BlogHer - ppd - Comments

It is amazing what getting

Kian Yamaguchi — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:03:14 -0600

It *is* amazing what getting a full night's sleep will do for you. My baby (the youngest of my 7) is 18 months. I stopped nursing him at 16 months. I got a full nights sleep shortly thereafter and lo-and-behold, I'm nearly human again.

I still can't get anything done with him and his 3 year old brother hanging on me, but at least I'm sleeping.

Good luck!

http://mamafasha.blogspot.com

http://MKSkinCare.myarbonne.com

So glad you're sharing your

katstone — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:40:02 -0500

So glad you're sharing your feelings -- your trials and tribulations. It's so important for women to feel safe telling the truth about new motherhood.

It is true that sleep management is a very important tool in dealing with PPD. Your doctor is EXACTLY right that no amount of meds or therapy will help you get better if you're being tortured by endless sleep deprivation.

Even those of us who can't afford night nurses -- which is almost ALL of us -- can get some sleep. My husband and I had a 2-nights on, 2-nights off deal. For two nights I got up with the baby the entire night, and for the next two nights I slept soundly throughout the entire night in a room without a monitor and knew that my husband was in charge. And yes, he had a job to go to in the morning. But that's life. In sickness and in health, right? He knew this was what he had to do for our entire family to get healthy.

And it helped immensely. The truth is studies show that unless you get 5 hours in a row of sleep, what you are getting is NOT helpful.

Katherine Stone, author, Postpartum Progress at http://postpartumprogress.typepad.com

Katherine Stone
Postpartum Progress

You're Not Alone

Teresa B — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:52:49 -0500

I have had 3 children and have suffered with ppd with all three of them. The last one was by far the worst, because you of course have to still be mom to 3 children, right? My youngest is 3 and we are finally seeing a little light at the end of the sleep tunnel, but the fact that he is now sleeping in my bed could be something there (insert bad parenting note here).

Please know that it will get better, you will start to see old glimpses of yourself, and eventually get a night's sleep. You are lucky to have a hubby willing to take the nighttime responsibilities from you, be happy there.

Good Luck & Good Night!

Teresa

Therapy is Good

MiaHysteria — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:14:57 -0500

Therapy is good no matter who you are.

We all have issues that we can't resolve on our own or with friends and family. Go Angelina (whom I initially was 'against' with the whole Angelina/Brad/Jennifer drama) and Go Her Bad Mother!!!!!!

~Mia.

My blog is General Hysteria~

From another sleep deprived mama

Cassandra — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:37:17 -0500

It's been over a year since I've had more than 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep. On good nights I will get a single stretch of 4. That happens maybe once a month. I feel your pain. I knew before I got pg that this would be the hardest part for me. It sucks to be right. My daughter was born 3 months premature, so I got to start the sleep deprivation cycle early. I am too sleep deprived to be the kind of mama I want to be, need to be, KNOW I can be, and yet, caring for her means I cannot get the sleep I need. It's a vicious cycle.

All I have to say is night nurses are all well and good, but they don't work for those of us who breastfeed unless they are WET nurses, too.

I've been in therapy for about a month and a half now, with a PhD, not an MD, so no meds for me, yet, but I'm sure that once she weans, I'm going to need help getting my body to figure out it is allowed to sleep the EIGHT HOURS IN A ROW I DESPERATELY require.

This is so important for other struggling moms

Vered — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:29:01 -0500

It's wonderful that you're sharing your struggle. On your blog and here.

---

I blog at MomGrind

I manage my kids' activities at UpToUs

10 months pp with 1st

keito — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:02:42 -0500

I appreciated your post, and can definitely relate to the way you feel, especially about how feeling negative about your body feels anti-feminist. I've struggled with body image for a long time, but it's become especially troubling since I had my daughter. I'm still about 15-20 lbs away from my pp weight, but I'm trying not to obsess about losing the weight but on feeling healthy, positive and active. One thing that drives me CRAZY is when people talk about how breastfeeding "melts" the pounds off. I have absolutely not found this to be the case, and have found that at least 50% of my friends have had the same experience as me. I think it's genetics, plain and simple. I'm still nursing and plan to continue into the second year, so if I hold onto these pounds until then, so be it. I struggle every day-- alternating between feeling proud of my body and what it can do, and feeling disgusted by it. Although objectively, I know my body is not disgusting and I can see it as being beautiful, it doesn't feel beautiful most of the time. A person very close to me is struggling with an eating disorder right now, though, so I'm trying to keep it all in perspective. I look at her and she is so beautiful and it reminds me that other people could see me the same way, too. I totally agree, also, about media coverage of postpartum bodies affecting the way you feel about your own. You can't go anywhere without seeing how whoever dropped 40 lbs in two weeks. We live in a diseased society. Although I felt the same way at the time, you're only 7 weeks pp! Take care of yourself. I should mention, too, that I suffered quite severely from ppd, and it wasn't really apparent until about 8 wks pp, so I'm glad it's on your radar. As difficult as it is to do, because all of these things are related, you need to focus on your mental health and say F*** OFF to all of the societal pressure to be back to "normal." Take care.

