|
More serious difficulties
Sometimes 'feeling low' takes over completely and this is called
postnatal depression. There are many symptoms, including sadness
and despair, feeling anxious, panicky and scared, not being able
to sleep, aches and pains, unable to concentrate, crying at the
slightest thing, feelings of hopelessness, no interest in oneself
or the baby. New parents may feel trapped, overwhelmed, or numb
and disconnected from the baby. It may be friends or other family
members who notice that things are not right and get support for
the mother or father.
"Everyday is a fight. I hate getting out of
bed in the morning… simple things are so difficult, trying
to feed or bath the baby… he's so antisocial and grizzly.
I have no time to myself at all… I couldn't have coped at
all if I hadn't gone back to work."
"That was the worst year of my life, when
it should have been the best. Although I never told my wife, I
wished we'd never thought about the idea of having a baby. I feel
differently now but at the time it felt like it had ruined my
life."
Fathers can also feel inadequate and anxious. They may find the
responsibility of being a parent hard to bear and are afraid that
they might not be able to cope. Having a child may stir up feelings
related to their own childhood or beliefs about themselves.
Occasionally parents may have extreme reactions to childbirth.
These usually develop soon after the birth.
If you are concerned about how you are feeling, or think you
may be developing something more serious than the 'baby blues'
you should seek immediate medical help by talking to your health
visitor or GP. With the right support and treatment you will come
through this.
If you have concerns about how you're feeling, the websites listed
here have
more information.
|
ABOUT US
