I woke up in the night 2 weeks ago with a panic attack and hardly sleep. It got better after a few days until about a week later the same thing happend. It is very scary and I feel anxious most of the day, don't hardly sleep and also get depressed about the situation. Just wondered if anyone else is going through this or has in the past.
Hi M.,
I experienced anxiety after I gave birth. I would wake up shaking and crying. I felt sick to my stomache, I couldn't eat, I was having horrible thoughts. I seeked treatment. They put me on Zoloft. It took a while for it to help.
They said if I were to get pregnant again, they would put me on it before I gave birth. You might want to consider seeking help. It will get better in time. Hang in there.
Hi M.-
If you're not already taking one, find a good omega3 fatty acid-- make sure it's 3 not 6's.
Your baby depletes your stores and it's important for brain and heart health.
Hard to supplement with seafood and wild salmon because they limit the amounts of that you eat when pregnant. It comes in tab. form and if you burp up the fish taste (if you get an over the counter kind that does that) then stick them in the freezer and that will help.
It takes 3 years following a pregnancy to build up your stores again.
About me - 47yo med. prof, wellness coach, mom to almost 7 yo twin girls
B. j ____@____.com
I'm 32 weeks pregnant and having the exact same problem. I am having alot of medical problems I'm highrisk and have a very stressful life at home so I attribute that to most of my problems but the anxiety and depression are definately creating problems for me as well. I have always experianced a little anxiety or depression in my life but never medicated, right now it's at a all time high. My fiance is like maybe you should go get some medication and I'm like no I'm pregnant I'm not taking any pills. I'm just hoping mine goes away after the birth or I will have to go get some help. I'm not sleeping at all. I wake up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep or worry myself sick. I think it is also just feeling vulnerable and having no control of alot of things in life because I'm pregnant. My daughter was also born premature at 33weeks and I'm at the same point in this pregnancy and am paranoid of having the same medical problems. I never had this much anxiety or depression at all in my first pregnancy. I'm worried this will lead or contribute to post partum depression or something as well. I guess I don't really have any advise but just letting you know it must be somewhat normal and your not the only one in this boat. You should probaly mention it to your obgyn I should probaly as well to mine. I'm hoping this normal LOL! Hang in there!
I dealt with the same thing. It hit me in my last trimester. Drs told me that your baby depletes your seratonin at the end of your pregnancy. Going outside everyday and light exercise helped me a lot.
Good luck!!
I have experienced anxiety attacks and depression on and off all through most of my life. When I was pregnant I would wake up very often with major anxiety. I got through it by listening to my husband who would reassure me that the house doesn't have to look perfect and things will work out, even once the baby arrives. For my first pregnancy, I read a lot of stuff in preparation for the birth, and I pursued guided meditation and lost myself in my work. For my second pregnancy, I got myself into a prenatal (and later, postnatal) exercise class and worked monthly with a massage therapist. It is very hard M. but you can get through this. Take as much time off as you can from work and talk about your feelings with a loved one who understands you. [You've got two kids already so I'm sure you can never just take time off work completely.] You are not running idle; you are preparing for the birth of your third child. This is tough work!
Hi,
Drinking tea may help. There is a tea called Kav Kava that does help with anxiety. Check out this website and hit the
"Tea" tab at the top of the page, and scroll down till you see the "Kava Kava" tea article. Be sure to check with your doctor before trying. eatknowhow.wordpress.com
Good luck!
HI! I have always suffered from anxiety and after I had my first child it was worse....because of stress since my husband was working and going to school and I was doing it all by myself with no sleep etc. I personally ended up seeing doctor and went on Zoloft. I've found alot of it is caused by major hormonal changes in my body....and stress. So if you don't start feeling better real soon, you may want to go see a psychiatrist or talk to your family doctor. It might be something you'll have to take to get through this time. Sometimes these drugs aren't needed long term, just long enough to get through these situations beyond our control. Also, think about what might be stressing you out...etc. Try to put it out of your mind if possible.
Talk to your doctor ASAP! I had horrible depression when I was pregnant and at first refused to go on anti-depressant. I got to a point I couldn't stop crying and was having vey bad thoughts and then I had no choice. (around 26 weekes - delivered @ 29 weeks) They put me on prozac - an earlier experience w/Zoloft caused me to lose a ton of weight and I still had morning sickness. It was expecially hard because everyone thinks you should be SO happy all the time when you're pregnant. Even if you don't need any meds now, it's a good idea to be open w/your doctor now so you can monitor for postpartum depression later. (I had to add well-butrin and ambien to the mix after a year) Hang in there!
I would probably speak to your ob about this at your next appt. (or sooner if it becomes a serious problem and you are loosing sleep, feeling bad, etc) just incase she might have some ideas for you or at least so he/she can become aware of it. Mostly because having depression/anxiety during pregnancy increases your chances for post partum issues...doesn't mean this will happen to you (and I hope it does not) but it's importnat to keep your dr in the loop. Also consider what helps you to relax (warm bath, reading, journaling, etc) and try to implement that in your life. Also exercise is one of the best ways to combat depression/anxiety so try and get in some daily exercise, taking a walk is a great way to do this. It doesn't have to be an hour or anything but try for 20-30 minutes or do shorter walks 2 or 3 times a day. Exercise can really help improve your mood and help with sleep. GOOD LUCK!
Hi M.,
I've experienced panic attacks and anxiety for over 20 years.
During all of my pregnancies, my anxiety was hightened.
For the first time in my life, I feel like I am free of panic attacks and finally managing my anxiety. I owe that to a great therapist who used a different approach than I had ever used in the past.
So, if you haven't tried it already, a great therapist can help you work wonders to get things under control.
