PND

I too have been recently diagnosed with depression. I find that to everyone on the outside looking in, it's so taboo to be depressed when you have a gorgeous new baby. I have had to start anti-depressants, which is something I swore I would never do. The hardest thing is finding someone to talk to who doesn't just try to "fix" your situation, ie. husband! My darling man is getting more and more stressed out each day because he can't seem to "fix" my condition. I do feel sorry for him, I am grumpy, moody, never 'in the mood' so to speak. On top of the depression, I have a beautiful baby boy who doesn't believe in sleeping at night. This doesn't help the situation. Any one else out there who is going through this traumatic time who wants to chat, please feel free to email me on njhooker@bigpond.com. I would also love to hear from ladies who have conquered pnd, as this can put some light at the end of the tunnel for we who are still enduring it.

My baby is five months old and I was starting to get some of the same symptoms - grumpy, moody, very tired, I was supposed to be studying but just couldn't be bothered. The worst thing was that I was desperately trying to lose the 15 kg I was overweight and despite doing everything right was just not losing it and that was getting me down and my skin was dry and I felt like a big blob. However, after reading a letter to the doctor in the Womens Weekly, I went to the doctor and asked if I could have a thyroid problem (feeling like a hypochondriac). After having a blood test I discovered I did have an underactive thyroid which needs medication forever but now that the level is getting right everything has changed. All the symptoms that are the same as PND were because every part of my body had slowed down. Apparently this is quite common in women between 30 and 50 and especially those who have just had a baby and I wonder how many people aren't diagnosed. When I went to the doctor at first she spent more time asking me if I ate cakes and giving me a referral to a dietician than actually looking for the signs I clearly had. The change now is incredible - I have just started to diet again and have already lost 1.5 kg this week!

Hi nicole, I to had pnd so their really is light at the end of the tunnel. I thought I was going mad, I was un-motivated, anxious depressed and exhausted due to lack of sleep. I had an oversuply of milk and it was draining on me and my body. Trust me things do get better you do stop crying and getting mad and down. My pnd was severe and at times it was very hard to even breastfeed my own baby but six months down the track I'm of medication and doing wonderfully.

Nicole to make you feel relaxed try lots of hot baths, relaxation music and milky milos (does wonders)

Take care.

I'm the mum or a gorgeous 8mth old healthy baby boy, however the last 8 months were nothing like what i imagined they would be. i haven't been diagnosed with PND, but i think i have experienced a lot of the symptoms. i think my depression was directly related to lack of sleep. things are looking better now as isaac has finally started sleeping through the night, believe me it took a lot of long nights of screaming to get there. i was one of those people who thought that depression would never happen to me. i certainly have grown through this experince and have learnt not to be so judgement of others.