Question From a Future Father Posted: 04-10-07 22:57pm
this feels a bit weird. i'm a guy & i
have a question in regards to my pregnant
girlfriend. she's almost 12 weeks along in
her pregnancy. which i know is in the
first trimester & i also know her
hormones are all over the place, but i'm
beginning to think she's more than just
hormonal. i think she's actually
developing postpartum depression.
i read up on it through books &
information i found online, but i don't
know how to help her. she won't be open
about how she feels with anyone but me.
she's miserable. she's unhappy. stressed.
frustrated. angry. i could go on & on
with the list of negative emotions. she
constantly talks about not wanting the
baby. about not caring for it. she says
there's absolutely no connection between
her & the child growing inside of her
body. she said she doesn't love it at all.
she says all of this to me, but when it
comes to being with her friends &
family - the child is the center of her
world. she just glows with false
happiness. as soon as we're alone again
she tells me about how she hates faking
her desire to carry this child & to
raise it. it kills me to hear because i am
so in love with both her & our baby. i
would give up anything for either one of
them. i can't wait to be a father &
share the rest of my life with her. but
she's so unwilling to get help. she said
it's not worth it because she doesn't have
health insurance & it would be nothing
more than extra financial stress. she
takes everything all at once instead of
working it out step by step. there is no
day to day with her, it's all "too much
for me to deal with." she won't stop
talking about suicide, which has me
worried because two months before i met
her, exactly a year ago today, she
attempted to overdose on sleep medications
mixed with alcohol. she swears she's not
going to do anything because of the baby,
but at the same time i think if she
reaches her breaking point again, i fear
she won't be able to control her actions.
she's a smart girl. she's beautiful. i
just know her childhood was a bit on the
difficult side.
please don't judge her, but when she was
quite a bit younger, she had an abortion.
she was convinced by everyone around her
that it would be the best decision &
afraid of disappointing her family she
went through with it. she constantly tells
me how much she regrets it. and about how
excited she was to have that baby. that
she loved that baby. but, not the one
she's having now. is that normal? why
would she be so excited to have a baby
then, when she was still a baby herself
& when she obviously wasn't mature
enough to handle the responsibilities of
being a mother, but now she's dreading it?
i feel so hurt.
this is where my main question comes in.
and i apologize my post turned out to be
so long. i hope you read through it
because i really am i need of some advice.
she's got it in her head that something is
wrong with this baby. her exact words to
me are, and i have heard these words
numerous times, "there is something wrong
with this baby, i can't have it. let's get
rid of it & have a new one." where is
she coming up with this? she had an
ultrasound at 8-weeks & the doctor
said everything looked healthy. all her
bloodwork came back clean. so far she
hasn't had any problems. so why would she
think there is something so terribly wrong
with the baby? she won't explain to me
what she means. she just says, "don't ask
questions, i just know."
how do i get her to look into finding a
therapist? she needs one badly. she says
she would do it if she had health
insurance. that she can't take on anymore
charity care paperwork. she said looking
for a therapist would stress her out more.
i offered to do it, but she doesn't think
i'd be able to find someone worth talking
to for free or for cheap.
thanks to anyone who reads this. and even
more thanks to anyone who replies.
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vanessalouanne
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 31 May 2005 Posts: 2268 Location: ,
Thanks: 1
Thanked:0
Posted: 04-10-07 23:07pm
Honestly I think time is going to be a
huge factor in her accepting this and
being happy and okay with it. I never
felt like i was pregnant until I felt the
baby move for the first time and then when
i saw an ultrasoud of her further along
(not looking a like a peice of poop like
they do at the 8 weeker) I can say that
when I found out i was pregnant a part of
me wanted to miscarry because i was scared
and frustrated and didnt feel well and was
hormonal. you cant make her see a
theripist. the thing i would suggest to
do is just be there for her. tell her how
beautiful she is pregnant..tell her you
cant wait to have your family with her and
hold your child. go to the doctor
appointments and be supportive. i know it
will be hard because lets face it most of
us are hormonal messes but we just need to
have a supportive person in our lives who
will be there no matter what. i wish you
all the luck in the future. take it one
day at a time and just watch to make sure
she doesnt harm herself or the baby.
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Kia
Supporter
Joined: 23 Jun 2004 Posts: 6594 Location: Planet Tampaxia,
Posted: 04-11-07 04:29am
I can promise you that she does not have
post partum depression.
the clue is in the name "post partum" it
means after mother and baby are physically
parted.
She may have depression during pregnancy,
but this is not post partum.
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Mommy35
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 23 Sep 2006 Posts: 3165 Location: Vacationland, USA,
Posted: 04-11-07 11:32am
That is really sad .
Maybe the next time she goes to see her
.OB you two can talk to them and see if
there is a safe anti-depressant that she
can take while pregnant.
I'm not sure, but I've heard that women
that have aborted feel really guilty when
they conceive again and decide to keep the
baby. It makes them feel guilty because
they are keeping one baby, but didn't keep
another.
Even though she really doesn't sound it,
maybe she is happy about it, and is just
really worried/concerned about the
pregnancy. Lots of women, I'd say most
women worry like crazy about everything
associated with their pregancies.
Sounds like she is very very very lucky to
have you.!! Be well
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mommynessa
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 May 2008 Posts: 3 Location: ,
Posted: 05-16-08 22:40pm
hey BRS .....well for starters never
apoligize for talking about your feelings
on this site thats what its here for as mommy35 stated
maybe next time its time to see your
doctor you could talk about this to
him/her....i have a close friend of mine
who had an abortion when she was 16 and
wanted it but her parents made her have
the abortion....when she was pregnant at
26 she felt exactly like your wife
did...she dint want the baby she was
miserable mad sad upset and she kept
telling me that she felt no closeness with
the thing inside of her * as she put it*
but only after her 2nd ultrasound did she
start acepting and looking forward to meet
her unborn baby....your wife is defiantly
going through a depression and i think in
my opinion professional help would be the
best...you a very supportive husband and
you continue to be there the way you
are...being pregnant isnt always what they
show on tv....alot of women are depressed
during pregnancy but at least she has your
support ..i think you are very brave for
coming on her and looking out for your
wife and childs well being...god bless
your lil family and hang in there ok...9
months seems long for you u can only
imagine for her who is carrying need anything we
are here....