Breastfeeding and Natural Antideppressants?

I suggest you consult with my doctor because through a combination of eastern and western medicine, and without taking chemicals, I went from years of taking antidepressants to being drug and depression free. I go to Dr. David Karaba in Fullerton. Feel free to email me if you want more info.

Best regards,

M.

Hi M.,

Awesome job on the breastfeeding. I nursed my son until he was 2.

I would love to recommend a fantastic homeopathic doctor in Ventura who's awesome with these types of issues. He's helped our family through countless colds, coughs and other issues. His name is Francisco Arias and his phone number is ###-###-####. He can help you figure out what's wrong and how to fix it naturally so you can keep nursing.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

M. :-)

Hi M., Unfortunately I don't know anything a about "natural" antidepressants (other than exercise that helps- so does sleep!)

I just wanted to give you a hug over this site. I had post partum depression after the birth of my 2 youngest kids, so I know it's very difficult. I think with me that it happened because there were more pressures, less support and less sleep ( as well as the physical issues). I know the black hole is the pits. Besides prescription meds I also had to do talk therapy.

Try not to be hard on yourself. There is no such thing as a perfect mom/wife- we just do the best we can.
Peace.

This question is best answered by a doctor...Pediatrician, Lactation Consultant or OBGYN. Someone who knows the effects it will have on your milk production.

Depression can occur at various stages after birth, just make sure you are expressing your feelings to someone...whether it be your hubby, friend or even a support group. You'd be surprised how many Mommy groups are out there for playdates, and some Mommy-time.

Good Luck and be well.

M., please know that I so understand the heartbreak of depression and how it truly affects not just the person but also everyone around him/her. It's a wild funk of darkness that just descends upon you with no warning, and it's suffocating. But, my personal experience with psych drugs are that they never get to the root of what's causing you to feel the way you do and that they do more harm than good and that, in fact, there are many natural solutions that can actually help with what you are going through. That's why it's so wonderful to hear that you are looking for natural alternatives for the way you are feeling.

I highly recommend contacting Dr. Anita Pepi who is truly an amazing Chiropractor and Nutritionist and would definitely be able to help you naturally. She is my nutritionist, and I love her. In fact, I think she is the best of the best! A lil' pricey but worth it!

Here's her data:

2950 Los Feliz Blvd. Suite 101
Los Angeles, CA 90039
(323) 666~1088
http://www.drpepi.com

If she is too far for you, please let me know as I may know of an incredible nutritionist that is closer to you.

I'd also recommend checking out 3 organizations validating why going the natural route is best for you:
http://www.cchr.org/
http://www.labelmesane.com/
http://www.mindfreedom.org/

You'll also find some amazing data regarding alternatives at: http://www.cchr.org/solutions_and_alternatives/

And, please watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xjx0gdL83I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRJN_NfyiH4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgMovNmtRF0&feature=user
http://www.psychconflicts.org/
http://www.cchr.org/#/videos/making-a-killing-introduction

I send you this data with love.

Please free to contact me at: (323) 906~2784 or via e~mail me at ____@____.com.

I'd love to help however I can.

With love,
L. (MAMA to 15 month old Dylan Orion.....29 September 2007). : )))

Have you ever had an amino acid panel done? Amino acids are the building blocks of life.
If your MD is not knowledgeable, Check out my MD
David Allen
2211 Corinth Ave
WLA CA
###-###-####
D. Merlin
Mother/author
www.victoryoveradhd.com

Dear M.,

I see you are in Santa Barbara...Luc Maes is an excellent homeopath there with many years of experience. Homeopathy offers an outstanding approach to depression and is completely safe for a nursing mom. Check him out!

Best regards,

S. I., L.Ac.

Sounds like you got some other good advisors below! But one thing I know that helps with mood stabilization is GABA. You can get it at the health food store - Twinlabs has the best I know of, called GABA Plus, that you take before bed - it helps you drop into a deeper sleep but doesn't make you sleepy. Just turns off the chitchat in your head so you can concentrate on getting to sleep. On the days I take it the night before, I wake up feeling so much more rested, like I got more hours than I had, and not groggy at all!! Check with any professionals you may know too, but I think it couldn't hurt your little one either! Look it up on google - there's bound to be loads of info on it there. And by the way - if you do buy vitamins - the absolute very best price for the freshest vitamins is online through:
iherb.com
I never buy them anywhere else now!
By the way -I felt depressed a lot many times too, (raising my 7 kids) but the best secret I kept was that I knew that feelings are something that come and go, but that the end was worth all the work and suffering. So I would try not to pay attention to them and keep asking God for strength. When you are tired nothing is fun. That's why getting better sleep is so important.
Bless you
R.

