The Baby Blues....

Hi guys, just wondering if you all got these?? I've never suffered from depression or being down really so it sort of scares me a bit. Midwife on pre natal said that what happens a lot of women is that they cry all day on day three?? No one really tells you much about this!! I know hormones can be very strong things!!

I was in tears the next day and every day till I left the hospital. It got alot better at home but still had the odd teary moment till she was about 10 days. But I had a section and I've heard people say you get the blues worse after sections, I think the morphine makes your body shut down hormone-wise so that might be why. And I was heartbroken over the BF'g not working out but kept persisting so I had every midwife in the hospital in wrecking my head ([i:29inqoak]some[/i:29inqoak] of them were nice)! Also I have had depression before, don't know if that has an influence too. But I've heard of people who only got a little cranky for a day, so I don't think everyone gets it.

I had something like that and I had it for a few weeks after our DD was born, it was a combination of hormones, being quite unwell after the birth and having a sick baby who cried all the time and the weather being so crap I had cabin fever and couldnt get out and about. Thankfully it has passed completely but I honestly did feel very alone and down at home all day with babs and gave my poor DH a hard time too. Tell your DH how you are feeling and take all the support and help you can get and remember you have been thru alot and lack of rest doesnt help either - it will get better. Take care MrsNoc

Thanks guys, it does seem to be something that people don't talk about much so then you're not prepared for it!! Maybe it doesn't happen everyone so I'll just have to wait and see!!

Yes I cried all day on day 3 (still in hospital) but didn't feel sad at all. Cried on and off the first week at home and felt inadequate for having a small pelvis and small nipples and having to have a section and bottle feed - this all seems ridiculous looking back and I can laugh about it but it was hard at the time but definitely hormone-induced! I am fine now but still have the odd little cry when the little man is being difficult. Definitely not depression though - I have suffered with that in the past and know what to look out for. I think you can expect to feel a bit teary and vulnerable for the first 6 weeks unless you have an angel baby because it is bloody hard work!

I am really early on 6weeks and feel like I want to cry and that the world is going to end. Anyways did a search and it is very common(Hope this helps): "Depression During Pregnancy Guest Author - Sarah Masterson Thankfully, information about the common experience of postpartum depression (PPD) is more accessible to women than ever before. These days more pregnant women are armed with knowledge and resources before they give birth, so that they are prepared to recognize PPD and get help. But most women (and too many health care providers) are still in the dark about depression during pregnancy, which can impact the overall health of both mother and baby. Though depression during pregnancy (also known as antepartum depression) is relatively common – 10 to 20 percent of pregnant women suffer from it - it’s rarely discussed during prenatal exams and almost never screened for. And because pregnancy comes with significant hormonal and other physical changes, women and their partners tend to miss or dismiss the warning signs of real depression. Contrary to what we believed for decades, pregnancy hormones don’t protect against depression. In fact, surges of particular hormone levels in early pregnancy can actually be so disruptive to the chemistry of the nervous system that it triggers depression. This goes for women who have never experienced depression before, AND for women whose pregnancies are planned and joyful events. Depression during pregnancy is not a marker of what kind of mother you’ll be or how you feel about your baby. It’s important for women who experience it to understand that they are not abnormal and they are not alone. It’s also crucial to know that unreported, untreated depression during pregnancy is dangerous. You should no more ignore it or hope for it to “go away on its own” than you would an episode of high blood pressure or bleeding. Research has shown that depression and anxiety can increase the risk of preterm labor – and prematurity continues to be the leading cause of newborn death and disability in the United States. Untreated antepartum depression is also associated with suicidal behavior, poor nutrition, drinking, and smoking – all of which are very risky to mother and baby. A woman who is depressed during pregnancy but doesn’t get the help she needs is also likely to have emotional trouble in the postpartum period, making her less able to recover from birth, take care of herself, and enjoy her new baby. A woman who experiences pregnancy depression is more likely to suffer the worst effects of PPD. We don’t completely understand the causes of prenatal depression'

ooooooooooooooh i got the baby blues in the hospital too, was crying because dd's were so small and their babygros didnt fit them hello like!! think its only natural..

I unfortunately, ended up with 'delayed' postnatal depression after my DD. It was bad in that I only got it a year after her birth. It was awful. I didn't know what was wrong with me and cried all the time. I was also feeling detached from my baby which was the worst part. It affected everyone, me, my poor hubby, baby etc. I just couldn't focus and wanted to stay in bed all day every day crying. I ended up on anti-depressents for almost a year afterwards but made a great recovery when I realised what it was and that I could move forward to getting better. I think it's important to recognise the signs. I know there is a big difference between baby blues and post natal depression and quite possibly one can lead into another. It is also not uncommon to get postnatal up to a year afterwards which really surprised me, because I didn't know what was wrong with me and most definately had ruled pnd out as being the reason and it was so far afterwards. I have to admit, though I am scared this time around but I am aware of the signs and am in a completely different environment now. Also at the time we had a lot of family difficulties and a family bereavment too. It wasn't easy let me tell you. All I can advise is, go get help. There is nothing wrong with you. It's a chemical reaction in the brain and medicatoin will fix it. It's like any sickness and can be treated with the right medication. No point in suffering and everybody else around you. There's nothing to be ashamed of either, which I did feel at the time. I'd say two thirds of the irish population suffers or had suffered with depression at some time in their lives, but we all tend to brush it under the carpet. There is such a stigma attached to it, like you are mental or something if you admit you have it. Ridiculous. Sorry I know now I waffling but seriously there is help out there. Take it. It's important to be happy and to enjoy your lovely baby and the most important time in your life.

you have all been so honest with your replies, thanks girls. i have suffered from depression in the past and it is something that concerns me about after the birth but i suppose if you know what to look out for then that helps. ive been feeling down lately too because ive been so sick and can do nothing but sleep and rest, i never knew that being pregnant was going to be so hard.

Just had a conversation with a girl in work about this this morning (baby blues rather than PND), she was saying to make sure that you only have those you'd be comfortable crying in front of around you at about day three, because it just washes over you - she was saying it just it her like a ton of bricks, she was crying for absolutely no reason while she had visitors which just added to the pressure. She was still in hospital, and said that only for a nice midwife telling her it was perfectly normal, she would have thought she was cracking up!!