New mom suffering from PPD.
Hello friends. I need some help.. or just a place to vent my feelings. I am a new mother (24 years old) suffering from PPD. My beautiful daughter is 2 months old. My husband does the best he can to help and support me right now. Basically i had a really complicated pregnancy and an even more complicated delivery. My daughter barely made it out alive and was in the NICU for almost 2 weeks. She still has not made a full recovery, as she has some lingering effects that may or may not go away.. according to the doctors. My PPD started after my delivery. I was sick immediately after having her and didnt get to go see her or hold her until 3 days after her birth. I feel like i was "robbed" and missed out on some very important first moments...(skin to skin contact, breast feeding, holding, bonding, ect.) It was also traumatic being discharged and going home without my baby. When we finally did get to take her home she was still adjusting (as most babies do) but had really bad colic and reflux. She was not tolerating feedings well at all. She would scream and cry for hours even when being held. Also, upon reading the discharge paperwork from the hospital there were several procedures that took place during the delivery and NICU that were not discussed with me afterward. I feel like i was left in the dark and the doctors did not show any regard for me as their patient.They had gone against my wishes without consulting with me first. Needless to say, this in part contributed to my PPD.
Anyways, here i am. with a 2 month old daughter who i love dearly, but half the time i cant stand to be around her. I feel like a completely different person.. like a switch was flipped in my brain and made me do a total 180. I get irritable and angry at her from crying.. I speak terribly to her at times and then feel horribly guilty after and cry. I have had several thoughts and dreams about harming her or myself. I feel like a terrible mother/person for having these thoughts. I often have to separate myself from her to regain control over my emotions. I dont trust myself at times. I feel empty and alone.. i hardly ever feel happy anymore. Im going to therapy twice a week and taking latuda but it isnt helping much. I have support from my husband and a few friends but i dont think they really get it. My husband will make remarks about me being "cranky/in a bad mood/pissy" he often times tries to make jokes about my depression... He doesnt really understand what im going through and its hard to talk to him about it. He often times just passes my emotions off as "needing more sleep/food". I dont know what to do becasue im about to loose my mind.. i cant keep living like this. Im miserable. Im not myself and i hate the person I am becoming.
Replies
Hi friend,
Surely, lots going on for you. I am sad with the news too. However, you have opened up your feelings, and this is a good start to getting those tips, ideas, suggestions or advice to support you (welcome!). I am glad that you are a new mom, and it troubles both of us that you and the little one are distressed. I can imagine how frightful this is for both you and your husband. And I doubt that the comments are meant to attack you. A positive sense of humor will help to alter the rage of chemicals and hormones bouncing around inside your mind and body. And I am at the ready if I can help you in any way. I will get by to read more of your journals in time. For now, please keep contact with your thoughts while writing in your DS journals. Make lots of DS friends too. This will help bring added ideas to help you learn good coping skills. I send you a great prayer for relief today. A new mom comes as a surprise to the best of us; we all have to learn mothering skills, and none of us are ever at our best as a mom, no matter when, where or how we are needed as a mom; growth comes each day, and you are entitled to have a bad day here and there, which does not make you a bad person at all. I do know that you love your new role as a mother, and it is really a blessing to be a part of a family unit. Stay focused and God bless you. <3