Anxiety and pregnancy, am I alone??

[Blue_bumpkin]

Sorry this is long. I'm looking for other people who suffer like this. I am in central Scotland. My care is dealt with at wishaw general hospital.

I have anxiety. During pregnancy it escalates so much that it affects to me everyday to such a greater extent than it normally would and it all centers around the welfare of my baby. I worry about every single possible bad outcome and convince myself some days that they WILL happen. As if they are inevitable. My main worry at present is the cord knotting. Or any other kind of cord accident occurring. I suffered in my past 2 pregnancies so much that with my youngest I needed ctgs (nsts) every day for the week leading up-to delivery. It had gotten that bad. And I couldn't even eat. I envision my baby dying and burying her. And I cannot help these thoughts or control them no matter what I do. I see the mental health team but it's ineffective. I've tried cbt that too was ineffective and I'm too anxious to take the medication to control my anxiety (catch 22). I struggle to interact with my 2 young sons as I feel my mind is too occupied with worry to even hold a conversation. I find it hard to even hear what is going on around me . I throw up with worry, wake up every 40 mins at night sweating having had nightmares and I dunno how much longer I can continue living like this?? It's so debilitating and I feel so isolated in my own head. I feel like my consultant and mw don't much care about this side of my care as it isn't physical or doesn't physically affect my pregnancy but it DOES. It affects me so much it mustn't be good for the baby and I feel it should be treated as such. I feel like the consultant just referred me to mental health assuming that would be a fix and its not. With me medication is all that works and I cannot bring myself to take it. What do I do?? I have around 20 weeks left. I am worried how bad I will get if I'm left to my own devices as I was done in the past. I want my consultant to draw up a plan for my last 12 weeks. I would hope I got the growth scans I got with my 2 sons and was hoping they would allow me one ctg per week for the last 4 weeks of my pregnancy. Is that a lot to ask?? I feel they would help? Outwith with that I would obviously visit triage should I have concerns but if a plan was in place I'd ease off worrying even if it was a little. Does anyone have any experience of this??

Please tell me I'm not alone

 

[Cariad_x]

I'm also in central Scotland and will be going to wishaw general to have the baby. Small world!

There are antenatal mental health services that you can attend. I suffered with severe PND and anxiety after Ollie (it's my biggest fear in having this baby) and my mw has been really great and making sure that I know of the services available. Unfortunately I find that GPs don't really "get" mental health so they tend to ignore it. Which is shocking in this day and age.

Medication won't harm your baby depending on what it is and sometimes it's weighing up what's worse - the stress of anxiety or medication? It isn't prescribed lightly so if you think it might help then I'd maybe take it. I know a few people who continue to take medication in pregnancy without issues but of course it's your own choice.

I'd make an appointment with your mw and detail all your concerns. Write it all down so you don't get flustered and explain just how bad your anxiety can get. Hopefully she'll be able to put a plan in place (though it depends who you have I guess!)

Good luck x

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

I'm also in central Scotland and will be going to wishaw general to have the baby. Small world!

There are antenatal mental health services that you can attend. I suffered with severe PND and anxiety after Ollie (it's my biggest fear in having this baby) and my mw has been really great and making sure that I know of the services available. Unfortunately I find that GPs don't really "get" mental health so they tend to ignore it. Which is shocking in this day and age.

Medication won't harm your baby depending on what it is and sometimes it's weighing up what's worse - the stress of anxiety or medication? It isn't prescribed lightly so if you think it might help then I'd maybe take it. I know a few people who continue to take medication in pregnancy without issues but of course it's your own choice.

I'd make an appointment with your mw and detail all your concerns. Write it all down so you don't get flustered and explain just how bad your anxiety can get. Hopefully she'll be able to put a plan in place (though it depends who you have I guess!)

