Thomas asks…
Would I be considered high risk for depression during pregnancy and after birth?
Not pregnant at the moment, but plan to try for a baby in the next few years to come, just as so many girls do.
I suffered from depression from the age of 12 and it got really severe age 13-16. I hated myself and self-harmed and let men abuse me because I didn’t think anyone wanted me anyway. I was bullied badly at one school I went to. I stopped going to school because of how people there made me feel and got into the wrong crowd – started smoking, drinking at 13 and then onto drugs at 14.
I fell pregnant when I was a few months off 15 and I couldn’t cope with the idea and tried to pretend it wasn’t happening. I then miscarried and still haven’t quite gotten over it 3 years later.
I got help from psychologists and a youth support scheme after a lot of effort into making them realise that them telling me they couldn’t help me due to money reasons even though they thought I needed it. I got into a really good school, restarted gcse’s and it changed my life because they understood me eventually and supported me through everything, including self-harm and breakdowns. Also having school work to focus on gave me something to be motivated about. I left school with 13 A*-B gcse’s which I am SO proud of myself for.
My depression hasn’t been so bad lately – amazingly due to simply being on a certain type contraceptive pill – apparently my hormone levels must have been pretty screwed. I had been on antidepressants when I was younger but stopped them abruptly and I’m determined to stay off them unless it’s crucially needed. I also got more chances to socialise by living away from home and where there were other young people and adults who were always willing to talk. Home stress was also a major factor to the depression.
So obviously, once I do choose to have a baby, being pregnant I wouldn’t be able to take the pill that has changed my moods.
So I’m worried I would end up getting bed with depression again. And it’s not in my nature to say I don’t want kids because whatever my age, I guess I could be at risk of depression during pregnancy and subsequently postnatal depression.
Do you think the doctor and a midwife would consider me as high risk for depression?
admin answers:
Hi, I have a similar history to yours and I did find that pregnancy hormones made my emotions much stronger and more difficult to deal with than people who were more stable generally. Its like losing a layer of emotional skin – you feel very sensitive and vulnerable. However I have a healthy, happy little girl. I would suggest that you are already showing positive signs of being able to cope with the emotional roller coaster that is pregnancy because you are thinking ahead and being realistic about your difficulties. As you have already overcome many of your problems in a positive way you are also experienced at dealing with strong feelings.
I would suggest that you take extra precautions to look after yourself when you ready to get pregnant – don’t do it until you are in a relationship with a thoughtful supportive man (my husband was fantastic) and also make realistic plans about reducing work hours etc so that you do not feel overwhelmed by trying to work long hours whilst pregnant as well as all the domestic stuff. Make sure you get enough sleep when you are pregnant and also take gentle exercise every morning to boost your serotonin levels. If you can it would be idea to plan your pregnancy so that you give birth between april and september (If that is when weather is good where you are) but I realise this is difficult. Post natal depression has two parts;
1) The baby blues hormonal stage – the first two weeks – I cried a lot but in a cathartic way – this passes.
2) Reactive depression – this is when the routine and isolation of a new baby starts to get you down – plan for this by joining baby groups, arranging to have friends over and asking your partner to give you time off – I began to feel slightly depressed when my baby was about 3 months old and my husband then gave me time off from 6pm on a Friday night to midday on saturday and this was something to look forward to – I could go out with friends or just have a nice dinner with a bottle of wine and stay up late watching films knowing I did not have to get up in the night.
I think you should continue working on your depression and self awareness of it for a while longer and then prepare well. My sister in law suffered from severe depression – she was hospitalised several times and had ECT for it. She was in a bad way until she was about 25 and then she learned to get very proactive with it – when she felt it coming on she would put the baby in the pram and go out for long walks and she learnt to ward it off. She also asked for help when she needed it. Her baby had terrible irritating eczema and her husband was useless – she was seriously sleep deprived and in desperation went down to social services, said ‘I can’t do this anymore – you’ll have to take her away.’ and went outside and cried. This worked hugely in her favour – the social worker had been keeping an eye on her because of the severity of her depression before and her inability to recognise it coming on. WHen she did that the social worker told my sister in law that she now felt much more confident in her parenting skills because when she needed help she had asked for it. They were wonderful – chasing up the doctor to hurry up finding the cause of the baby’s exzema and getting her a childminder to give her an afternoon off twice a week where she could catch up on sleep of go out alone. Social services will always help you if you ask before a crisis hits.
You are still very young and have already overcome a lot. If you remain focused on becoming stronger and being healthy and responsible then there is no reason why you should not be particularly well qualified to deal with the emotional demands of pregnancy.
Laura asks…
Pregnant again and pregnancy hormone?
