pregnancy after pnd

[Cordelia]

Hi
I found the birth of my daughter 15 months very traumatic and as a result have suffered from anxiety, panic attacks and depression. I am now feeling like I'm "better" and haven't experienced a panic attack for 4 months.
I would love to get pregnant and have another baby soon but I'm terrified that the whole experience of going to the hospital and having another baby will bring on the same issues i had with my first.
What are the chances of this? and what can I do to prevent it?

[drshari]

Dear Cordelia
Thank you for your post. I am sorry to hear that your first birthing experience was so traumatic for you and that it had such a negative impact postnatally.
There is a chance that some of the issues that led to the anxiety may come up again, if they would lead to panic attacks etc again would depend on the work you have done to reframe the things that were causing you to panic and the strategies that you have in place.
Working with a good childbirth educator/preparation specialist would help you to debrief and release remaining fears specific to pregnancy and birth and the postnatal period. Learning to look at a second pregnancy and birth experience as completely separate and knowing what choices you can make to ensure that nothing traumatic was repeated would also help tremendously.
A program such as BirthSkills (see www.birthskills.com.au (http://www.birthskills.com.au)) certainly addresses the concerns that you have raised and has helped hundreds of women feel calm and confident going into labour and birth. Learn skills and techniques for relaxation and confidence and gain knowledge to help you make decisions about your care and fee in control of your pregnancy and labour. This way you will get to enjoy your pregnancy rather than being focused on what lies ahead as well as being prepared for a far more positive birthing experience, preventing unnecessary trauma.
Best wishes
Shari :hugs:

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