I've got 3 dogs, i didn't think I was going to have kids so I guess i just went over board with the dogs. Now I have a new born and 3 dogs that dont listen unless they have shock collars on. I feel bad but they irritate me sooooo much. I do not want them near my son, I dont want them on the couch or touching his stuff. I didn't care if they were dirty before but now I'm over aware of it and it bugs me way too much that they are dirty. I'm 2 weeks post op c section and can't wash them. I took on the responsibility of taking care of these dogs so Im not saying I would ever give them away, but im just so frustrated with them. They have dog beds and they are on the couch right now with my husband , all 3 and it bugs me so bad. I have tried to keep them off the couch but my husband doesnt.... Has any one else gotten this feeling with their dogs afterwards and did that feeling ever go away????

Hi all, I’m a F(23) and have a 10 month old, my first baby. I’m trying to figure out if I’m struggling with PPD or anxiety or if this is totally normal :

Some information: I’m a stay at home mom, my husband works.

On his night shifts, I stay at my parents because I’m too afraid to stay home alone.

He recently took some time off, which meant I had him home for a while. He just went back to work and I’ve been having such a difficult time staying home - and the “root” of the problem is being afraid to spend wake windows with my baby.

We have a routine and when I’m busy with the essentials (feeding, pumping, diaper changes, etc) I’m fine. But when everything slightly settles down and my baby is playing and I get a glimpse of the clock and realize I have 1-2 hours of wake time with them still I begin to panic, I cry nonstop.

I’ve felt like this before with night shifts, but all other shifts I was completely fine. And out of nowhere, after his time off I can’t function on any kind of shift.

I’m just looking for some answers/ words of advice. Idk. I’m just so lost..

If you need some more information feel free to ask. I feel like a rambling man, so many thoughts in my head

Hi,

I'm making a short film about postpartum mental health for my college experimental film class to spread awareness, as it has affected many of the women in my family.

I'm looking for someone who could record audio of themself listing symptoms they've experienced for a voiceover.

If you're at all interested in this, please comment and I'll reach out via DMs to give more info and whatever else you need. Or you can DM this account first if you'd prefer to keep participation more private.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions. Thanks for any help possible.

When my son was born in 2023 I experienced severe PPA starting around week 5 post partum. It was debilitating and I was unable to sleep because I constantly felt in a panic- sometimes about his health but sometimes about nothing at all. It developed rapidly into a deep depression with suicidal thoughts and I admitted myself to the Psych unit for a week. That didn’t seem to help me at all as I felt extremely isolated and alone but was able to start some medication. My husband ended up taking an extended leave from work as I could barely take care of myself let alone our baby. It took me months to finally start to feel like myself again and be able to sleep without the use of meds. Looking back I often think it’s a miracle that I survived. I was able to wean off medication fully in early 2024 and then became pregnant again shortly after. My pregnancy was going really well until the beginning of my third trimester- it’s like a switch got flipped and I suddenly feel anxious all the time again and am unable to sleep at all without being back on medication. I’m currently on Cipralex, Trazadone and Seroquel. Even with these my sleep quality and duration is poor. I often wake up in a panic. I’m so incredibly scared that I won’t be able to make it through this pregnancy and that I’m going to experience all of the same terrible trauma I went through last time. I remember thinking after I made it through that I could never survive something like that again and it’s making me feel so hopeless and feeling regret for this pregnancy. Please help.

I have it stuck in my head constantly that I might be pregnant and it terrifies me.

Firstly I’m on contraception that I take daily so I don’t think I can be but I’m too scared to take a test. I feel obsessed with it. I’ve allready booked a doctors appointment to change into something else as I’ve stopped having periods being on this one as they put me on the mini pill because of my BMI after gaining weight during pregnancy.

I had a baby in January this year I love her to death but I’m scared if I was to get pregnant I wouldn’t be able to cope with 2. I also had a stillbirth in 2022 so the pregnancy with my LO was terrifying anyway I don’t know if I could do it again.