If therapy is not an option then, turning to other people for support and just to talk it out can really make a difference. It helps to know that you are not alone and that other women experience this.
Some other things to try that helped me are:
~ Deep breathing (this can be really hard to do if you are anxious, but, it does work wonders)
~ Some light excercise (check with your DR.)
~ Journaling (get all of your concerns and worries out on paper)
Make sure you are taking care of yourself and you are not being hard on yourself. Try to do something enjoyable each day. And, if you feel a panic attack coming on, or you are feeling anxious, just ask your kids for a hug! That helped me refocus myself!
Pregnancy is hard.... and so is being a mom, so go easy on yourself.
If you need anyone to vent to..... or just understand what you are going through, feel free to write me. I check mammasource each day.
Congrats on the new baby on the way!
D
Anxiety is never just about pregnancy M.. But the pregnancy does mean that you cannot medicate for it without consequences to the health of your baby.
The most effective and safe anxiety remedy is called ASPEN. It is a Bach flower essence and will eliminate your anxiety in minutes. Google for it on-line, you'll pay $10-$12. Four drops in a small glass of water will do it. Then, keep it on hand for when your anxiety crops up again. It will be your best friend in the years to come and reduce or eliminate the need for pharmaceuticals.
wow-preg.with twins??and your having anxiety attacks??i think this is normal....did you talk to your dr.??not to mention the hormones raging thru your body...i would talk to your dr.before asking advice from the public.you may have something else going on.good luck
I experienced a lot of anxiety and panic attacks with my second pregnancy during the last trimester. The doctor put me on Zoloft and it didn't really help much. Then he switched my medication to Effexor. I was able to have some relief of my symptoms. I wasn't wanting to use medication during pregnancy, but I figured it was worse for the baby for me to be so anxious and stressed all of the time. I forced myself to continue working so that I would have something to try to take my mind off of my anxiety. I also took a morning walk everyday to help ease the symptoms.
My anxiety must have been somewhat hormone induced because after I delivered, I almost immedietly felt better. I continued to take the Effexor and I was able to breastfeed while taking the medication.
My daughter is now 3 and is perfectly healthy.
I hope this information helps.
I also have had anxiety issues for years and pregnancy always made them worse, particularly in the first trimester and then again toward the end. I suspect it's hormonal; my docs seem somewhat unwilling to accept that (which is weird, since all the pharmaceutical ads for PMDD mention anxiety as a PMS symptom!). Anyway--if your doctor trivializes it, make sure they are aware how life-altering this is. I actually was removed from work for a week to kinda get my head together. Anxiety is exhausting, if nothing else, and pregnancy can do all sorts of wacky things to you and your body. If you are more concerned about it than just knowing it's happened to others, please find someone who will take you seriously, doctor wise, and find out what they recommend. Also...in my case, I think having a doula or even a good friend to go through labor with would have helped. Near the end, I think my anxiety was made worse by fear of labor and the huge changes that were going to happen; talking to friends who'd been there, done that (and professionals who were sympathetic) really helped. Good luck!!!
hey mama....i didn't have anxiety during my pregnancy, but serious depression i think....i did take medication prior to my pregancy for this (zoloft) and continued throughout pregnancy...not everyone want to go the medication route, but for me it helps tremendously
only advice i have is talk to your dr...also...you have lots of hormones right now, sometimes getting outside for a walk helps with anxiety.....
one thing i can tell you is that just because you're experiencing this right now doesn't mean you will continue after pregnancy....because i was depressed during....i thought for sure i'd have postpartum depression....and i didn't
at one time in my life, (not while pregnant) i used to have panic attacks in the middle of the night...panic in the middle of the night is the worst...i felt alone and trapped and crazy or afraid i would go crazy....weird stuff, girlfriend, weird stuff!
get out of bed...step outside the door get some fresh air....you can take control of the situation....staying where you are just escalates the feelings....and remember....you really aren't the only person up and awake in the world at that time...i used to think about all the people up and about that work the night shifts at the grocery, gas station, etc.....it helped me to not feel so alone...definitely do something you find enjoyable to distract you....have a little project going or a good juicy fluffy book that you can get distracted by to take your mind off of feeling overwhelmed and suffocated or whatever...if you don't want to get out of bed...have a book right at your bedside that you can grab asap and dive into before you dive into your scarry thoughts...
also...when i was having trouble with the anxiety attacks in the middle of the night...i started excercising (just walking) during the day and i slept way better at night....i know that is realllllly hard when you have kids AND when your pregnant....but anything you can do to get your body a little circulation will help you sleep better at night....
good luck....remember the feelings you have are FEELINGS....it's not fact or reality....they will pass as quickly as they came....
good luck mama, you are not alone!
M.,
My answer is not going to be popular but it may be helpful. I experienced this same thing a few years ago before I ever thought of having children. I kept thinking I could handle it, and I felt like a failure when I couldn't. It got so I would only sleep about 2 hrs a night and was a wreck and a zombie during the day. I was put on antidepressents, and a sleeping pill. I have never felt better, when I became pregnant I made sure all of my meds were type B medications. This is the same category as asprin. Type A doesn't really exist. Anyway my baby was born fine and I avoided post-pardem. I take a half a sleeping pill at night which is just enough to help me sleep but not enough for me to sleep through the crying of my baby. For a long time I felt guilty and embarrassed that I was taking meds for depression, but I have realized that it does not change who I am, it just lets me be me!! I just wanted you to know this so you don't feel anxiety that there is no option. I tried many herbal remidies and everything under the sun to sleep and nothing else has worked. Whatever you do though don't take an herbal medicaiton esp while pregnent. They are not regulated by the FDA and you cannot be sure they will be safe for your baby.
