Anxiety, Tension, Pregnancy Symptoms?

I am sorry you are going though this. I am 27 weeks pregnant with my 2nd child and have had some of the symptoms you talk about. I feel good about 90% of the time so I haven't talk to my Dr. about it I just thought it was normal to feel like this with 2nd and 3rd and so on pregnancies. Some days it's just so hard to take care of a toddler and to have motivation to do anything. I wish you luck and will be seeing if anyone offers you any other advice.

S.,
I had a great deal of difficulty after I had my first child. After a year of suffering I slowly got better but refused the Zoloft the entire time. It is a year I will never get back and I do regret this. With my second baby I did take the Zoloft during and after pregnancy. It was like night and day. I had a lot of reservation with the zoloft but truly believe my children and myself are much better off from me taking it. I did breastfeed while on it as well and I've never seen any side effects at all. I read a book from an Ob/ psychologist and it really helped me to make an informed decision. I believe her name is Shaila Misri. I do not remember the name of the book but she did talk about the pros and cons of the different meds and treatments as well as long term effects of the depression both treated and not. I hope that this helps. If you have any questions, feel free to message me again. Take care.

Hi S.,

Talk to your ob asap. I'm expecting my third child in August and am six months pregnant. Know that you are not alone. This pregnancy has been awful for me with constant morning sickness, exhaustion and overall feeling lousy. I find it difficult to get excited about this baby, which is sad. I took Zofran for about 3 mos. and drank alot of sparkling water, which alleviated some of the lousiness, but each day is still a struggle. You need to take time for yourself. I agree with the mom who said to have someone come in and help out with the kids. Having the responsibilties of other children compounds the stress. You need a break and something to look forward to. I attribute all of this to horomonal changes. It's not my regular personality. I feel terrible that I am not excited about this baby and often wonder why is it that some women have great pregnancies and actually quite functional during pregnancy, while I am opposite. We are all different. But, I keep telling myself, it's temporary and it will pass and in the end, the joy is priceless.

Hang in there!

M.

I remember feeling very tired sometimes, having dreams of my baby being killed in various ways (she's turning 38 now and has 4 kids), sometimes feeling very energized and domestic - all hormones I presume. I'd try prayer, journalling, reading a book of devotions or meditations for moms (you might find one marked down after Mother's Day), counting your blessings and writing them down, focusing on the positive in every situation, talking to someone about this who won't think you're just a hysterical mama, and calming safe herb teas like camomile. It all sounds normal to me, but sometimes women get into the area of mental illness during and after pregnancy so you're wise to be seek medical advice. If it wer me, I'd give it a little more time before taking the zoloft, but do what you need to to keep your head above water. I'll pray for you in the meantime.

S.:

I can't say that I know what you are going through but I can tell you this at this moment I am praying for you.. I know that I dont know you but I can't imagine being in your shoes right now..I pray peace, strength and understanding along with wisdom to do what is right for all who are involved..God Bless..Sweet Sleep..

Hi S., Here's a great big hug for you. You know you have your answer right before your nose. In your Bio you
state that your children are a gift from God. Do you know
that God the Father, Jesus Christ, the son and the Holy Spirit are waiting patiently to hear from you. They love you so much and are very concerned about you. We think we have to run to the Dr. right away, but all they give us
is chemicals that treat the symtoms and not the root cause
of the problem. Have you ever asked Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior? He forgives our sins. John 3:16 states, "God so loved the world (S.) that he gave His only beloved son, that whosoever believes in Him will have
eternal life." That starts right now when we become His
child. Then all of His promises are yeh and amen. I have found that peace, joy, rightousness, wisdom, healing, all my needs come from Him. The Bible is the answer. It is LIFE. Actually, Jesus is the word John 1 tells us. I encourage you to spend even 5 minutes reading the Psalms
every morning. When you are feeling anxious, pick up the "word" again. Cry out to Jesus and tell him what you are experenceing. "Call upon me and I will show you
great and mighty things you know not. I'm going to give you some homework to help you find the "goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" John 14:27,John 15:ll
Proverbs 17:22 Philllippians 4:4, Psalm 32:10. Put on
Christian radio 103.5 FM or 1030Am. Watch the 700 Club on TBN or on Channel 20 at 10A.m. each week day morning
and Joyce Meyer on WDIV channel 38 at 10:30 A.M.each morning, Go to a Full Gospel Church on Sunday's and learn
who Jesus is and what He is all about. This is so important for your family. If you live close to Richmond,
I would love to give you a book, "Be still My Soul...
Moments of peace for Moms. Will be praying for you.
God Bless. K.

