everything!my boy is now 14months old and ive in jan i left my partner. wen i did live with him i was like this most days so ive got better since i left him. but does this sound like pnd?it sounds stupid but im scared to go to the docters, most days im ok but wen i have bad ones i dont know what to do or who to turn to!





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every 3 or 4 weeks i get really sad, cant cope, cry and feel really alone. i feel as though i cant talk to anyone and im rubbish at everything!my boy is now 14months old and ive in jan i left my partner. wen i did live with him i was like this most days so ive got better since i left him. but does this sound like pnd?it sounds stupid but im scared to go to the docters, most days im ok but wen i have bad ones i dont know what to do or who to turn to!





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I had post natal depression after having my daughter, it was mild at first but circumstances changed and i became homeless and ended up in a hostel. When i was there i got much worse and suffered with constant panic attacks, itching was seeing/hearing things and felt unsafe all the time. It was horrible in the end my family forced me to go see my GP, they helped explain things from what they saw had changed with my behaviour. I was in tears and told the GP i couldn't take the anti depressants she tutted and said "well what do you want me to do about it then" . I left with no support feeling worse than what i did before i went in. I have gotten better slowly by attending lots of baby groups and with the support of my close family and friends, Finding somewhere for me and my daughter to live relieved a lot of the anxiety. I still get panic attacks every now and then and can have some bad weeks then be fine for few months. I feel totally let down by the GP and there must be other forms of treatment! I only ask as i recently had a second daughter who was still born at 21weeks. I am starting to feel increasingly paranoid and my panic attacks are increasing. i really don't want to get as bad as i did before but don't want tablets and really don't want to go back to the G.P





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i had my one and only son at 40yrs.approx 3yr later i lost all my up and go,things detiorated tosuch a level.he had to go and live with gran,long story short,im in a horrible place mentally and im sure its pnd but no one listening.can this be pnd i have all the symtoms,even though it happened 3yr after and im now 51yrs.pleeease anyone help me get my life and son back.kim xx





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is it possible to get PND after a stillbirth??????????? i had my 1st child when i was 19 and was fine after she was born, when i was 21 i lossed my 2nd baby at 37weeks. my daughter is now 5 and i cant stand to be near her, i cant have her hug or kiss me me because it feels wrong i just dont want her around me, i no its not her fault and i feel like a horrible mother. i feel like im pushing her away. ive never been to the doctors about this!!! do u think i could have PND or im i just depressed after losing my baby





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i've been diagnosed with PND with my first child and i think ii have it again but this time it feels different. ive suffered with depression since a teenager im now 24. this time i think it might be some other form of depression. i get stressed very easy and and im bad tempered most of the time and irritable and when i am stressed my skin on my arms and hands itch i have really good days and very bad days and recently ive made stupid rash decisions and started with a gambling problem. please someone help, im worried about telling anyone or my gp incase they think im mad.





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sounds just like how i was when i had pnd. your doctor will not think you are mad, he/she will offer you help either in medication or other but honestly i went on the citalopram tablets and they have helped me so much. may take a month to start to kick in but results are worth it! good luck





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It looks like no one else has asked this question, so please fill in the rest of your details below.





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Content supplied by NHS Choices

Baby blues is a common cause of feeling low, and it is the least severe type of PND. It does not usually last very long, starting from around the third day after birth and lasting until around the 10th day. During this time you may feel tearful and irritable, but no medical treatment is needed. Read More »

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