When I looked it up it says this could be OCD symptoms which my psychiatrist did tell me I had perinatal OCD at the start but this seemed to get better can it come back again? Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

My baby is 4yo and I'm still dealing with anxiety... it hasn't gone away since I gave birth and I don't know what to do anymore.. I take ssri but they don't work enough.. please help .. 😢😢😢

Hi everyone! We’re working on a FemTech Hackathon project focused on supporting women’s mental health in the postpartum period. We’d be incredibly grateful if you could take a few minutes to share your experiences by completing our survey. Thank you so much for your time and insights. Note: All responses are anonymous, and your participation is voluntary. If you have any questions about our project or the survey, feel free to ask!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe1Gk4imsIvelsuJMf6kWlTkJHxpz_oVe2a7IoUQyDQ2Ycv-g/viewform

Hi everyone,

I currently have twin toddlers and it is absolutely wild. I never thought I would be a mom who compared the two and then be afraid that’s there’s something wrong with them all the time. We are meeting with our pediatrician in 3 weeks and I’m really worried for my younger twin. Four months ago when we first met, he observed our children for awhile and said they are some of the healthiest kids he’s ever seen. We all noticed that my younger twin’s fontanelle hasn’t closed and he told us to wait another 4 months and if it hasn’t closed by then, we will do genetic testing to rule anything out. It’s now closed more somewhat but is still open. They’re both also in the less than 10th percentile range with my younger one being in the 3rd percentile.

Seriously…why didn’t anyone warn me that having kids will blow my already existing anxiety out of proportion?

My fiancé works away up north every other week for a week. I am on Mat leave so I am home alone with baby every week he is gone. I have Anxiety and PPD but I aside from that, I’m not sure if this is normal.

I am madly in love with my fiancé, obviously. He loves me and our new baby (7months) so incredibly much and take such great care of us. I literally cannot say enough good things about this man. So I’m not sure if this is my fight or flight response but especially when he goes to work I have full on panic attacks (had one today before taking him to the airport) and I just have this horrible intrusive irrational I know, thoughts that he will find someone better at work or not miss me or just not want to be with me and leave me. I cannot stop thinking about him 24/7 and it’s almost impossible being alone every week with baby when he’s gone. I have no family here, friends that are available to visit (as they work), and I live outside the city so it’s a bit of a drive for some.

It’s so bad, that I have a hard time going for walks the same way we go for walks when he’s home because it reminds me of him and I miss him more, or I don’t step foot downstairs because that’s where we always have our movies nights, I have to take his stuff off the counter in the bathroom because seeing it makes me miss him more. I also ruminate on the hours and days he’ll be gone still. I’ll count and work myself up and just get sad. It’s like an obsession, but I’m not crazy in that way. Lol.

I love him so much and I know I am co dependant but this is so incredibly hard and I know I am in the wrong. How do I get over these feelings? It’s like my brain thinks when life is so amazing and I have someone who loves me so much it’s too good to be true…

I have always suffered from anxiety. When I gave birth was the beginning of the impending doom. I was CONVINCED I was about to die. I had high bp in birth and after and was SO afraid of preeclampsia. Fast forward, it did get better for a while. Then I started perseverating on my health again. Convinced I have some terminal illness and am going to die soon. (Knock on wood right 😅) anyway, I’ve talked to my dad, therapist, and husband about this but haven’t felt better so I wanted to try this community to see if any of you moms have felt the same. My heart absolutely breaks at the idea of me not being able to take care of my baby… I’m about 14 months pp now and it’s pretty bad. I’m convinced that I’m seeing signs because I keep watching movies/shows or seeing gofundme’s that involve a mother’s death… please tell me I’m not alone and these aren’t signs I’m going to die 😭 (I mean, I know that nobody knows when they’ll die. But maybe if others have experienced these same issues it’ll help me feel a bit better)

I'm 6 weeks p/p Towards the end of pregnancy I noticed that the bottom of my legs were becoming discoloured, like a red/purple colour. After birth this got worse especially when standing while doing dishes etc.

Then at week 3 p/p maybe I started getting numbing of my legs and burning/tingly sensation. Especially at night.

