Post-partum Struggles - any one relate?

Hey, I had my baby girl 17 days ago, I’m struggling bad with anxiety around the baby. Whether it be her breathing pattern changes, mucusy wheezy sounds, her crying for hours and me thinking I’ve not done enough. When she was born (c-section) she spent her first night chocking on mucus and the midwives are telling me it’s normal but it doesn’t make it less distressing until she finally got help and had mucus suctioned out of her. This is where my anxiety hit its peak.

Her dad is amazing however he will need to go back to work soon, I’m so scared to parent alone. I don’t have a support network, and my family work so I truly am alone and worry about what I can do☹️.

The best way to describe is that I’m scared of my baby, I love her unconditionally but she terrifies me.

Is anyone else struggling similar, or have the same worry’s or experienced the same things?

Thank you🩷

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I was exactly like that when my little one was born I wouldn’t be able to sleep due to her breathing patterns and the sounds, trust me it gets easier, newborns do naturally have quicker breathing patterns than adults, I think theirs is 40-60 per minute whereas ours is 15-20 per minute. Sometimes the sounds could be that they need burping as it gets stuck and makes the wheezing sound. With your partner going to work it is scary but just realise you’ve probably done a day of looking after her within multiples days if that makes sense, that’s what I would tell myself. It does get better and the anxiety eases abit x

I had the same feeling I still do 6 month after giving birth. I suffer bad with postnatal ocd. Anxiety and depression. I would definitely get help as it could worsen x

Just here to say an owlet sock was a life saver for me! They’re expensive but honestly so worth it to monitor oxygen levels and heart rate. I wouldn’t sleep at night because I’d be checking my baby constantly! Then the minute we bought an owlet I felt so much more relaxed and starting sleeping so much better! I wouldn’t even leave her alone in her moses basket to get house work done but now I’m so much more relaxed! Xx

I’m in the same boat with my baby girl who is 5 weeks old this week. The first two and a bit weeks I actually made myself unwell because I would not sleep, I was so anxious I could close my eyes for about 15 mins before I started panicking. I was even hallucinating and my body was running off pure adrenaline.
It has settled down a bit and I’m more trusting of myself and other people with her. When she spits up after a feed or is sick a bit I don’t panic as much as I was but still keep so vigilant with every noise and movement.
Honestly, the owlet sock has given me the biggest piece of mind to be able to get some sleep in the nights and love to dream swaddles so I know no blankets will go over her face as we had to swaddle her with a blanket the first two weeks as she was tiny.

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