Pre-Natal Depression.

[MissWinter]

Hi...

I'm normally such a happy, bubbly person, and I still am, most of the time. However there's this horrible dreadful feeling that I just can't shake.

Mostly its before work. I'm sick of my job, I took an IT traineeship when I was 16 weeks pregnant because I needed ANY job to start saving. At first it was great, now I'm f***ing sick of working in a job that I don't like for $440 a week. And I'm almost in tears because of it most mornings.

I'm finding it sooo hard to get out of bed in the mornings, weekdays anyway. I've got NO motivation to work. I want to start working part-time but can't F***ING afford it. I could try to get Centrelink, but there's so much crap I have to take in to them, and I can't afford any more time off work. Between appts and ''sick days'' I've had probably close to 10 days off in just over 2 months.

I just don't know where to go. DP doesn't really care, because he despises his job too, but for double the bloody pay. As long as I have some form of income (that isn't Centrelink), he's happy.

I can't get a new job, who's going to hire someone that's 26 weeks pregnant? And it isn't easily hidden. Even if I hide it during the interview, they've still got 3 months to find a reason to fire me because of it. Even if I did get a job interview, I have NO decent clothes that fit me now.

I just have no idea where to go from here. I don't want to be miserable. I have told work I'll try to work right up until she's born (EDD 19/7). I don't know what to do. I don't want to be miserable.

I've been depressed in the past, which corrected itself without meds, and I still have a bit of anxiety (not bad enough to be on meds for).

[WorkingClassMum]

** bump **

[Ra Ra Superstar]

I know how you feel. Except i was on meds but came of due to pregnancy and i have steadily gone downhill from there. Perhaps you should explore meds that are safe to use in pregnancy or seek some counseling of some sort. It's nice to be able to have a rant to someone about it all at times. Feel free to PM me if you need to chat :)

[citycowgirl]

I'm no expert but it does sound like depression to me. Probably not helped by those dastardly pregnancy hormones, a sucky job, financial stress and a partner who is not as sympathetic as you hope.

I've experienced something very similar in my pregnancy. I opted for meds (low dose zoloft) and found myself a fantastic counsellor (first one sucked). Anyway, I recommend you start by seeing a good GP who can get the ball rolling with some treatment. Again, I'm luck that mine is excellent. Do some research on the meds so that you are fully informed about the risks and find one that you think you'd be happy with if you want to go that way. What I found in my situation that that meds just helped take that "bad edge" of the symptoms, that feeling that there is no way out, no solution I could live with etc. Things that seemed like impossible problems became either totally fixable or I things I could live with. I was able to think more positively about the options available to me and had the emotional energy to do something about it like speak to a counsellor, do some research and basically be my own advocate.

My partner was also not as supportive and understanding as I had hoped, but since I've got better, he's got better too.

Anyway, without going on and on about my own situation, I'd recommend you start with finding a good GP, do a bit of your own research re medication options (zoloft is one that is particularly low risk in pregnancy and has the most research done on it) and ask your GP for a referral to a psychologist in your area. You should get about 6 sessions and only a gap of about $20 or less each time. I think you can get up to 12 a year if you need to. If it's a counsellor you like it is money well spent. but for me, counselling did nothing on it's own because even with a counsellor, you still have to motivate yourself with things, have the emotional/psychological energy to self-reflect etc and if you are too depressed, you just end up going round in circles with problems and not moving forward to solutions.

Ok, I'll stop rabbiting on. Feel free to PM me if you want.

It's so important that you get help now if you do have depression, because babies take alot of emotional as well as physical energy to look after. So if your resources are already taken up, you may have none left for your baby. Untreated pre-natal depression leaves you at risk for post natal depression. You need to make sure you look after yourself so you can look after your baby, before and after birth.

Good luck and :hugs: