2nd time around

I am pregnant with our 2nd child due in mid June. With DD I was diagnosed (somewhat after the fact) with PND. Nothing was done at the time. Plunket said that they could refer me to Maternity Mental health but that there was a 3 month waiting list. As I wasn't thinking straight I never realised that I could go privately - I have medical insurance. I needed help then and there not in 3 months so did nothing. I really only started to get over it when I went back to work part time when DD was 7 months old. Even then when she got sick or things went wrong I had this kind of hang over from the PND where I was exceeding nervous. Not panicky but more nervous than I should be. I have never before or afterwards had any further problems.

As I said I am due in June and have heard by a number of people including my GP and OB that the chances of me getting it again are fairly reasonable.

My question is - what should I put in place now to ensure that I have the help available should I need it and should I be talking to the OB re taking some medication before the birth?

Thanks

I also got it second time around. My GP was fantastic, and between me and him we had a good action plan. As I saw him quite often (2 boys = see GP lots ), he was monitering me during their visits. One visit when I saw him he was seeing the signs well before I admitted anything and so I went back and saw him by myself and had a good chat. I was put on the meds straight away (didn't go on them the first time), and within 2 weeks I was back to normal (for me). I could of seen MMH but I had a BIL who was working in mental health at the hospital I was to go to, and I didn't want him anywhere near me.

One think I tried to do was to get fully stablished with everything in the hospital and not get kicked out earlier than when I needed to. I thought that if I had everything going well then it wouldn't stike (boy was I wrong). I also had some personnal issues happening at home that lead to it as well (which my dr knew about).

So long as you are open with things with people you trust, then you should be able to manage it 2nd time around if it does strike.

Best of luck.