At 5 weeks p/p my left arm started doing the same. I've been to the GP multiple times and have been sent for ultrasound to check for blood clots, which there was none. I've had blood tests which all came back normal.

I don't know what to do now. My GP hasn't been much help, just said take a breastfeeding vitamin and get excersise. I've been googling and it aligns with neuropathy. I'm looking if anyone can relate /give advise. ? I'm desperate. Thanks so much 🙏

I (34F) feel like I'm legitimately crazy. During my pregnancy, I had suicidal depression (which i kept under wraps).I spent my lunch break crying almost every day. I would seek out spots where I could be left alone.

I had also just gotten off a medication that caused some 2nd person auditory hallucinations. As the meds wore off, it got better but never entirely went away.

My anxiety reached highs I never thought possible. It made me nervous to walk past another coworker if I didn't know them well, talk to them often, or work with them directly. I didn't like going anywhere in my store because of it.

My hearing also got more sensitive. I am a jumpy person already but the bakers racks squeak horribly in my bakery when moved. They always made me jump or twitch my head all weird because of their high pitch sounds. It's like my nerves were shot.

Fast forward to now, I am so embarrassed about how I was during my pregnancy. I'm not as anxious but I still don't like going to other areas of my store. I don't look at or talk to people unless they acknowledge me first. I call out a lot and I feel like they all hate me. The ones that do like me, I feel, are tolerant of me. I absolutely love what I do, though (cake decorator). I feel like most people avoid me; especially, my bosses. When I leave my area, I'll do anything on my phone to avoid looking at people because i feel disliked. I'm still jumpy but not as bad. My hearing is sensitive still but not as bad.

Idk how to change it. It wasn't like this before medications or during my other pregnancies. This was my third pregnancy.

I had anxiety before but not as bad as I do now (8 mos postpartum).

I've dealt with the depression on and off most of my life along with adhd.

My first pregnancy gave me a sense of smell, almost like a dog. I still have a strong nose now.

This pregnancy seems to have given me better hearing???

I felt like a different person. Did anybody else have weird pregnancy changes like these? It feels almost like it was a fever dream and now I have constant anxiety when I'm in public. I handle it well and have become better about not showing it but it leads to me continue with my phone so I don't hyperfocus on how people see me.

Hi, I’m a ftm and a few days PP. I’ve been having the worst anxiety about the apocalypse, it’s so silly but truly it keeps me up and I cannot sleep at night I’m so worried and consumed w what to do or how she would survive the apocalypse. Just everything in general. I don’t really know how to deal with this, do you have any tips? I am realistic and I know that it’s unlikely and it’s silly but it really worries me. I’m embarrassed truly and I don’t want to talk to my provider about it because I kin it’s just ridiculous.

Anyone always struggle with anxiety, but during postpartum anxiety has gotten worse !

I have had more anxiety attacks than I have in a long time... more then a handful of times couldn't breath. tightness in my chest that keeps coming back.. and empty feeling like my stomach is turning.

It gets worse when something bad happens or I get overwhelmed. Which has been a lot lately. We have family drama.. strickly pumping.. keeping up with washing bottles/pump parts on top of cooking for myself and husband.. had to go back to work after maternity.. in debt... husband and I going through some stuff, looking for marriage counselor.. and just had our fridge die and lost a lot of pumped milk/food.

Maybe that's not a lot to deal with but feels like a heavy weight. Is it just a lot going on or postpartum causing the worsening of my anxiety??

I would go to therapy but can't afford it.

Anyone else overcome their PPA but have been so used to high stress levels you kind don’t know what to do with yourself with no stress? What helped. I at times find myself getting mad or picking fights because I’m just so used to the severe anxiety and high stress. I hate that this is my natural reaction now. I am glad that I can however realize this after a short amount of time and realize what I’m doing.

Everyday I find something new to stress about regarding the development of my baby. He was in the NICU and I struggle with PPA/PPD. It’s exhausting always worrying. I just started taking my medication again.

Today I noticed that my 6 month old always puts their feet up in the stroller when his feet are bare but not when he has socks on. Of course this is sending me into a spiral thinking he has autism again.

