Helping someone with Post Natal Depression.

hollydays

How do you help someone you suspect has Post Natal Depression?

ladybirdh2

You sure it is pnd and not baby blues? Try to get them to talk to you.

hollydays

Baby is 9 weeks.The person is the type that likes to put on a brave face.Have had some discussion yesterday which highlighted several concerns about her.Not able to get up in mornings,worrying about what hasnt been done,lethargy.

ladybirdh2

See if she will talk to the Health visitor, has she had the 6 week post natal check

hollydays

Yes.I am going to see her tommorrow .The hard thing will be her admitting she is feeling bad,but she told me yesterday she has been low.She has got multivitamins and omega 3 but not sure she has been taking them.

SCREAMIN_BABIES

starting to think that hollydays is my partner under cover i have a nine week old baby and my family think im suffering with PND and im the type to put on a brave face ...
is this person a friend or partner ??????

SCREAMIN_BABIES

if she is like me she wont talk to the health visitor , mine comes to see me weekly cause she thinks there is something wrong , but i will never tell her or admit it , its like admitting you are failing .

hollydays

YEs it is a friend.Fear of failure would be a big thing for her too.Letting other people support her would be a last resort.At the time she most needs support.

wendykearney

I had pnd. So bad i was going to commit suicde. Luckily my fried twigged something was wrong when she saw me with a carrier bag full of choalate(i don't normally eat it) and bein happy and giddy like i was drunk. (i'd made the decision and so was happy....)

She contacted my health visitor and had a word with her. the health vistor arrived with GP in tow and they sat me down and talked to me. They made me relise what was happening and from then on i slowly with a lot of help got better. You need maybe to be blunt with her and try to get her to doc's or health visitor. I needed someone to be honest with me and tell me i was doing a good job with the baby etc. i was so convinced that everyone would be better off without me especially my baby. I'd been told so often that i would be a crap mum i believed it and then when he was prem it seemed like everyone was right. Add in breast feeding every 2 hrs and trying to be wonder mum and its not surprising PND got me...

There is a lot of support for you and your health visitor won't think youare failing, just having someone to moan to or to give you an hour's peace can mae al the difference.

sorry if this a bit garbled on strong painkillers!!

wendy

SCREAMIN_BABIES

i agree with wendykearney in a way but if she is anything like me (not saying she is ) if the health visitor and doctor came to see me i still wouldnt admit anything , i wouldnt want anyone to think im not coping ive always been the strong one, i cope with anything dont want anyone watching me in case i slip up with my baby . im the oposite with my daughter i wont let anyone near her im the only one that can look after her im really over protective ,, see i can admit this to you cause i dont know you from adam .
but if i knew you , you wouldnt know a thing

hollydays

Thanks.Am going to visit her and leaving today so wont be posting on here again till I get back,probably friday.I am going to see how she is and if my suspicions are confirmed,try and get her to see the health visitor.She is not breastfeeding though,but i think she is trying to lose weight possibly-not a good time to do this.I hope ican say the right things,scared of saying the wrong thing.

Going now to catch a train.