Not listening to me!

[Bounty2009]

Hi there I am a first time mum and I am 32 weeks pregnant. Lately I have been feeling really down and none of my doctors or people dealing with my have offered me any support really, and I dont want to go on an on but I feel i am sometimes dismissed when I try to discuss my anxieties. Do people have any advice?

[craigwalsh]

Hi --

Thank you for taking the time to join this forum. I'm sorry for the delay in responding. I'd hoped that some of the NHS professionals who visit this site with some degree of frequency, normally to defend the NHS, would offer you some suggestions.

I am certainly not a health care professional --- just an old, disabled farmer in Worcestershire. But what I think you're experiencing is antepartum depression.

I did a Google search on "antepartum depression" and I found dozens of web pages on the subject. One, from the Expectant Mother's Guide (http://www.expectantmothersguide.com/library/connecticut/depression_pregnancy.htm), said:

Pregnancy is often thought of as a joyful and exciting time for families, however for some women, pregnancy is neither joyful nor exciting but rather a time of sadness and distress. Approximately 10 – 20% of pregnant women suffer from Antepartum Depression (depression during pregnancy). Symptoms of antepartum depression involve a collection of symptoms that last for 2 weeks or longer. The symptoms include: depressed mood, irritability, lack of interest or pleasure, changes in appetite, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, loss of energy, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, sleep disturbances, and thoughts of suicide.There were several articles about something called light therapy: see the second page of this article (http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/347104/relieve_antepartum_depression_with.html?cat=5). It seems easy enough to set up, and there certainly hasn't been much "light" in the UK this winter. Why not give it a try?

What about joining a forum or contributing to a blog? I found this one (http://postpartumprogress.typepad.com/weblog/2009/02/strollerderby-antepartum-depression.html) --- described as "Postpartum Progress is the most widely-read blog in the U.S. on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders."

See also this article on the CBS News website (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/08/earlyshow/health/main2446546.shtml).

It is depressing that your GP doesn't want to offer you any assistance. Judging from the number of articles that I found on the internet, this is obviously a well-known condition, and one where the authors of the various articles advice that you seek advice and assistance.

Perhaps if you print out some of these articles and make an appointment to see your GP they will listen to you, and be helpful. If not, my advice is as always --- change your GP. I did, and the new surgery is as wonderful as the previous surgery was awful.

Please let me know if any of this is of any help. The light therapy sounds like something that even I could use. Off to find some large light bulbs. :)

All the best with your pregnancy.