advice needed 2nd child

[busymum]

Hi

I am new to this forum as I was unaware previously of any support that was available. I really need to seek advice from previous PP sufferers in addition to research and medical advice, as I really want to hear from those who know and experienced the impacts of PP.

I had my daughter  14 yrs ago at the age of 22 and was sectioned within 10 days for an initial 28 days then additional recomendations and day release for a further month, I was diagnosed with PP with hyper manic episodes, the doctors said it was a form of depression which although to me felt like the most amazing 'High' feeling and unbelievable love for my daughter.. so when the doctors/medical staff said I had depression, it added to my complete disbelief as I felt elated and far from depressed!

However I was very ill, and after being sectioned had to be administered very stong drugs, padded cell etc as I became extremely violent after being sepearted from my baby.

I was prescribed a cocktail of drugs including haliperadol, and had to go through a form of detox as a result as they were highly addictive, but luckily I was drug free by the time my daughter was 3 months old. I would say though it took me a good 2 years to feel like I was back to normal, (if there is such a thing) and I was in constant fear that I was going to end up back in hospital - which terrified me and still does.

I have always wanted a big family, but due to such a terrifying experience I have resisted the maternal urges to date, but as I am approaching my 40's my body clock is ticking and the urge to have another baby grows stronger by the day! I am very concerned though that I will be prone to PP again and having been through it, it worries me greatly and I dont want to go through PP again.

Has anyone had such a gap between children and does the gap help? Has anyone had similar esperiences - your feedback/comments are really appreciated

[cazy.4444]

Hi there,
Iv had a similar experience to yourself. Im 26 and four and a half months ago gave birth to my first baby. Within 8days i started to feel extremly high and happy, i had an enourmous sense of well being and wanted to do EVERYTHING, see EVERYTHING, Learn EVERYTHING. it was like i was seeing the world through new eyes, everything seemed fantastic and amazing. I went to the supermarket and was there for 3 hours looking at everything and ended up spending over £300- my usual shop would be £40. I also had many delusions, such as, i thought my partner was from outerspace sent to protect me, and at one point i thought my baby was jesus, i thought i was evolving and that was why i felt so great and that everyone else around me was feeling the same as me or  would do soon. i thought i had the answers to all of the worlds problems and was convinced that i could acomplish anything i wanted to. Around 12 days after i had my baby my family and doctor managed to convince me to go to hospital (mother and baby unit), volintarily. When i got there i was convinced i was there to help the doctors, help them learn from me because i knew everything and had all the answers. They diagnosed me with puerperal psychosis, and said i had been suffering from a hyper manic attack and started treating me with antisycotics(rispiridone). Around two weeks later i started to come back down to reality and was able to come home. Unfortunatly after my incredible high, the drugs brought me right back down- to far down and i plunged into a deep depression, all through christmas. luckily it only lasted around 3weeks because the doctors managed to find me the right anti depressant to bring ne back up to the right level. Now im almost back to my old self. I was told that if i wanted to have more children that there was a 20-50 percent chance of pp returning. But they can treat you for it during the pregnancy and straight after the birth to help prevent it. As far as i know, if you did get it again , they would not take your baby away from you again, they would treat you in a mother and baby unit- thats what happened to me. I would speak to your doctor, he will be able to answer  all of your questions alot more acuratly.
Good luck! x

[Joy]

Hi
I had PP with my first child and was really worried about getting it again with my second. Really happy to say I was fine. Saw mental health team whilst I was pregnant, had community psych nurse ready to come in once aweek after delivery and started meds the day after delivery. Felt so much better knowing that if it did reoccur then everything was set up ready. Whole experience was really different. Birth was okay, didnt have that 'first-time' mum panicy feelings and luckily everything was fine. Stayed on meds for a long while just in case but didnt really need them.
Hope this helps, I looked everywhere for posotive second child stories after PP and couldn't find anything. I felt it was worth the risk for me and wish you well if you deciede to try xxxxxx

[annadavison]

Hello.  I have just read your posting and it brought back many memories!  I had my daughter 14 years ago and suffered from puerperal psychosis six days after delivery.  Like you I was treated with haliperidol and again like you experienced a dreadful " depression " once the psychosis had been brought under control.  Six years ago my son was born....Becoming pregnant was not a decision that my husband and I made easily!  Yes I did suffer from puerperal psychosis and that was awful and very sad but I have come through it, and I now feel that my family is complete.  If I hadn't had my son I was always have felt that someone was missing!!!  My advice to you is to talk to your gp, the local midwife and the psychiatric team.  It is so important to have a careplan in place should you become ill again.  I was admitted to a private mother and baby unit within 24hours of becoming ill.  I was fortunate that my NHS trust agreed in advance to fund my treatment.  I strongly believe that because I was treated almost immediately by professionals with a strong knowledge of puerperal psychois, my recovery was so much better.  Yes my psychotic episode lasted longer but the drugs were better suited and I suffered none of the awful side effects of haliperidol.  You will be heartened to know that I did not suffer from the debilitating depression that followed my previous episode of psychosis.  Drug treatments had come a long way in seven years and no doubt have improved further in the six years since my son was born.  It may sound silly but in a way I am glad that I suffered a second episode of puerperal psychosis, I now feel healthier than I did before I became pregnant for a second time...it is as if my hormones have finally gone back to normal.....I wish you the best of luck!