You have been given some great advise so far. I believe it is a combination of the responses you've received.

1. Yes praying always helps.
2. Have a balanced diet of organic; meats, vegetables, fruits, milk, etc.
3. Exercise
4. Food based supplements. We can't always get what we need from our diet (only 3% of the population eats according to the food pyramid guide), especially when we
are pregnant.

If you are not sure how to determine if supplements are food based and/or a good criteria to determine if a supplement is good, you can respond to this email and we can discuss it.

You have great support through Mamasource.

Many blessings,

M.

I went through a lot of this with my last pregnancy too. I remember it even though it was 2 yrs ago, mostly because of the guilt that I felt for being so unhappy. I was so surprised at how hard it is to take care of the other one and be pregnant.

You need some down time and I would suspect that you aren't getting it. If you have family in the area, have a candid discussion with whichever one of them doesn't work days, and ask for them to watch the kids for 2 half days a week. You need to get a nap, and clean the house without all the hassle, read a book, just be alone for a while and take care of whatever you need at that time... you will feel like a weight is lifted and be a better mom the rest of the time. It will give you something to look forward to, that hope alone will help you get through the stressful times.

Also, let things go a bit... you can't do it all. Your kids won't die if the floors aren't mopped weekly. Be realistic about the responsibilities that you can actually handle right now.

Good luck.

Hi S.,

You need to realize that a lot of what you are going through is due to hormonal changes and stress in your life. Remember that every pregnancy is different. I've suffered for a long time with anxiety and depression much like you've described (bipolar type 2). I am on meds now but wouldn't take anything while I was pregnant. I took a lot of time for me while pregnant and just let the day to day stuff go. I kept a journal and it helped me to recognize what was triggering my attacks. That helped me to stop them short, too. You might want to consider some counseling to help you identify what is going on and find some relaxation techniques. If meds are right for you then by all means keep at it. Realize, though that there may be some life long adverse effects on your baby above and beyond possible withdrawls that I'm sure your doctor hasn't mentioned. You might want to consider a second opinion. After all this is your life and your child's development at stake. Remember, too, that when it gets closet to time to deliver you can always wean yourself off of the Zoloft therefore weaning your baby as well avoiding the withdrawl factor and start again after delivery if you find it necessary. Keep close tabs on what's happening if you do wean before delivery, you don't want to deal with post partum suicidal depression if you don't have to. Above all else, keep praying. God will guide you if you sit quietly and listen.

I wish you the best, God bless - S.

When I was pregnant with my second I had an emotional "breakdown" weekly (consisting of me sobbing to my husband that I can't take it, what if this baby is horrible, how will I handle it, etc. I once poked my cat in the eye accidently while about 5 months along and clutched my cat and sobbed uncontrollably for an hour. I had two all-out panic attacks (heart palipitations, shortness of breath, insomnia) during that pregnancy and almost woke my husband up each time because I thought I was going to have to be hospitalized. My doctor did not prescribe anything (partly b/c I didn't make that big a deal about it), and I found that I got the most comfort from talking to other moms at my church and the Bible study I participated in. It helps to talk about your fears with other moms-- preferably other moms who you feel comfortable with and you know won't judge you. I had a hard time talking about it with my doc because I was embarassed to admit that I was not as crazy about being a mom the second time around (it's hard to be a mom!).
If you search Mamasource for posts on this topic, you will see one that I posted in 2007 about the same thing! One very wonderful mom posted a reply with some information on a psychologist/therapist in the area who specializes in this type of thing (possibly post-partum depression). I didn't see the counselor, but it did make me feel better to realize I wasn't the only person in the world who experienced this.
I will pray for you and your family. Good luck! THis is very hard to deal with (AND be a Mama at the same time!).
God bless!
P.S. Almost the moment my son was born, all my fears dissolved into an intense RELIEF that I was no longer pregnant and how happy I was to finally have him on the outside. I felt so much better the very day I delivered him, despite all the problems while pregnant. And, as with all things in my life, God made the experience much better than I expected.

