PP prevented after 2nd baby by Hormone treatment

[Debra]

Hi, my name is Debbie, I had pp after my first child.  He is now a lovely 12 year old boy.  I have never spoken to any one else who has suffered from this condition so it is really nice to find this website and read about such similar experiences to mine.  My puerperal psychosis developed after the birth of my 2 month premature baby bought on by pre-eclampsia.  I'm sure the circumstances contributed to the pp.  After 2 weeks in hospital and being on haloperidal the incredible highs turned to devastating lows and I finally recovered after about a year.  I always wanted more than one child so when I had recovered I looked into the various options.  In the end a health visitor mentioned someone called Katherina Dalton and the books she had written on depression after childbirth.  Her method was to give the mother pure progesterone injections within a few hours after the birth and then for the following 3 months.  The doctors agreed to try this and it was successful.  I had a lovely little girl who is now 9 and I enjoyed her so much more because I wasn't ill.  I had no lithium, nothing other than the progesterone. Has any one else had success with this treatment?  Any way it's brilliant to read all your stories and comments.  I wish I'd found this site years ago as you do feel you're the only one its ever happened to.

[Kay]

Hi Debbie

Lovely to read your story xx

I just posted on your other thread and when I read it I thought you were going to try out the injections, sorry about that I didn't realise that you had actually had them and that they had worked xx Whoops xx

I'm like you I've never spoken to anyone else who has had PP so finding this site was a bonus xx

K

[fanacapants]

Hello Debbie,

I was wondering if you can tell me a little more about your experience of having progesterone injections. Me and my husband are thinking about having another child maybe next year and I suffered from PP 3 years ago with the birth of my 1st child. Do you know any more women that progesterone injections has prevented pp? Also, are you able to breastfeed if you take progesterone injections.

Thank you Sukina

[Debra]

Hi Sukina

I was referred to a specialist before I got pregnant with my second child because I wanted to make sure I never had to go through PP again. I wanted to find out if it could be prevented before I even got pregnant again.

My health visitor was very positive about the method recommended by Katharina Dalton (a British gynaecologist and endocrinologist who advocated treating PMS, postnatal depression and puerperal psychosis with natural progesterone).  She has written a few books, one of which is called Depression after Childbirth : How to Recognise, Treat, and Prevent Postnatal Depression, it might be worth you reading this.

I had natural progesterone (not the synthetic type you find in the contraceptive pill) within an hour of giving birth and I think for about 6 weeks afterwards.  It was a small injection in my leg. It didn't hurt, but I think there are other ways of taking it. I breastfed as normal.

I don't know anyone else that has had this treatment, but I think my health visitor did know of success stories.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

Debbie x

[fanacapants]

Thank you for that Debra, it is very interesting and useful.

I've just got to convince the psychiatrist this is the route I want to go down when we decide to have another baby. Unfortunately it might take some convincing. He is very much into anti-psychotics and mood stabilisers! But you have proved that you can beat PP second time round so it makes me feel very positive xx