Post Natal Depression

~My Story~

Home~Symptoms~Second Diagnosis~Helen Mayo House
Third Diagnosis~A Poem~My Homepage

All I ever wanted

I couldn't wait until the day I became pregnant and to give
birth 'naturally'. For some reason I saw it as making you
'complete' as a woman

My first diagnosis

Matthew had just turned 6 months, so I popped him in his pram
and walked to the Children's and Youth Health Centre.
As usual, I was clad with my track suit, ruffled my hair to look
half decent. I hated going there, all the other mothers looked
so beautiful, so in control.
When I entered I took a number and sat by myself waiting
for the nurse to see us. Dazed I heard my number called, I
jumped up, composed myself and pushed the pram into
the nurses room.
Val weighed and measured Matthew. His was doing great! Val
quickly jotted all the measurements into Matthew's book.
Then she turned and looked at me. "So how are you going
Trish?" Well that was it, from no where I burst into tears.
Sure, my behaviour had been a bit radical but I didn't know
what was going on. Val proceeded by giving me a list of
symptoms and asking me to tick which ones I felt applied to
me. I was shocked when I felt myself ticking one
after the other. The same day I was in the doctors surgery,
I was prescribed Zoloft and followed on with monthly visits.
Even though I was on anti depressants, not all was fine.
Something was still wrong. What? I don't know!
But I was admitted into hospital for a four day stay.
 
The hardest part for me was the fact that Matthew was a
perfect little baby. He took to the breast with no problems,
slept well, rarely cried....so what was my problem?
 
My Symptoms
Refer to the 'symptoms' page because I kid you not
I was suffering pretty much all of them. I also threatened
to leave my husband and child and disappear.
 
The Doctors Verdict
My doctor believed that the following contributed to my PND.
 
When Matthew was 10 months old I got a casual job and was
feeling confident again so I stopped taking my anti -
depressants without medical supervision.
DON'T DO THIS!

 

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