Anxiety while pregnant

[juliayadda]

earlybird,

First of all HUGE HUG.

Second of all remember to breathe.

I agree with your midwife to go in sooner. Also from my experience don't worry about whether your short term counselling before you move will be effective. I had great success with short term counselling.

Vitamin D is my DH's wonder-drug during the winter months.

I know you can't cut out your stress factors, but can you ask for help in any other aspects of your life?

[flcl]

Wow, you've got a lot on your plate, no wonder you're feeling overwhelmed. If you're able to go in for your appt sooner, do so. The supplements and exercise will help too so try your best to work both in. I also completely agree with juliayadda that you should try asking for help wherever/whenever you can!

[Deleted]

::HUGS:: You definitely have a lot on your plate. I think you are taking some good steps to getting your feelings under control ex, yoga, personal time etc. We are always here and any time you want to vent or ask questions you have us. Try breathing exercises as well. I did those through my pregnancy so I could go off of my meds.

I really hope things get better. As I said before, someone is always here to help as much as we can!

[Deleted]

earlybird, super big hugs! I've had anxiety most of my life as well - it tough even without kids.

I agree with juliayadda and your midwife... the sooner the better. Even just going in and talking made me feel 10000x better!
Vitamin D is a great idea as well. It can make a huge difference - I'm in the Seattle area and seasonal depression/anxiety is a big problem here.

I'm glad you found this board... I haven't been on it for too long myself, but have already found a lot of value and support in it.

[Deleted]

Welcome earlybird, I'm sorry you are struggling. It sounds like you are making solid steps to gaining some control over your situation. Hang around here some more, everyone here is really great and has a lot of knowledge and experience to share.

[icequeen]

Hi and welcome to the group. I am so sorry you are not managing well. It is completely understandable, and I really hope the counselor is able to give you some more direction and that you are able to get a hold of someone on Monday.

I am sure you feel awful about yelling at your kids; hell, I lose my temper at my 16 month old DD and I only have ONE. I have panic attacks in the car with her more than I care to remember. It makes me feel totally inadequate as a mom. The truth is these are things that are out of your control and you need to learn the right coping skills to manage your anxiety and panic attacks. You are not a perfect parent and it is not easy to do, but your kids still love you and they know you don't mean anything by it.

I know you have a lot of activities you are juggling. Are there any that you think you can let go of or delegate to other people? Are you planning on taking maternity leave? I think this is a good time to practice giving responsibility to other people and asking for help because you are definitely going to need it, and there is no shame in that. You need to put your health first if you feel like you are going downhill, instead of keeping up with the social and professional obligations you are involved in.

Finally, it would be great if you had a firm support system in place. The counselor will probably talk to you about this, but I think you should get a referral for the psych that takes care of all the postpartum women at your birth hospital. He or she can help you also find a support group for PPD or PPA. It would be so great if you could make time for that, and get some family or friends to help out with your children. Is your husband a good support for you? I hope he is. Take care and feel free to check in with us anytime.