I'm 10 weeks pp my 2nd

mamastoff — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 23:51:02 -0500

I'm 10 weeks pp my 2nd child and feeling the same way. I'm actually back to my pre-preg weight (was within 2 weeks thanks to the breastfeeding), BUT NOTHING is in it's right place! Not feeling as though there is any depression in a serious form, but I'm an emotional eater so when I feel down about my weight (or shape), I just eat more. And it really IS hard trying to not compare ourselves to the celebrities who can afford personal trainers and chefs and nutritionists, etc. I have to keep telling myself that if I had all of those people helping me along I'd be skinny in a matter of a couple of weeks too! I really do want to start working out but I just can't seem to muster up the energy with a 10 week old and a 2 year old. Does anyone have any advice for when and how they work out with little children??

www.sprinkles.wordpress.com

Dedicated!

osoleomar48 — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 12:08:43 -0500

That the words cannot be able to tell..-

That the words cannot be able to tell, now tell as the image's power that's the pictures and the video's fragrances, you know. And if you would, please will u watching that , you're welcome now to me, because an artist that my way lives when her can will telling u on customizing the suit and quickly WEB's language too.
I could tell u, hours to hours, about the our BODY's intelligence, about the huge resources that his own, I should will u convincing about your will power if u doing the sincere alliance with your body , your mind and your heart, sameone, you will wishing by me another words more and more.
What u think about that?
Now , imaging u the INTERPETER, is your BODY, his ‘s very smart that his encode and decode always ,in the morning or in the night, when u sleeping or when u working, a lot of messages with as... it's all right that, but that's the ocean's of informations for him! Now , have a mind in that , please! YOU will helping him now! You will becoming an INTERPETER for him now that encode and decode a lot of messages with him.
Very simply you know! That ‘s all!

Granny "BELARDA"

Pregnancy is nuts in too

Graceful Parenting — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:54:57 -0500

The strangest body image part for me was the pregnancy itself, having my body taken over as if remote controlled to do all sorts of things I wouldn't normally do (feel hungover all the time, burp and fart like crazy, etc.).

I hope you start feeling better soon!

Carol Marie Ramsey
Finding balance and peace in parenting at Graceful Parenting

Baby momma Body

jenns1125 — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:34:20 -0500

Well, I feel for you. When I had one of my children, I forget which one now, I read that your body isn't even programmed to start losing weight until the baby is 6 months to 1 yr old. Your body keeps the weight on to breastfreed the baby. Now, this was of no use to me because my children refused to nurse. I did use it when people snarked at me for being bigger then I used to be. I would just look at them and say "Well, I gained a Kindergartner, what's your excuse?" That shut them up. I was kind of hormonal then. ; )

I still struggle with my body image but I'm more concerned now with my health. It dawned on me a few years ago that my children may have children of their own. I would love to have grandbabies to spoil and give back. I can't do that if I'm unhealthy.

I hope it gets better soon.

Jennifer http://08.the3day.org/goto/jenns1125 For Jewels

At froggemom, at mom_diane03, at Anya beth....KISSES!

osoleomar48 — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:57:10 -0500

My sweet friends u're beautyful so much. U're the lovers mom, u're still obeyng at your byological clocks..Have a minds now in that, dont fortgetted that! A lot of careless to u!

My Friends i'm sure about that!

osoleomar48 — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:43:11 -0500

Tank u very much if u belived in my written before, i'm sure , i tell u too!..Our body it's our best friend or our worst ennemy that depend by as. It learn and listen by as hi can proceeded together as only..Our body have a her life.It 's going on in basis of what hi saw, learn, listen and more and more...It obey u..You must lovin'it very much and hi 'll loving u too..Listen me my friends i've experience about that ...Have a nice day and everythinks to u, all the best!

Sing it sister!

Anyabeth — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:38:55 -0500

I could have written this exactly. I am struggling so much with accepting my new body and then I feel guilty about caring about this.

Anyabeth

If you can't say anything nice, come sit next to me. Tact free since 2003.

http://tantrumwarehouse.blogspot.com

Lordy, do I know how ya feel!

mom_diane03 — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:20:21 -0500

I have had three boys, the youngest 18 mths now - and I fell into depression after having the 2nd child. I didn't notice it though (and neither did anyone else I might add) until my third child was about 1 year old. I had gained weight, lost motivation to do things, and really didn't care about my body. When I realized that I was telling the kids to "go play" way too much, I decided that was it, it wasn't right for the kids. I wasn't being a good parent...blah blah blah - went to Dr talked to her and have since been getting on a better track!!! I am still not back where I want to be mentally, so right now my body is still not #1 on the list. I have finally succumb to seeing that my children come first yet I have to take time for myself!!! Hey - you're also a mom of an infant, that in itself is stressful enough. Don't put too much stress on the body image right now, you'll figure it out. Even just writing on here and making my own blog (http://3xysforus.blogspot.com) has helped me relate to other people!!!

Have a great day and think about the positives not about the negatives!