OT: PPD

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/289824/placentophagia_benefits_...

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=361394&page=8

Dearest Gmom

Sorry that you are feeling like the black dog is around the corner. I am sure that with love and perservence you and Gdaddy will pull through with your little brood. Hopefully you will not even go down.

Sorry, I don't have suggestions to offer you, other than to stay in touch with people you love, so they/we can help you. Please let Christine know Gdaddy's email address, so we can contact you if you go off the air for a while.

Louise

ps This too will pass.

That I'd eaten "it." I had a run-in with PPD too, made worse I believe by my cystocele discovery. I had such an amazing pregnancy and birth, then fell into an absolute pit. Ugg. I understand, once you've been there, you don't want to go back. I found an acupuncturist that specializes in women's hormonal well-being. She was great and besides the needles, had me on some BF safe Chinese herbs and something else (simplex F) that I believe was similar in nature to eating a placenta. It helped a lot. Of course, I've just got one baby, so coordinating appointments was easy for me, and she was happy to let me have him in the room. She had some interesting insight into the Chinese treatment of postpartum women -- nourishing broths, foot rubs, etc. Also, she told me (as it was winter) to avoid eating raw fruits and vegetables. So I steamed everything -- even bananas! Something about too much energy to digest, and the need for the body to have a warm intake in the cold months. It made sense to me -- your body is so busy adjusting and healing, that working a cold, raw hunk of carrot in the gut has got to be unnecessary stress which must manifest elsewhere. I did start feeling better. You'll be having a fall baby, right? So maybe that's something to keep in mind in those first three pp months. And maybe it's all hocus pocus, but I don't think it can hurt.

Are you a visual person? I know it sounds cheesy, but I wrote encouraging phrases on bits of paper that I stashed around the house. Reading "you are doing great" or "your body is healing" or "you are so blessed!" went a long way for me in stopping a spiral into sadness.

Oh granolamom, my heart is with you. Hugs. You'll come through, and you'll come through well!

Gmom, you are probably just going into 'really pregnant' phase, which may sound stupid, but it may be just a very intense sort of nesting, ie you are thinking of ways you can protect your nest and your brood from a monster that you don't even know will be lurking ready to get you, several months from now. Perhaps you could try and pull back the focus a bit and be more in the here-now, and just squash the little monsters that are bothering you right now, and maybe tomorrow. Enjoy planning tomorrow's lunch, and enjoy being you now, and loving your family.

I do understand your need to make lists, the tool of choice for the habitually fuzzy-brained. They are like bookmarks for the future. I find that making a list gives me great relief, because I can stop being worried about forgetting what I have just written down. But even list making can get a bit intense. I end up with so many lists that I cannot remember the difference between them, or where I put them all.

I have been using a little piece of software called GoalEnforcer to try and get over menopausal fuzzy brain, and work out how I can accomplish all I would like to, without getting myself tangled in knots. It is simple project management software with a clean screen, pretty colours and places I can write things. Great for kids to learn to organise themselves. When I get a complicated task I can subdivide it into manageable chunks, and tick off each chunk as I finish them. You might find it useful for documenting all the things you need to keep track of during this pregnancy. I can also add links to files and websites. The website is www.goalenforcer.com . The software is available in different versions, depending on how sophisticated you want to get.

I just felt so relieved and unburdened when I finally got it all down, instead of in scraps all over my brain, and all over the kitchen bench. Now I am just making my way through it, chunk by chunk.Ticking each one off when it turns green is great fun! It's like a board game. We all need a bit of fun in amongst the monsters.

Cheers

Louise

I actually did just find my acupuncturist through google! If you like though, I'll email you the info on her. You can contact her via email or phone, and perhaps she can point you in the right direction. Let me know.

Hi G-mom,

I am so sorry that this has to worry you at all, but am glad you are being proactive about it. This time might be different though, you just never know. This is an enexpected delight you are expecting and that alone might just keep the blues from ever taking hold!

Sending much love, hugs and happy healthy thoughts for you and your baby,

~Mae

HI Gmom,
I am sorry to hear this worry is clouding your pregnancy. But I am glad you are being proactive, and hopefully it will mean an easier transition...

Have you heard of Bach remedies? I started trying them recently as I get really bad anxiety, and they have helped a lot. You can read about them online, or see a practitioner. But for instance at the moment, Aspen is for general anxieties and Mimulus for very specific fears (i'm more of an Aspen person). It can help to calm.
Health shops carry them, and be sure to get a mixer bottle as it is much cheaper (you add a few drops to that + distilled water, and use that rather than ongoingly using the original drops)

Also homeopathy can be very powerful, but you'd need to see someone...

Have you looked on Kellymom? Some ideas there (including Bach and Homeopathy articles)

http://www.kellymom.com/ppd/ppd-treatment.html

I've also heard great things about placentas....
Please do keep us updated on your findings, and on how you are doing.

Kiki

Here's what I'd do, in addition:

1. stay really on top of eating healthy fats. 1-3 tblsp per day of high quality virgin coconut oil - just eat that amount and also cook with it, in addition. For good and perhaps more economical source, tropicaltraditions.com or radiantlifecompany.com; also, high quality cod liver oil every day - radiant life company has some good ones; you may be non-dairy with babies, but I'd also eat a bit of raw butter if you can find it per day, and drink raw milk every day. Raw is different than pasteurized milk in how it affects many who think they are lactose-intolerant. See realmilk.com

2. invest in a good quality rebound unit. I love the cellerciser but I'm sure there are others. Just don't get it from the sporting good store. could end up with injuries. I can't say enough about the rebounder for exercise, but even five minutes of gentle bouncing does wonders and i mean wonders for clearing the fog of lethargy and even depression. I started with very gently bouncing, and now, I gleefully bounce, jump, run, do jumping-jacks and other such exercises, paying very considered attention to how my body feels. It's great for prolapse if done with attention and the right exercises. But even a very gentle daily bounce will lift that mood, tone and stimulate muscles, and I bet baby would love it.

3. Make seaweed soup, or try to get a lot of seaweed in your diet, especially the first weeks post-partum. I had a Korean friend make me lots of seaweed soup after baby #2 and I had the least amount of post-baby blues after her birth than the others.

It's fabulous you are reaching out for support prior to the event! I guess by 5th baby, you can think ahead enough to care well for yourself. Keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Love, Marie

PPD, but I will be thinking of you and send you some anti-PPD wibes and prayers from here! Hope they can make it through the ocean, lol!
Just tell us, when to start!
Liv

I bet the rebounder would help with arthritic knees! You wouldn't believe what it does for circulation issues, too. My sister, very overweight, has arthritic knees and talked to the creator of the cellerciser and he recommended some very gentle exercises -- just walking on the unit at first. As for prolapse, it's amazing how great I feel now, doing it in posture and paying very careful attention. Also, I do some sitting bouncing exercises which really strengthen the whole pelvic area. And, my body feels so strong now, with only about 15 minutes per day.

The other thing I forgot -- I really recommend for PP, learn to make kombucha and drink lots! If you don't already know how, I can give instructions. Just be sure to take probiotics, as I find it does tend to ramp up the yeast factor. But great for releasing toxins, increasing energy and overall well being. Youcan get from natural food store, but expensive!

Love, Marie

it's interesting - this concept is such a cultural one here in the US and we are all affected - but realize, this is not so in other parts of the world. In my family, paternal side, in Egypt, women have babies well into their 40s and this is considered quite normal. No such concept as AMA. In fact, as a woman ages, she is revered more and more for her strength, particular beauty, wisdom and what she imparts to her family.