www.homestartbarnet.org
Homestart volunteers and our PND training
Insomnia….. Dr Selsick explains novel treatments
Feed your microbes – you are what you eat?
Postnatal depression and anxiety is a silent illness – my experience
Postnatal Depression and Anxiety-What can we do to prevent and treat it ?
https://www.babydetective.co.uk/postnatal-depression/postnatal-depression-prevent-recognise-treat/?fbclid=IwAR3GwwsqXdnWaTe18xkTV1QGu-jEnLhnXYe-cV1TEVKuki2OzuF96ywEQfg
“I loved your post last night and want to write my own post using some of the points you raised e.g isolation, doubting yourself, getting help, etc. I wanted to write this blog to show parents that there is an end to PND and reflux, and that positive things are possible. I love things that show parents journeys from low to high, and help inspire and reassure others going through their own difficulties.
I didn’t realise what you had been through and how it affected you, you are inspiring 
!” Sarah Norris, author of The Baby Detective.
Ella’s Story
“I really felt my post-natal depression was biological and situational”
This is a quote from a blog post I read recently, very courageously written by a mother of twins who suffered from PND and Anxiety, and who wanted to share her experience in the hope of helping others in a similar situation.
I have included a link to Ella’s Story so please go and read it now, then come back to this blog because I would like to explore and expand on some of her experiences which I feel are very important to try and understand.
Why Do Some People Get PND/Anxiety ?
No one knows exactly what causes PND/Anxiety or why it affects some people and not others but the generally accepted view is that it occurs due to hormonal changes in the mothers body and/or due to situational stresses, as described by Ella.
Currently we have little understanding of the hormonal aspect of pregnancy/birth that seems to make some women more vulnerable to PND/Anxiety but we do know about some of the external stresses that contribute to or exacerbate the situation.
Parenting can be an exhausting job at the best of times, but certain things make it much harder, such as a difficult or traumatic birth, maternal illness/pain, illness or problems with baby, or difficulties feeding.Sleep deprivation seems to play a major part, and social isolation, loneliness, and lack of support for the parents can make things worse, as can financial worries.
Basically, anything that adds stress can trigger PND/Anxiety, or make it worse, and that includes multiple births.
“Nearly twice as many mothers of twins suffer from post-natal depression as those of singletons”
In repeating this my aim is not to worry prospective parents, but to arm you with knowledge that you can use to try to avoid PND/Anxiety or minimise its effects
The Importance of Support
“You cannot avoid the biological reaction but I did not have enough support in place. Now I teach the antenatal courses for parents of multiples I am really adamant on planning your childcare in the months after birth.
Which friends and family can help and when will they help? Can you afford any support at home? What can you do to optimise your mental health and your sleep? I always emphasize the importance of getting out, being outside, meeting up with others”
I wholeheartedly agree with Ella about the importance of support for after baby is born, whether you have one baby or multiple, yet so often I see parents reluctant to ask for, or accept help.
I know a lot of parents want to manage by themselves, but historically we have never been isolated child rearers. We have always lived in communities and learned from, and received help from other people. Women helped each other give birth and fed each other’s babies, men hunted, other village members gathered food that was then shared, cooking was communal, older children, grandparents and elders joined in to help mind the babies and toddlers…we pulled together.
Nowadays we move away from our families and communities to find work, we often don’t know our neighbours, we have become isolated and vulnerable.
This is a worrying situation, but the good news is that babies seem to bring out the best in people, babies, if you let them, can bring us together.
There is no shame in asking for help from family, friends, neighbours, in fact they are probably dying to help. Health professionals are trained and available, so make use of them.I know not everyone has supportive family or friends, but please take time to think about who you could ask for help, or what you can do in preparation to make life easier after the birth.
Even asking a friend to sit and watch baby whilst mum has a relaxing bath without being interrupted for half an hour can make a difference so please don’t be proud.
The Onset of PND/Anxiety
“They were feeding and sleeping really well until about two and a half months they started to cry a lot more, they were really unsettled and wouldn’t sleep for more than half an hour….I stopped sleeping at that point, even when the girls were asleep I would just lie awake”
This quote from Ella’s story illustrates the fact that not all PND/Anxiety is apparent from birth. You can be totally fine for weeks or even months, before something changes biologically or situationally, so be aware of any changes in your mood or emotional state and don’t dismiss it.