Good luck x

Are you really??! That's insane. I wrote out a letter last night that I was going to give my consultant before my next appointment which is on the 1St June . I tend to get overwhelmed at my appointments and never really say what I need to because I get upset. Do you think having a plan for later in my 3 rd trimester is something they would consider?? I'm hoping it doesn't sound too demanding. I was on fluoxetine 40mg pre pregnancy. I was told id need fortnightly scans if I went back on it just incase and that scares me x

 

[Orglethorp]

I have PTSD, and in recent years the biggest form it takes is general anxiety & panic attacks at night/earlymorning. In the first trimester, this actually completely dissappeared for me. I think it's partly because I was worried that blood pressure changes during a panic attack might be bad for the baby, so somehow I subconsciously surpressed it? Then I visited my family at 16 weeks. Visiting my family always stirs up my anxiety issues. I've been back to my usual nocturnal attacks at least once a week since :/

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

I had such bad anxiety during #3, that i had to be induced, along with asking for more monitoring during pregnancy.

 

[whatwillbex]

Ok, first of all breath, you can do this. Break it down, you need to get yourself back in the moment, baby steps. Have you got any music you can listen to with headphones? This may help block some thoughts and give you chance to relax. I suffer to but managing to keep mine in check at the mo. I think everyone has these worrys deep down, it's just how you deal with them. Everyone copes differently x

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

I had such bad anxiety during #3, that i had to be induced, along with asking for more monitoring during pregnancy.

I'm not sure my consultant will sign off on more monitoring but I would like her to. How did you go about this x

 

[margeandmom]

So sorry you are suffering, you are definitely not alone. I opted to remain on medications during pregnancy because my anxiety can be so out of control without it.

I am not a doctor, and ultimately you know what's best, but I think you should seriously look into medication. The things you describe indicate that your illness has become debilitating for you. Don't mean to scare you, but high levels of stress / cortisol do effect you and your baby. Most doctors in this case ( I have had many consults) will advise you that the potential risks of any medication won't outweigh the benefits to your quality of life and your babies life.

Also the baby's face is fully formed at 9 weeks, so the medication won't be impacting things like facial birth defects.

Please talk to a psychiatrist or an obgyn who specializes in women with mental health issues. There are options other than cbt that can help alleviate your suffering now and prevent you from developing post natal depression. There are also local support groups just for pregnant women with mental health issues that you may want to consider.

All I can say, is I found pregnancy (so far) with medication to be a complete breeze mental health wise. I sleep great and have almost zero stress. Never felt better in my life. I pray and pray that everything will be okay birth defect wise, and am very optimistic, plus the research supports that it will. Either way though, I couldn't risk being completely debilitated / non functioning for 9 months, plus almost guaranteed post partum depression.

But each person is different, and ultimately you have to do what's best for you and your family. Sending hugs your way.

 

[Blue_bumpkin]

So sorry you are suffering, you are definitely not alone. I opted to remain on medications during pregnancy because my anxiety can be so out of control without it.

I am not a doctor, and ultimately you know what's best, but I think you should seriously look into medication. The things you describe indicate that your illness has become debilitating for you. Don't mean to scare you, but high levels of stress / cortisol do effect you and your baby. Most doctors in this case ( I have had many consults) will advise you that the potential risks of any medication won't outweigh the benefits to your quality of life and your babies life.

Also the baby's face is fully formed at 9 weeks, so the medication won't be impacting things like facial birth defects.

Please talk to a psychiatrist or an obgyn who specializes in women with mental health issues. There are options other than cbt that can help alleviate your suffering now and prevent you from developing post natal depression. There are also local support groups just for pregnant women with mental health issues that you may want to consider.

All I can say, is I found pregnancy (so far) with medication to be a complete breeze mental health wise. I sleep great and have almost zero stress. Never felt better in my life. I pray and pray that everything will be okay birth defect wise, and am very optimistic, plus the research supports that it will. Either way though, I couldn't risk being completely debilitated / non functioning for 9 months, plus almost guaranteed post partum depression.

But each person is different, and ultimately you have to do what's best for you and your family. Sending hugs your way.

The problem I have is that with my anxiety now so bad I don't think I could physically take the medication ? I think it would help and ease things but in my experience with them taking 2-3 weeks to take full effect I don't see my anxiety 'allowing' me to take something with potential side effects like that. Even if I got them down I'd stress afterwards and throw up. It's a catch 22 in that respect x

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

I had such bad anxiety during #3, that i had to be induced, along with asking for more monitoring during pregnancy.

I'm not sure my consultant will sign off on more monitoring but I would like her to. How did you go about this x

I asked and explained