Hi M.,
I have experienced bouts of depression, but the majority of it has been due to premenopause. I'm not sure if your doctor's have taken the time to help you figure out the cause of your depression which a GOOD doctor should be able to do. I have been able to fully recover from it using a natural health doctor. She used a combination of accupuncture, NAET, massage, and supplements. If you are in south orange county and want her number I'd be happy to give it to you. Please note that she is also an MD and she takes most insurance.

Hello M.,

Congratulations on your new baby... If you want to avoid taking medication while nursing, you might want to consider Acupuncture for Postpartum Depression/Depression.

I have treated Depression (Postpartum and general) with success. If you are in the Las Vegas area and would like some more information, please do not hesitate to give us a call at ###-###-####.
Rhee's Acupuncture Clinic
1995 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, NV 89104

Best wishes,
O. Rhee, O.M.D.

M.,
I went through depression while nursing as well. I found this article that you may find interesting:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-Omega-3-Okay-to-Use-While-Br...

One thing I will say is the QUALITY of the fish oil must be exceptional to avoid mercury. I am taking Carlson fish oil tablets and the fish oil is mined from very deep nordic waters and has no mercury. I purchase it at Mother's Market or Henry's Marketplace, but you can also purchase it online. It isn't cheap, but again, it's the quality that is the most important factor when deciding on fish oil.

Best of luck, keep up the nursing, and I hope that you feel better very, very soon!!

M.,

Good for you for taking some action early on! Talk with your OB AND a lactation consultant. Depression runs in my family, too, and I remember that my Dr. told me that there were drugs that are safe to take while breastfeeding. You can follow up with the lactation consultant, who can tell you whether the drug your Dr. recommends is passed into breast milk.

If you decide not to go the prescription route, the lactation consultant should still be able to give you info on what's safe to take

good luck, and keep taking good care of yourself!
C.

Hi! Have you heard of Sunrider? It is completely safe and I have know of others to get over their depression with it. It is so safe that the new born you are feeding can eat it-no need to worry about the breast milk filtering it out. Let me know if you would like more info. I have heard negative things about fish oil. Please do your research.

God Bless!

J.

Hi M.,

I am sooo sympathetic to you! I am so, so sorry you are going through this. Depression runs in my family, and I had terrible postpartum depression too.

I would suggest discussing all of your options with your doctor. Pregnant women can take depression meds if necessary, so I imagine that nursing women can, too. (I know you said that you didn't want to stop nursing, but you can if taking meds and nursing makes you nervous--your baby is 19 months, after all, but if nursing makes you feel good I understand why you wouldn't want to stop at this time).

I personally would not be comfortable taking "natural" meds without talking to my doctor about it. Herbs are still drugs!! It's why you can't even drink herbal teas when pregnant! "Natural" meds aren't necessarily regulated, either, so there's no real way to know what the dosages and strengths are among brands, or what kinds of studies have been done on the herbs.

If you can see a therapist at this time, I would. It's so helpful to talk to an unbiased professional.

Just remember, a happy mommy makes for a happy baby. Sometimes we moms forget to take care of ourselves.

I wish you the best!!
:-) D.

M.,

These are excellent supplements to take and not harmful that I know of. I would highly recommend having an in-depth look at your hormones, thyroid levels. This involves more than one test. You will want a saliva test for the hormones as well as a blood test that will check the 'free' and unbound hormones. Thyroid levels are important as well as it does control the hormones. Your body is out of whack and just needs some fine tuning.

We've had Taurine, 5-HTP, and Gaba work wonders for depression as well. They are amino acids and in our cases it was mercury damage to the brain that was causing the amino acids to not be absorbed correctly. Works like a charm here. Check out www.amenclinics.com and the Neurolink supplements.

Also be completely informed about vaccinations for your children. Absolutely do not get the Gardasil vaccination for your daughter as there as thousands that have been damaged, and that is not even the long term effects. The flu shot is chalk full of mercury, aluminum, and many other ingredients that will make you sick. Could also contribute to depression.

www.909shot.org
www.tacanow.org
www.generationrescue.com

The Vaccine Book, by Dr. Robert Sears
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Childhood Vaccinations, by Dr. Stephanie Cave
Evidence of Harm, by David Kirby

No way no way no way. NO ANTIDEPRESSANTS. Natural vitamins OK, but NO prescribed antidepressants.

If it's that bad, stop nursing(I know that's heartbreaking)but switch to bottle. Antidepressants are not yet long enough on the market and used long enough to know ALL of what we're getting into...20 yrs down the road will tell of these children that nursed, or the original patient to begin with---effects and what we DIDNT know.

Wendy

Great job breastfeeding, I say keep it up. The little amount of med they get from your milk is pretty much filtered out... the benefits of your milk out weigh the draw backs of the meds that get into their system. I THINK anyway. Look at the Le Leche League website they have a lot of info on this.