It also identifies a symptom that should send you straight off to seek medical help. If you are exhausted but cannot sleep you must get help. It is not normal, not healthy and can rapidly send your mental health spiralling dangerously downwards.
“All everybody kept seeing was my anxiety — health visitor, doctors, family. I still held a fundamental belief that there was something wrong with the girls but it was so difficult to fight for them when people just saw my anxiety and neuroses. I should always have trusted my instincts, but when you are exhausted and intensely anxious you lose all your confidence in your parenting ability. I lost my ability to make decisions”
Fighting to get Help
In this case a massive external stress was caused by reflux. Ella’s twins started showing signs of discomfort and distress, which is stressful in itself, but made even worse by the resulting sleep deprivation for the parents. The worry about the babies health, and the struggle to figure out what was wrong and get help was obviously a nightmare. In this case the family was let down by the health professionals who seem to have been focussed on the mother rather than on the babies.
This is such a difficult situation, and if it ever happens to you, please trust your instincts and keep asking for the help you need whether it is for your baby, for yourself or for your partner.
If possible, document whatever is going on because when you are tired, stressed and unwell it is impossible to think straight. It can help if you can hand over times and notes to a doctor it can really help them understand what is going on, and video is even better so use your phone to record things too.
If you are struggling to explain properly try and take an advocate with you, someone who can speak for you and support you.
Don’t be a Martyr
When something is stressing you or your baby, stop doing it. It may sound blunt but you and your baby should be happy and healthy, that is your priority.
“I was at the point where I would bring them in for a breastfeed and they would scream their heads off….. In the end I was so anxious I couldn’t even pump and the girls were so unhappy to breastfeed anyway so, gradually, I cut down and moved to bottles”
In this case, due to the reflux, breastfeeding and pumping had become a major source of stress for everyone involved, and Ella absolutely did the right thing by stopping and moving on to formula. However, she did this after persevering for such a long time that her emotional health was being harmed.
I know there is currently a lot of pressure to breastfeed, but breastfeeding should be comfortable and pleasurable for both mum and baby. If it isn’t, if you dread feeding time, if each feed is a battle, if baby isn’t thriving, or if you know it is making you feel worse…just stop. Your baby will do just fine on formula, and will be much better off with a mum who is taking care of herself.
Medication
Even when Ella’s twins were diagnosed with reflux and CMPA, and they were starting to make progress and improve, things didn’t improve for Ella.
“I couldn’t see that they were fine and still kept thinking something was wrong and obsessing about the minutiae of their routine. I still struggled to sleep and would wake really early, at 4–5am with severe panic, drenched in sweat, filled with absolute fear and dread. It was a fear that is so wretched, I would not wish it on anyone.
Then, finally, some increased levels of medication made a difference. Thanks to four different types, I could sleep and my anxiety levels started to come down. Thoughts of running away, intense soaking sweats at 4 am — slowly all that went away, but I had to be on medication to help that happen”
Medication seems to be the most feared, and least talked about aspect of PND/Anxiety which is a ridiculous and harmful state of affairs.Drugs are drugs. They do a job fixing something that has gone wrong, whether that be relieving pain, fighting infection, or rebalancing something that has got out of synch. Taking anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medication is no different from a diabetic taking insulin, or a heart patient taking beta blockers.
If a doctor suggests taking medication, listen to them. If you are unsure, ask questions and do research, do whatever you need to do but don’t for a second resist taking them because you think there is some sort of stigma attached to them.
Also, don’t give up if a particular drug or dose doesn’t work first time. Your body chemistry is complex and unique so it might take a few tries, just like it did with Ella, but it will be worth it to get you on the road to recovery.
Just read Ella’s next quote.
“It would be great if everyone talked more about issues we’ve had and medication we’ve taken! I’d really like to remove any stigma around medication — I was able to enjoy more of my babies’ first year thanks to the right medication.”
Bonding
I know that a lot of women in the middle of depression and anxiety can feel distant from their baby, or worry that they haven’t bonded, or may never bond so I particularly wanted to include this message from Ella…
“I also want other parents to know that the girls have thrived ever since that time and we have an amazing relationship, a fantastic bond. I have never felt guilty about that time and no one else should feel that way (I know some do).”
I have worked with many women who have suffered from PND/Anxiety, from every social class, every income bracket, and every education level and profession.
