Mamas with depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders

Bipolar and PPD/A

Does anyone have bipolar disorder? How was your experience with PPD/A? How did you realize it was something more than a bad time with your bipolar?? I’m struggling and I don’t think my dr is taking into account that I am still only a year PP. he’s mostly focused on the fact we were able to stay on the same meds for 2.5 years, 10 months of which I was pregnant and I was the best I’ve ever been! I just feel so lost and I miss how happy I was when I was pregnant. I want to be that again for my son, he deserves that person to be his mom. Not this sad, zombie I’ve become 😔 any advice on how to turn things around or address this with my dr?

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I have bipolar and it started acting up again when I was about a year pp... I went to my doctor in tears begging for help because it was getting so bad... she finally listened but it took a while... I hope you get the help asap mama! Hang in there ❤️

My PPD didn't really kick in until around four months postpartum. We were struggling with latching and I had to switch to exclusively pumping. I had to be upfront and honest with my doctor; I told her that if something didn't change I was scared of the consequences, and that got her to listen finally. I was absolutely miserable 😣 so anxious, depressed because it felt like everything was falling apart around me, plus we were trying to find our forever home in the crazy economy of 2022! Not to mention exclusively pumping brought on all of my sensory issues because I have elastic nipples 😭 I was falling apart it felt like. It DID get better, but took awhile. The first thing I started was making sure I was keeping my bi-weekly therapy appointments, and trying at least once a week to find an hour of my day to take time for myself. Whether that be a hot bath, reading a book, doing a face mask and other skincare stuff, or just getting out of the house and getting a coffee! It did help paired with therapy

I'm bipolar manic depressant. I had twins 2 years ago and now have a 3-month-old never had postpartum depression but I'm pretty sure I do now maybe from having baby so close together I'm not sure. My bipolars give me highs and lows but not these types of Lowe's that I'm getting. I cry all the time about every little thing. When my husband's off work on the weekends I spend the entire weekend in my room. I don't do anything fun with the baby at all. Or just hold her and love her and look at her like I did with my twins. You see my psychiatrist Monday to discuss this.

I have bipolar 1 and I had really bad PPA. My anxiety has gotten worse since having my daughter but since I’m now 3 years PP it’s classified as generalized anxiety disorder and it’s probably never going to go away (a LOT of mamas have it because having children changes the chemical makeup of your brain) I got on buspirone and it is sooo much better!

I’m diagnosed with bipolar 2. I was on meds for 10 years (on and off due to losing insurance) then went off them completely for my pregnancy. Surprisingly, I was the most stable I ever was during those 9 months. Right after my daughter was born, I crashed immediately. The no sleep for the first 2 months made it worse. I wanted to breastfeed so my psych put me on diff meds but it didn’t work out so I went back to my old meds. Is this doctor a psychiatrist or pcp? If just a pcp, I suggest looking for a psych. Or maybe try diff meds. I found the only antidepressant that worked for me was Wellbutrin XL and mood stabilizer Lamictal. I’ve been on this combo for about 9 years now.

he’s just a GP, I think I definitely need to look into a psych. We upped the current meds I’m on to see if it helps at all. The pill game is so stressful!

what did your dr do to help? What helped you the most? I'm struggling rn 😭

in our community

Help! First time mum -

I have a 4 month old and now all of a sudden when he’s been asleep for 1hr30/2hrs he will wake up screaming (high pitched) I’ve tried winding him sometimes that helps, I’ve tried bicycle legs & bringing his knees up but that doesn’t seem to help but he brings his knees up himself sometimes but nothing happens. I’ve noticed since the 4 month mark he has started to struggle passing wind downwards! Any tips?

Hour night wakes and 5am get up

Can anyone shed some light as to why on earth my child doesn’t want to sleep??? My eyeballs are bleeding!!

Never been a good sleeper, but the problems always changing. He’s nearly 9 months old.

Beginning of the month he dropped to 2 naps. We could put him to bed at 7pm and he’d get up for the day at 6am, with multiple wake ups every 2/3 hours.

Now we put him down at 7pm, he can do a good 4/5 hour stretch, but come 1/2am he’s up every hour then getting up for the day at 5am. This then completely messes up the day because I can’t keep him awake long enough to even get to 7pm, let alone later.

He has 2 naps, roughly about 1hr10 each but it changed based on when he wakes and trying to get him to a reasonable bed time.

What could be the reason for this? 6am is fine, but 5am is not 😩😩

Don’t want to leave my first born😭😭😭

Anyone else extremely sad and anxious to leave their first born😭

He’s 2 and we have never not put him to bed or be here for when he wakes up😭

I’m so sad and anxious about leaving him

Crying during feeding

Hey mams! My girl is 6 weeks on Monday and is having so much trouble with feeding. It doesn’t happen every feed but more often than not she will start a bottle and just start crying as if she’s in pain and she can’t take the milk. I think it’s trapped wind but I genuinely don’t know what to do it’s so pitiful to see her not be able to feed! She’s formula fed and on HiPP Organic.
Anyone else been in this position? I’m pretty sure it’s just a bit of trapped wind that she needs to fart out but can’t! If anyone has any advice I’d be very grateful as I think I may need to tape my eyelids open soon 😂

Help meeee

!!All advice welcome!! My 5 month old (nearly 6mo) is just not sleeping . Not for naps and not at night . She can’t connect her cycles . We started sleep regression at 3 months but in like how is this nearly been going on for a further 3 months . Like surely not . She has 10 min naps in crib ( which take so much effort ) and maybe 20/30 min naps in my arms/pushchair . She wakes minimum every hour at night with guaranteed false start 20 mins in . I combo feed. I breastfeed her until almost asleep then place her in the next to me crib give her the pacifier and put my hand on her cheek/face for 20 seconds and she drifts off . It’s not really getting her to sleep that’s the issue it’s she just won’t stay asleep . She doesn’t even need to feed much at night usually 1-2 breastfeeds . The rest is comfort wakes needing her pacifier or my hand on her cheek . I’ve looked into sleep associations and independent sleep and I broke the feed to sleep association and rocking and do bedside comforting instead for most wakes which has now lead to my hand being a sleep association on her face . I’m just so exhausted my husband is working mon-fri 9-9 and it’s just me . I haven’t had more than 4 hours in a row since her birth . I can’t get anything done during the day . She is so clingy and cries if I leave room /put her down etc. I love her so much but we both need rest . If anyone has any tips or a routine that could help PLEASE tell me I’ll try anything 🥲❤️❤️

Feeding to sleep

FTM here! 👋

Are you guys feeding your baby to sleep?

I just read feeding to sleep is creating bad habit and baby will always cry etc when awake at night expecting to get bottle before falling asleep again. 🤔
It said should feed the baby, give a bath (or not) and then put to sleep.
I do other way around - bath, pjs/lotion, rock to sleep and feed at the same time and then baby falling asleep.
Am I creating a bad habit? Been doing it all the time really. 😳