suffering post natal depression and thinking getting pregnant again will get rid of depression

Michelle - posted on 09/25/2012

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Maj-Britt - posted on 07/18/2009

remember that a quick fix is not a permanent fix. while being pregnant makes you happy and relieves your depression for nine months, it doesnt mean that once the baby comes you will be cured. your body needs time to heal from having a baby, and serious birth defects can arrise from having children too close together. If the depression comes back after the second child how do you feel you would do with coping with two children who need love and attention. Im not saying that you should not ever get pregnant again, especially if you love pregnancy and motherhood. But think carefully about what you would do and how you would feel if the depression returned and you now have two children looking to you. I have depression currently with my pregnancy and I have found talking to a counselor has helped tremendously...even if its just about every day events that happened. Even having a pen pal to jot your emotions down to are a great way to relieve some of your thoughts. I took antidepresants to begin with and have now weaned off of them with the help of my councelor. Every person is different, and every case of depression is different, before making a decision just think of your options for before, during, and after your pregnancy.

Carrie - posted on 07/18/2009

thankyou for all your feed back, when i posted this i was at a real low point now the medication is working i think what a stupid question

Donna - posted on 07/18/2009

Honestly, I would consider treatment for depression before getting pregnant again. Even if it does solve your problems, it's only temporary where medication will work as long as you continue to take it. Also, every pregnancy is different, and there's no guarantee your depression will go away the next time....but it would be harder to treat while pregnant.

Emma - posted on 07/18/2009

I don't think getting pregnant again with pnd would be a good idea as this is different to other kinds of depression and could become worse with the extra hormones kicking about your body and Jaden may suffer more. Just my opinion but its your desicion. Good luck

Amber - posted on 07/18/2009

I'm sorry that you have to go through this typw of depression but getting pregnant again would probably only be a temporary fix and once you have this 2nd baby, the post-natal depression might just repeat itself, and then you'd be depressed and not connect with either one of your babies. I think getting a doctors advice it the best choice and I wish you all the luck in whatever you decide. It is ultimately YOUR choice and only your choice. GOOD LUCK!

Jamie - posted on 07/18/2009

I dont think getting pregnant again will help. I think it may make it worse. I know it did with my second one. I got pregnant when my daughter was 5 months old. It took a long time and meds to get to be normal again. My son was 18 months when I came off meds and have been doing great. And im not sure how having another child will help you bond with your first. I think having another baby is the last thing you should do until you are feeling better.

Ajia - posted on 07/18/2009

What Julie said is most definitely true. And again I want to point out that she said this CAN happen, not WILL happen. And the fact that it's possible should be enough of a deterent. A classic case is the woman who drowned her five children in the bathtub (Smith or Yates, I forget). She had postpartum after her fourth child and was warned that it was not a good idea to get pregnant again but she did and ended up with postpartum psychosis which led to her killing her children. ***Obviously this is a very dramatic example and I'm NOT trying to insinuate in any way that you will end up with postpartum psychosis. Many women have PPD once and never again, or have it multiple times but their bodies don't take it to the extreme.*** But the fact remains that it CAN be worse the next time.



My opinion is that getting rid of PPD is not a good reason to have a child. There is therapy, support groups, medication, and other women who are going through the same thing. I would advise you to exhaust all other avenues before bringing another child into this world just to help your emotional/psycological status.

Julie - posted on 07/14/2009

Quoting Dubravka:

Quoting Julie:

I have never experienced post partum depression, but I have a background in psychology and have learned that post natal depression is an illness that can get progessively worse with each pregnancy. So although you might feel some relief getting pregnant again, you could crash even harder afterwards. That doesn't mean you should never have another child, just that you need to learn how to handle it (via medication or counseling) and be sure you are prepared when you have your next child.