Now I have a 22 month old boy, and 10 weeks ago I gave birth to my second son. I breast fed for 5 weeks then immediately started the pill. But half way through my first packet of pills I started to have a period, but it was very very light, and lasted 9 days! Then a week later I had sex with my partner and a few days after I had light spotting for a hour. Now this light spotting happened when I fell pregnant with both my sons (implantation bleeding), and now I’m all worried that I’m pregnant again!!!
With my first son, he was a welcome accident and inevitable really because we didn’t use protection. My second was concieved on the pill (a different one from the one I’m currently taking!) Now because of the light period I had half way through my first packet of pills, I was told by the doctor to run two packets together without a break for a period. So I’ve got two weeks left until the end of the packet!
I’m just going to sit and worry until then I suppose! I could buy a test just now but it would be a bit pointless.
My question is, how long does the pregnancy hormone hang around after you’ve given birth and if you breast fed? So would i get an accurate result anyway? And has anyone else out there been this unlucky (or lucky, depending on how you look at it!) I mean, lets just say I am pregnant again, concieving twice on the pill seems a bit unfortunate to me! My body can’t handle another pregnancy! I was so miserable during my last one and I don’t really want to have any more children! It’s not fair to my other two who are quite young and need my attention!
All answers and advice welcome. But don’t try and tell me what to do with the baby if I am pregnant, I can do without all that thanks!
admin answers:
Poor you, well I think the best thing to put your mind at rest is to go to your doctor as soon as possible.
Then when you know one way or another you can then deal with the outcome.
Good luck.
Betty asks…
cramping after stopping the yaz birth control pill….pregnancy?
hello everyone, i have been on the pill for 4 months. i stopped my last dose in july due to me and my husband have been trying to conceive. the first months i was off the pill i had period like cramping from ovulation to my period. this month i have cramping again from ovulation to present. i have one week till my period date. but these cramps this month are light and on and off. did anyone experience this after stopping yaz birth control pill. what is going on? can i be pregnant this time? i nipples and brest were sore and tender three, four days after ovulation? did not have that last month. or do your boobs no hurt that soon during pregnancy and my hormones are still out of wack? plus how long do head acks last during pregnancy. i had one yestreday, that lasted all day to today and now it is going away. sign? or to early? thanks
admin answers:
It could very well be pregnancy, but it could also be your body out of whack from going off the pills. When I went off the mini-pill I didn’t have cramps at all. But when I went off of Yasmine I had cramps several times during the month when I went off. I had a lot of the pregnancy symptoms but they are actually also menstral symptoms (headaches, sore breasts, cramping, etc.) But at the same time, when I did get pregnant, I thought my period was going to come because I felt cramping on and off. But it was different, I don’t know how to describe why it was different or how, but it was.
Now I started Yaz in July and I’ve got sore breasts, headaches, spotting, nausea, yeast infections, bladder infections, etc. You wouldn’t believe how many pregnancy tests I’ve taken (even asked for one today when I went to the dr for a bladder infection.)
You will know in a short while (take a test when your period is supposed to start, if it’s negative and you still don’t have a period, take it again at 4-5 days after your period was supposed to start.) Good luck and I hope it’s pregnancy for you 
Helen asks…
Is the likelyhood of getting pregnant while on the inactive (birth control) pills increased?
I’m on my first month of taking Alesse 28 (3 weeks worth of active hormonal pills ; 1 week of inactive “sugar” “reminder” pills) and i was just wondering,
while you’re on the inactive pills are you less protected against pregnancy rather than when you’re on the active ones? Should i use extra protection during those days?
*I know you’re supposed to get your period during that hormone-pill free week, but even before i started taking birth control i had light periods that would last up to 3 days MAX. They’re supposed to get lighter on birth control, so i wouldn’t be surprised if it lasted 1 or 2 days. For the remainder of the week i’m considering being sexually active if im still protected the same amount as i would be for the rest of the month.
thank you so much !
admin answers:
You should be fine.I have been on them for years and have had sex many times during the inactive pills and never had any problem.The way pills work is by building up long term in your system, it would take more than a week to pass them from your body completely.As long as they have been built up for several months cycles.Most doctors would recommend you do not have sex or use another form of protection for at least 30 days after first starting the pill until it builds up enough hormone in your system.
David asks…
Pregnancy Questions!!!?
1} What hormones do you have during pregnancy?
2} What pills do you have to take while you are pregnant?
admin answers:
1. Normal hormones. Although i’ve heard that you actually have higher levels of testosterone when you’re pregnant. Why? I don’t know. It really doesn’t make sense either.
2. You should only be taking prenatal vitamins.
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