Jump to content

Menu

PPD versus Depression????


Recommended Posts

**UPDATE on posts 11 and 14**

 

Dumb question... but if say there is a new mom who experienced PPD after the traumatic C-section at 34 weeks of her twin babies... and now those babies are 3 years old... if she experiences PPD (insomnia, irritability, fatigue, inability to watch the girls and sleeps in bed, etc) on a regular basis, would that be PPD OR clincial depression?? :confused:

Edited by tex-mex
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the medical definition says that it's PPD if it's within the first 2 years. But honestly, the official diagnosis doesn't matter. It'd depression either way and getting treatment is helpful for both. I've had PPD and "regular" depression (outside of the 2 yr time frame). The only difference for me was timing. The symptoms were the same, treatment the same.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the medical definition says that it's PPD if it's within the first 2 years. But honestly, the official diagnosis doesn't matter. It'd depression either way and getting treatment is helpful for both. I've had PPD and "regular" depression (outside of the 2 yr time frame). The only difference for me was timing. The symptoms were the same, treatment the same.

 

:iagree:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had PPD with my 1st child and never sought treatment. Eventually I managed to get out of my funk, but I wished later on that I had been treated for it. But at the time, I thought crying every day was normal when you had just had a baby.

 

When I was pg with my 2nd child, my DH very lovingly pointed out that what I was feeling was not normal, and he encouraged me to seek treatment. Once I started Zoloft (at about 30 weeks pg) it was a night-and-day difference. My entire delivery and postpartum experience was SO much better.

 

When I was talking to the OB about it during that 2nd pgcy, she asked if I had ever experienced symptoms of depression before. I shared my experience with untreated PPD after baby #1, but immediately my mind went back to a time in college when I had been clinically depressed but never realized it. The OB told me that if you've experienced ANY kind of depression, you are pre-disposed to PPD and vice versa.

 

I wish this was something people would be more up-front about, instead of hiding. When I mentioned to my mom that I was being treated for PPD, it came out that we apparently have a strong history of depression in the family. I had no idea. Depression is a medical condition, triggered by stress in much the same way as high blood pressure can be triggered by stress. I think parenting two 3-year-olds can be very stressful! If the symptoms you describe have lasted for longer than 3 weeks, it's depression. No matter whether you label it PPD or clinical depression, talk to your dr and get treatment. You'll be SO glad you did. :grouphug:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the medical definition says that it's PPD if it's within the first 2 years. But honestly, the official diagnosis doesn't matter. It'd depression either way and getting treatment is helpful for both. I've had PPD and "regular" depression (outside of the 2 yr time frame). The only difference for me was timing. The symptoms were the same, treatment the same.

 

:iagree: I think that PPD for me just blended in with my usual depression.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PTSD from a traumatic birth is sometimes misdiagnosed as PPD. I think doctors would just rather blame it on your body rather than their actions or insensitivity:glare:.

:iagree:

 

This gal never got "officially" dx'ed for PPD. Her mom is an ER nurse and they pretty much self-dx'ed. She never got help via meds or counseling either. She had the twins in NICU for many weeks and the lack of bonding bothered her greatly. When they came home, she found it difficult to breastfeed them. And later as babies/toddlers, their personalities were difficult for her to bond with basically. I think personally she is in clinical depression after 3 years of this -- on a monthly basis -- where she is inable to care for the babies for 7-10 days (based on her cycle) and insomnia rules. Plus being a mom of multiples is tough. Not sure how to help her?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:iagree:

 

This gal never got "officially" dx'ed for PPD. Her mom is an ER nurse and they pretty much self-dx'ed. She never got help via meds or counseling either. She had the twins in NICU for many weeks and the lack of bonding bothered her greatly. When they came home, she found it difficult to breastfeed them. And later as babies/toddlers, their personalities were difficult for her to bond with basically. I think personally she is in clinical depression after 3 years of this -- on a monthly basis -- where she is inable to care for the babies for 7-10 days (based on her cycle) and insomnia rules. Plus being a mom of multiples is tough. Not sure how to help her?

 

Yikes. The G'ma/Mom of new mother was certainly a gem. :glare:

 

The mother of twins has experienced trauma, and has untreated depression. She needs medical and mental health care, pronto. The longer her body and brain go like this, the more her brain is re-wired in ways that hurt rather than help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yikes. The G'ma/Mom of new mother was certainly a gem. :glare:

 

The mother of twins has experienced trauma, and has untreated depression. She needs medical and mental health care, pronto. The longer her body and brain go like this, the more her brain is re-wired in ways that hurt rather than help.

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

I thank you, Joanne, for your professional opinion.

 

I completely agree. Problem is not only the G'ma/Mom of new mother, but her husband (a know-it-all) and new mom herself. Before being married, new mom worked at her mom's ER as the person who intaked incoming patients. New mom was NOT a nurse, mind you. But went to college hoping one day to be a doctor/med school. (It never happened... her med school scores were dismal.) She tends to be a know-it-all like her dh too. She loved to diagnose patients and stuff too when she worked in the ER.

 

She and her ER nurse mom self dx'ed this situation with disasterous results. They have no insurance for a doctor or meds either. I am very worried that at 3 years of this looping (monthly) behavior... her brain will get "re-wired". When her twins came out of NICU, she did not bond with them. She had 3 friends come to the house to help feed, bathe, change, and take care of the twins for the first 6 months. She has been accused by insensitive friends of not being there for her twins too (which I think is more of the depression/PPD). Her husband and (live in) mother do not help, period. She has to be there for her twins 24/7. I tried helping a year ago with once a week trips to the gym or storytime and it did help the new mom to realize there was a "world" outside her home. She is doing much better compared to a year ago... but I am worried she may have permanent brain synapse "relapse", kwim?

 

How do I share this to a know-it-all personality and hopefully get them help? It is beginning to affect her marriage and motherhood to those high energy twins. The twins are 3 and still in diapers (toilet training is too much for her), twins go to bed after 10 pm and wake up at 7am, new mom gets no rest and cleans the mess from the tornado (that twins do) once they are in bed, as a result, she gets no sleep 'til 5am... and she is on call once the twins wake up at 7am. Plus the twins are very strong willed and high energy. See the mess? No routine. They cannot afford daycare or a babysitter. And she allows the twins to nap from 4pm to 5pm, which adds to the mess of a sleep schedule. I feel bad for her... but cannot say a thing for fear of hurting her new mom "wings" and basically she is a know-it-all. Oh dear.

Edited by tex-mex
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What source of information does the new mom use when she needs to learn about a new topic? Maybe appropriate book/video/website gentle recomendations would help without being threatening. Obviously, the time to look at these sources would be difficult to arrange. Maybe a trip to the library or a book store and helpwatch the twins while she looks at new resources?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...