It's so not truth!!!!!  I did experienced , how we call it baby blus or postnatal depression, and it vanished for abouth 3 months after my first child was born!  Never before and never after that time!! Second time everithing was perfect!!!  Carrie If you think that you'll be bether if you stay pragnent again   do it, bath i think that it's to early, your litle baby still need you to be there for him!! Get bether and than go for it!!!

I'm happy for you, Dubravka, that you did not experience a second bout of depression; I just want to point out that I did not say it was true for all episodes, just that it can get worse, and she's need to realize that possibility.  Carrie, just be sure to thoroughly discuss this with your doctor and your psychologist to be sure you are as prepared as you can be and have the best treatment possible.  Good luck!

Dubravka - posted on 07/14/2009

Quoting Julie:

I have never experienced post partum depression, but I have a background in psychology and have learned that post natal depression is an illness that can get progessively worse with each pregnancy. So although you might feel some relief getting pregnant again, you could crash even harder afterwards. That doesn't mean you should never have another child, just that you need to learn how to handle it (via medication or counseling) and be sure you are prepared when you have your next child.

It's so not truth!!!!!  I did experienced , how we call it baby blus or postnatal depression, and it vanished for abouth 3 months after my first child was born!  Never before and never after that time!! Second time everithing was perfect!!!  Carrie If you think that you'll be bether if you stay pragnent again   do it, bath i think that it's to early, your litle baby still need you to be there for him!! Get bether and than go for it!!!

Carrie - posted on 07/14/2009

wow i really didn't know this, i'm feeling bad enough without getting it worse if i have another

Julie - posted on 07/13/2009

I have never experienced post partum depression, but I have a background in psychology and have learned that post natal depression is an illness that can get progessively worse with each pregnancy. So although you might feel some relief getting pregnant again, you could crash even harder afterwards. That doesn't mean you should never have another child, just that you need to learn how to handle it (via medication or counseling) and be sure you are prepared when you have your next child.

Ashley - posted on 07/13/2009

you should really just talk to your doctor. i had depression growing up and i suffered it again when i after i had my first son. i talked to my doctor and he said it had a lot to do with your hormones and he put me on a low dose medicine and it really did help especially with wide range of emotions, since it worked well with my first i decided to take it during my 2nd pregnancy and it doesn't fix everything but i does help you cope with things easier and gives you that little bit of relief.

Carrie - posted on 07/13/2009

thankyou for your feed back and yes i'm on medication and having counciling now

Amber - posted on 07/13/2009

I was also very happy pregnant with both of my children and then fell depresed after each one of them was born, alsthough I felt I had recovered from the first one and was on meds when pregnant the second time. I truely feel that you should continue taking the medication and try to get yourself on track before getting pregnant again, I'm afraid if you get pregnant before your feeling better you may get a double dose of the depression after the baby is born. Best of luck

Tiffany - posted on 07/13/2009

Hi Carrie. I hope that you have seeked treatment for your depression. I too suffered from ppd after the birth of my daughter 14 months ago (although I did not have depression before having a daughter). It was hard for me to seek treatment because I didn't want to take an anti-depressant because I thought it was just for crazy people and I WAS NOT CRAZY!!! Well, it finally got bad enough that I called my doctor and he prescribed an anti-depressant. I have been taken it ever since and it does help! I now understand more about mental illness and know that it truly cannot be helped. It is not all in your head, it is an illness. In your case I would follow Claudia's advice and seek the professional opinion of your doctor before getting pregnant again because what happens after the birth of the next child???? Another then another???? I hope this information helps you make a decision.

Claudia - posted on 07/13/2009

Hi. Post natal depression is different from other depressions as most depressions are caused by environmental factors, but post natal depression is caused by biological factors ie hormones. Maybe you're depression became better when you got pregnant because you may have felt that there was finally something good in your life, however it may not help this time because it's harder to control our hormones. Speak to your doctor and get treated for your post natal depression firs before you decide to get pregnant again so that you don't feel too overwhelmed and depressed and then you can enjoy your babies. All the best. I have a mild case of post natal depression and am receiving treatment.