Is this Pni?

[loulou123]

I gave birth in November very straightforward labour. The first two weeks after she was born we had visitors every day which was lovely but I felt I never had time with my baby alone and I woukd get upset and cry in the evenings, a few more weeks went by and I started to stress about housework and things that needed doing and instead of enjoying my time with my little one I'd be thinking about the next task, I started feeling dizzy but put it down to being tired. My daughter is now sleeping through the night but the dizziness had gotten worse and I now have a foggy head and jelly legs as well. I get very treafull as well especially in the evening. I feel anxious when I'm home alone with my daughter but fine when I'm visiting my mum or a friend.

[monica]

Welcome!

Congratulations on your baby girl. It's really positive you've identified that you're not feeling well. Although we're not medically trained on here the feelings you've experienced - sadness, crying, anxiety with spending time with your baby, getting agitated over things like housework and indeed your physical symptoms can all be symptoms of pni. I too suffered from the foggy head and it was only months later a nurse told me it was quite a usual symptom of depressive type illnesses.

Having a baby is a huge upheaval even if they are very much wanted coupled with hormonal changes can make women very susceptible to pni.

The good news is you will recover. Sometimes it's a case of acknowledging how you're feeling, making changes in your life and over time things will improve. It's always worth confiding in your partner/family / friends and seeking support from your doctor and or health visitor for support . I promise you're not alone and they can help you by simply talking preferring you for talking therapies and possibly medication if you both feel that's the right course of action.

It sounds like when you're distracted by family and friends you're ok and when alone you feel anxious. It sounds as if you need to build up confidence with being with your baby . You're a brill mum that's clear but you have to learn to believe that. When ur alone try to break down the time into chunks because the day can seem long and scary . Maybe factor in things like baby massage which you can do at home too which I'm sure you'll both enjoy. And each time you have s positive experience congratulate yourself.

Re the foggy headed feelings I found exercise hugely helpful - is there anything you enjoy doing? Even a brisk walk can be really good .

Do keep talking to us as we really do understand .

Monica