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Kathy's Postpartum Depression Story

In Her Own Words

By Kathy Woltman

When I first got postpartum depression (PPD) and then got antepartum depression, I found that I didn't want to just read research papers and books and talk to doctors ... I wanted to hear from real women who had suffered through this and had survived. I wanted to know that I was going to get well and that I would eventually get my life back. The stories of real women helped me hang in there when I barely could.

As you no doubt know, PPD and antepartum depression can strike different women in different ways. This is my experience with it – but my symptoms may not be exactly like yours and the medications that helped me may not work for you. This is the tough thing about treating depression. The "cure" can be as unique as the individual. The main point of me sharing my experiences with others is to give them hope and let them know they are not alone.

I had had three children with no antepartum or postpartum depression. By the way, all of my pregnancies were planned and all my babies very much wanted. I did have the usual "baby blues" that more than 80 percent of new moms get – the "weepies" around the second week. I had learned to even expect this and I had learned that the first six weeks or so with a new baby are always "challenging." I never expect them to be easy.

During my fourth pregnancy everything went fine. As usual, we eagerly anticipated the arrival of the baby and spent months planning for her to join us. I expected the first weeks to be difficult. However, I had a very helpful husband, a lovely home, older children eager to help with the baby ... and I wasn't anticipating any big problems. I had heard of postpartum depression, but to be honest, I thought it was something like a really bad case of the baby blues and probably was something that happened to women whose home life was not good, had little support or didn't want their baby. It certainly couldn't happen to me!