Does anyone’s else’s baby do this or to some extent?

Has anyone used Talkiary? I currently have a psychiatric NP, but l've had a hard time finding a therapist. Times are rough financially, so I'm hoping that I can find a therapist who can also manage my medication, which is basically Talkiatry. This will cut back on copays. It seems too good to be true though. After scheduling a Talkiatry appointment, Lavender ads starting popping up. Similar idea, but they only have NPs.

As a doula I believe there’s many topics that aren’t talked enough about during postpartum, I want moms and dads to express themselves and tell us stories, feelings and regrets during the first year of postpartum. Please also moms share your story of what someone did to you during postpartum that you’ll never forget. We want real and raw stories to hopefully we can help a mom not feel alone during this journey & if applicable a dad as well.

I’ve been a very happy mom this time. My post partum rage has went away. But now I’m hit with, I think, ppa. I NEED everyone to need me all at once. I can’t sit down and relax or I’ll get extremely nervous and it’ll last throughout the day. My antipsychotic medicine I take at night is the only way I can get sleep. After I wake up for baby’s first feed it’s so hard for me to fall back asleep. I feel like I have to be on guard all the time. I’m worn thin but I can’t take time for myself or I feel freaked out. I have xanax I take for panic attacks but I can’t live on xanax forever, it messes up my mood for too long. I feel very wired. I have a check in with my psych on Halloween day so I can get his opinion or my medicines adjusted. I hate being constantly anxious. I want to sit down and breathe for once

I know everyone is different, but I just wanted to take a poll and see what medication worked for everyone. Also, if you can share when you noticed it started to work and how you knew it was working? And then any potential downsides.

I ask because I am speaking to a psychiatrist tomorrow about starting medications and I’m really scared. I’m scared of all the potential negative side effects. I don’t want to lose myself. I have been on Prozac before, and while it worked really well for my anxiety, it also numbed every other feeling out. I don’t want that again. I have hope that this will help my PPA, and I know I need it, I’m just scared.

Thanks in advance for your words of encouragement!

They say “never say never,” but after my first child was born almost 10 years ago, I was certain I’d never have another baby.

On October 11, 2014, after 29 exhausting hours of labor and an emergency C-section, my fiancé and I welcomed a beautiful 9lbs 1oz. baby girl. For a brief moment, I felt pure relief. The worst was over, right? I could finally rest, get reacquainted with my body, and say goodbye to gestational diabetes and the dark melasma patches that had covered my arms, breasts, and belly. But that sense of relief quickly turned into overwhelm.

I found myself on an emotional rollercoaster that was nothing like the blissful glow people promised. It was intense, all-consuming, and I felt like I was drowning in it. Waking up every two hours to pee during pregnancy was now replaced by waking every two hours to feed, change, swaddle, and soothe a newborn did not help.

Then, just 18 months in, I became a single mom. Co-parenting brought its own set of challenges, but by the time my daughter was a toddler, I felt like I had made it through the trenches with one certainty—I would never have another baby!

So certain, in fact, that I went to my OB and asked her to tie my tubes. She refused, convinced that one day I’d fall in love again and want another child. She also explained that many doctors hesitate to perform tubal ligations for women with only one child. So, I let it go.

Fast forward almost a decade. I did fall in love again, but “baby fever” never hit me. In fact, when I saw first-time pregnant women, I felt sympathy, silently hoping they knew what was coming. And moms with multiple kids? I secretly wondered if they were gluttons for punishment. As for that idea that you “forget” the pain of childbirth and the sleepless newborn nights? Not for me. I remembered everything vividly, and I had zero desire to revisit that chapter.

Nine years later, I reignited the conversation about getting my tubes tied. This time, my doctor agreed, but she cautioned me that most doctors no longer tie tubes; they now recommend completely removing them to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. That gave me pause. The idea of removing them felt too final, like I’d be giving up a piece of my womanhood.

I left the appointment with the option to schedule the surgery, but I never did. I told myself I’d get a second opinion, but life got in the way. A new job and a new house took priority.