Hi S.---I, too, would recommend avoiding meds unless it is absolutely necessary. Most times, it is not.

Your hormones are causing this roller-coaster ride for you. Have you ever looked at your diet to see how it is supporting optimal hormone function? I am taking a series of wellness classes and I've been learning that circulating hormones are the cause of many problems with health. Be sure you are eating lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes, while minimizing animal product consumption. I would avoid milk as well, especially non-organic, as it adds alot of hormones via your diet. The four groups I mention are very important as they offer lots of fiber. Fiber will absorb and remove both excess estrogens and cholesterol from the blood. In that way, you may be able to minimize the effects that the pregnancy hormones have on your mental health.

These meds can be very dangerous. Your doctor will tell you that they are ok to take during pregnancy, but that information comes from the pharmaceutical reps, who are usually less than forthcoming about all of the side-effects that come with every prescription medicine. Anti-depressant and mood altering drugs are the worst. Your best bet is to find that group to be a part of where you can share your feelings and find out that you are not alone in how you feel.

If you would like, I can share my resources with you about the dangers of anti-depressant meds. You take care of yourself. You will get through this. In health, D.
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I was like that my first pregnancy. During that time I was also under a lot of stress. With my second pregnancy it started out the same. I started the same with my second pregnancy when I caught a cold and missed a week of work I realized that the stress was coming work I was able to quit my job relieving much of the problem. Also when I would get tense, anxious, angry for no good reason, etc I would stop and analize my feelings and get control of the situation. I was not able to do this the first time around but maybe the advice you are getting will help you get a grip on everything and you will have a good pregnancy.

Have you tried to pray? No, it is not good to take antidepressants. I went thru the same thing when i was pregnant. Sometimes I still experience this but I just say"Get behind me, Satan". Because we all know that it is satan that is putting the bad thoughts in your head.
Alos what helps is to find a pregnant group of women to meet with..try meetup.com. I tried the website to find a group of women who enjoy exercising.

I would absolutely NOT take something that would make my baby go through withdrawls, not to mention a host of other problems they don't know about, like learning disabilies or other problems they haven't figured out yet. Please, look into alternative things like excercise, see if you're thyroid is off, also do a google search on adrenal fatigue syndrome. There are natural things like vitamin c and b5 that can cure the symptoms associated with that. What about finding a hobby that makes you happy. Or find some friends to get your mind off these things. I would tough it out for the sake of that growing baby inside you. I would also get on a good fish oil supplement which helps with brain function of both you and the baby. It's only 6 more months and the summer is here and bound to make you feel a little better. God bless you. I will pray for you.

I had similar feelings with my third. I didn't take any prescription meds. It seemed like a lot of my issues came from lack of control. The pregnancy wasn't planned (yet wanted); I had two other small kids; hubby working extra, etc. I was so worried about not being able to care for everyone as I had in the past that I think it just consumed my thoughts day and night. The nightmares were terrible! It got better by taking on a few projects and trying to get outside and exercise/play as often as possible. Spending time with the family and making time for my "projects" helped me focus on those things more than the anxiety. I think that I was much better by the middle of the second trimester, but Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. were then too and they helped me focus on other activities/tasks that needed to be completed. I have to say . . . the highs were the most productive I've ever been. Nesting to the 10th degree, so that works to your benefit. On the low days, snuggle and cuddle the other two. The doctor told me that with each delivery the emotions (and other things) seem to be in a larger proportion so I just labeled it as "part of the fun" of pregnancy.

If you are interested in a natural solution to stress and anxiety, I take a formula that I only need to take when I need it and it has no side effects. Just a thought. Ask me for details if you want. It works.

Hang in there!

S.
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