Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly don’t know, OP, as my severe anxiety hit postpartum but I wanted to respond in solidarity and empathy.

It was so awful. I’ve always had anxiety around germs and toxins but it exploded after my second child was born. Once when I was changing my daughter some poop got on the wipe-able changing pad. I picked her up and was frozen. My mind raced thinking about how if I cleaned the poop with a cleaning wipe I would expose her to poisonous chemicals but if I just used a diaper wipe I would expose her to residue fecal contamination. I just stood there holding her until a family friend who’d been out with my oldest came home. I told her what was happening and she, gratefully, didn’t tell me I was nuts but came up with a solution that fit my insanity (cleaning the pad with boiling water). But even after her amazing help, I told her she couldn’t hold the baby when she asked since I was so afraid of germs. That this woman is still in our lives and loves me is pretty unbelievable after the way I acted.

I went on medication and everything got better. I’m so glad you’re talking to your doctor tomorrow. Please know that what you are feeling isn’t real and your kids and baby are all fine. Breathe.

Sending hugs!

You have a true and wonderful friend there. She got it. My parents just told me I was being ridiculous which made things so much worse.

All the best, OP. Happy you are bringing this up with your doctor tomorrow and please be brutally honest about how you’re feeling. I used to qualify everything to my doc and sugar-coat what I was going through. I didn’t want to sound crazy. Luckily my baby’s pediatrician called my doctor and told her I was suffering from PPA. And I got help and medication.

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP, I'm sorry that you're dealing with this! I had very similar anxiety during my recent pregnancy, and Lexapro helped tremendously. My OB prescribed it, and she also referred me to a counselor for a few telehealth sessions. I didn't experience any negative side effects from the Lexapro, and my anxiety symptoms were completely gone within about a week. It was such a relief to feel better. Good luck to you, OP!

Anonymous wrote:I honestly don’t know, OP, as my severe anxiety hit postpartum but I wanted to respond in solidarity and empathy.

It was so awful. I’ve always had anxiety around germs and toxins but it exploded after my second child was born. Once when I was changing my daughter some poop got on the wipe-able changing pad. I picked her up and was frozen. My mind raced thinking about how if I cleaned the poop with a cleaning wipe I would expose her to poisonous chemicals but if I just used a diaper wipe I would expose her to residue fecal contamination. I just stood there holding her until a family friend who’d been out with my oldest came home. I told her what was happening and she, gratefully, didn’t tell me I was nuts but came up with a solution that fit my insanity (cleaning the pad with boiling water). But even after her amazing help, I told her she couldn’t hold the baby when she asked since I was so afraid of germs. That this woman is still in our lives and loves me is pretty unbelievable after the way I acted.

I went on medication and everything got better. I’m so glad you’re talking to your doctor tomorrow. Please know that what you are feeling isn’t real and your kids and baby are all fine. Breathe.

Sending hugs!