Then, in January 2024, while sipping champagne and planning to turn the room that had once been staged as a nursery into a “clothfice” (closet/office), I started feeling nauseous. I brushed it off until I realized my period was late. After a few weeks of feeling off, I took a pregnancy test. Within seconds, two lines appeared.

Both my partner and I had always agreed we didn’t want more kids and had taken precautions to avoid that outcome. But living in a state where I still had a choice, we decided that a baby still wasn’t in the plan for either of us—until…

I’ve always been a type-A, planner, who was prone to worrying and perfectionism… but WOW has it snowballed since I had my daughter.

She is now 11 months and I think it’s starting to hit me that I might have had PPA all this time and by not addressing it, it’s only getting worse. Some of my symptoms that seem to be getting more intense as time goes on:

• In a constant state of fight or flight
• Need for control
• Irritable and judgmental
• Panic when something goes awry
• Overwhelmed and paralyzed by the amount of things there are to do (often leads to breakdowns and crying)
• Creeping thoughts of dread and stress, often tied to work
• Poor sleep
• Self sabotage (no time for self care, so I don’t do it, so I spiral more - it’s a vicious cycle)
• Lack of libido

I’m not sure if this counts as PPA since it’s not only baby-specific things that trigger me - it’s more general and just the state of life now.

Should I talk with someone who specializes in PPA or maybe just general anxiety? Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. The idea of getting therapy is so overwhelming but I know that’s counterintuitive and I need to make a change. I don’t want my daughter to remember me like this and my husband is struggling (but is so supportive.)

Is anyone else experiencing terrifying nightmares with PPA? It’s like every time I get into REM sleep now I’m having an awful nightmare usually including my baby or just an infant in general. I had the regular brand of anxiety before baby so I’m not sure if anyone else is going through this?

Hello All,

Thank you so much for reading this! My name is Alanna Barnes, and I am currently enrolled in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program (Psy.D.) at Chaminade University. I am seeking participants for my dissertation research study. My study aims to create a novel measure of psychological safety. This measure would be used in the psychotherapeutic setting to assess if a client/patient perceives their therapist to have created a psychologically safe environment. To participate, I am asking for individuals to complete an anonymous ten-minute survey. There will also be a raffle for one of three $50 Visa gift cards for any participant who would be comfortable sharing their email address. The email address will be kept confidential and only used for the raffle. Upon the completion of the raffle, all email addresses will be deleted.

To qualify as a participant, here are my inclusion criteria:

• Must be over the age of 18
• Must be located within the United States
• Must be English-speaking
• Must be currently receiving psychotherapy from a licensed mental health professional OR it has been less than a year from your most recent session with a licensed mental health professional 
• At the time of the study, one must have completed at least two sessions with a licensed mental health professional

If you know someone or a group that would be interested in taking this survey, please forward. Lastly, if you qualify to participate and want to participate, please use this link.

This study was approved by the Chaminade IRB on September 30th, 2024 with Protocol Number: CUH 449 2024.

https://preview.redd.it/939lvwnz1dvd1.png?width=1545&format=png&auto=webp&s=05f2a149582a651b90e684a5444481146c567cd7

My baby is 10 weeks old. She’s my third. I have a 12 year old and a 5 year old boy. The saying that every baby is different is SO TRUE because I am at a loss at what to do anymore. She cries constantly. I feel like she’s bored or just spoiled despite me trying to get her to be independent and not held 24/7. (Yes I hold my baby I just don’t want to have a Velcro baby) My anxiety this time around has been absolutely unbearable. The thought of not knowing what night time is about to bring for me, or not knowing how much sleep I will/will not get makes me panic before there’s technically anything to panic about. If she happens to be sleeping at night I find myself laying awake despite being so exhausted because my stomach is in knots thinking about her waking up as soon as I fall asleep. My husband tells me to just calm down and take it minute by minute, but my brain is just not wired to do that. I feel like I want to run away because I feel like I can’t breathe. I don’t know the last time I relaxed. Motherhood is exhausting. I just want this to get better.