kiico

I just don't know what to do with myself. My son is growing ever so quickly, I have the support of my family (my mother, father is in another state), my big sister, little brother and son's father. Some-days I just feel like crap, its not that anything and everything is going wrong, it just is a mood swing that I get a grasp on. I am sure some of this is PPD, has anyone else dealt with this? Some days its good, some days its bad, not sure who else has had this issue - my mother did, but it was over 20 years ago, so its kind of hard to talk to her about it.

DadToBe

my sister went through something like that after her second child. She would get really depressed at times to the point of us worrying about her and the baby. My mom would spend alot of time with them during the daytime just to be sure she didn't hurt herself or the baby but she never did. She would just get really down almost to the point of crying and be very negative about everything. Hope all is ok with you and I'd say if you are feeling really down maybe getting someone in the house during the day to help you out might be a good idea. I think its what got my sister through it.

mumnotdumb

kiico, can I ask how old your son is? Kids can be so exhausting at any age but babies are the most challenging, I think. There were days after I had my son when I couldn't even fit in getting myself dressed because I was so wrapped up in him and his eating and sleeping and whether I was doing things right and trying to keep up with the housework and..and... !!! You get the picture. My poor husband would come home sometimes to a tearful wife still in her dressing gown and no dinner.

And there were other days where things would go perfectly smoothly and I'd still feel weepy and just want the world to go away. Please take some comfort in that it's very very common to feel like that.

Perhaps you could arrange to talk to your doctor about it if it goes on for more than a few weeks. I think you'd find your mom would be very understanding too as she's experienced it. Why not give her the chance to support you and mention it next time you call her? She may just be waiting for an opportunity to help out even though she's not nearby.

Have you considered allowing someone to babysit for you for a night? Maybe your old sister or a close friend could take care of your son overnight one night and let you get an undisturbed evening to unwind and rest. My parents used to do that for me and it was heavenly. Just a single evening to soak in the tub or catch up with friends, followed by sleeping solidly through the night could recharge me for days.

Please try get help where you can, it'll make a world of difference, I guarantee it. I did my pal's ironing one afternoon while I watched her baby to let her get a few hours sleep. I'd popped in to find her howling because she had such a huge pile and felt everything was getting on top of her, so simply packed her off to bed and did it while she slept. People are willing to lend a hand if you let them, especially moms that remember what some days could be like. Good luck and I hope those suggestions are of some help you.

alexis

For the longest time, both my children were used to seeing me in a ponytail, get a shower if lucky that day, throw hair up don't brush it and poof ponytail it is. The first few months are always the hardest, and being a first time mom no matter how many supporters you have around, takes time to get used to and to nail down the things that are most important. With both of my kiddos, I got used to sleeping on the couch with them the first month. With my son, he slept on my chest (no bassinet), with my girl we had a play yard that had a convertible top to it, so that was next to me on the couch. I always figured I could get things done easier myself, without waking their fathers or making a ton of noise having to find my way in the dark from the bedroom to anywhere else in the house. It takes time, but with time comes many memories you will be happy to have gone through when looking back later.