Postpartum Depression

this same thing happened to me. the good news is that i didn't have it with my other kids.

i had some depression while pregnant but thankfully was too insanely busy to dwell in it for long once the baby was born...since experiencing that dark well first hand, I've learned that MANY mothers experience it at some point in their childbearing years...it's real, it's scary and you are definitely not alone. There is help, in many forms. Start by talking to someone you trust...not always your spouse...mine told me to "snap out of it." Find someone who gets it...another woman/mother usually...You don't necessarily need drugs but some people do...I didn't...but thank God I did get out of it relatively quickly ("only" a few months can seem like eternity when you're in it)...it's most important to take care of yourself...you WILL bond with the baby...if you are in a really dark place get help with the baby so he/she bonds with a caring adult, even if it's a nanny or other family member...they ALWAYS know who their mommies are...even when they have full-time caregivers who are not their mommies...get yourself back into balance and healthy and then the bonding will happen easily and naturally...and don't worry about how, when or why this happened. guilt and worry serve no useful purpose and never resolve any problems...they just drag you into another hole...Depression can be triggered by all sorts of chemical, hormonal and emotional issues...if you are vulnerable and all the physical points align, it can happen...so just reach out and get some support...think of it like having a really terrible case of the flu...you need some time to recover...your body is telling you to pay more attention...that's all...it sucks and feels really bad, but you can recover...i promise. xoxo

at least now we know -- can put a tag line on -- what it is that so many of us experienced back when we were first having our brood. i was flying high with my first 2, but really had some PPD with my 3rd, which is interesting as many women experience it on their first go-round. realizing what it is, and that it's a natural (albeit difficult) response for some women, made getting through it that much easier.....

I had a horrible, horrible time with PTSD, and I wasn't diagnosed until my son was about 15 months old, and then it took a couple of years to really get through it, drugs and doctor (actually, a pharmacological specialist), the whole nine yards. At the time, my husband's company changed management and he lost his job a week after I gave birth (a month early), so he was a wreck, too. We were trying to sell our house at the same time, we had a terrible neighbor...yada yada yada. The good news is that bonding is over a lifetime; my son and I have a real heart-to-heart connection (he is 7 now) and have had it since he was about 2. It will all get better as time goes along.