No one is immune.
Every one of my clients had a different journey, with different symptoms, and different treatments…but, most importantly, they all made it in the end.
When I first read the blog that this is based on I was genuinely moved by what the mother, and the whole family had been through, but what created even more impact for me was the fact that I actually knew the author.
I know Ella as a strong, happy, healthy woman. A great mother, a respected paediatrician, and the leader of a team of people who create ante natal courses for parents of multiple babies along with the very excellent career development courses that I use in order to stay up to date with the latest developments in the baby world.
I had no idea that she had suffered in this way, none at all, and it brought home to me that PND and Anxiety really can be experienced by absolutely anyone. It is a subject that needs to be brought out in to the open and talked about to the point where it is no more unusual than any other illness.
I am very grateful to Ella for having the courage to write so openly about what she went through, and for giving me permission to use her story as the basis for the blog in an effort to help more people.
If anyone is around London and is interested in Ella’s private workshops for parents of multiple babies then please click here at Be Ready To Parent for more information.
If you are worried about, or are suffering from Postnatal Depression or Anxiety I would recommend you get in touch with Cocoon Family Support that provide a range of services around London, but in their Support Across The UK page have also complied a list of links and organisations that cover other areas.
Help me help others – If you have experienced anything that has been mentioned or covered in this blog, and feel able to share your stories, please comment below to try and help people feel that it is ok to talk openly about a very common condition.
If you are struggling and need support for any aspect of PND/Anxiety, feeding, sleep, routines or anything baby related please come along to my Baby Detective Parent Support Group which is full of lovely, supportive people, and is non biased and non judgemental. I keep a close eye on the group and am in there every day to help people if needed.
Sarah x
Postnatal depression and anxiety is a silent illness By Rivka Mennesson, a psychodynamic psychotherapist
A mother told me she felt so symbiotically attached to her daughter that she couldn’t leave her with anyone without feeling anxious. A friend of mine who went through postnatal anxiety and depression tells me, on the opposite that she couldn’t connect to her baby from the begging and it was, of course, a very unexpected and uncomfortable feeling to have.
Either way, they ended up feeling anxious or depressed and that built up an unhealthy attachment to their baby that nobody around them spotted. According to the Guardian 2008 article on postnatal depression, there are more than 17,000 undetected and undiagnosed cases in the Uk. That’s why is called the ‘silent illness’.
The attachment styles described above are opposite but as it happens, psychologically, they both bring to the same result: An insecure attachment between mother and child, an unhappy mother and as a consequence, a mirroring unhappy child. Nowadays, psychoanalytic research teamed up with neurobiological confirmation on the importance of secure attachment in the treatment of inter-generationally transmitted personality disorders.
The good news is that there is a lot that can be done in personal therapy especially when the mother-child relationship is just being built up and the child is small. By helping the mum with her anxiety and/or depression is possible to make the mother-child relationship improve.
It’s proven that mothers with anxiety and depression following birth, give attention to more things for a shorter period of time and research has confirmed the psychoanalytic idea that through mirroring, the small child ends up doing exactly the same. Those children have more difficulty concentrating for a long time than children of mothers who are not sufferers.
Anxiety is contagious and is transmitted from one generation to the other. Awareness in therapy helps put the mother back in control of her emotions and starts up a journey of self-discovery and improvement, as I have encountered many times in my clinical work with mothers.
Allergic March by Dr Vivian Chen
Great blog by Dr Vivian Chen!
http://allergyfamilies.com/food-allergies/asthma-linked-to-food-allergies/
Have you heard of the ‘allergic/atopic march?’ – if not, read on….
Genes can predispose us to develop allergies – and that’s why it often runs in families… but the same genes which cause allergies can also lead to other atopic conditions: asthma, eczema, hayfever. It often begins with eczema in infancy although eczema could also be stand alone as a skin disease.
Unfortunately, when we see kids begin to outgrow their food allergies at or before 4/5 years of age, we frequently see new conditions appearing, usually allergic rhinitis (the persistent itchy/runny nose & sniffing, with a dry cough), and asthma. Sadly, children are increasingly NOT outgrowing their food allergies (or outgrowing them later) but still accumulating the other atopic conditions like asthma and rhinitis along the way.
The ‘march’ in the name ‘allergic march’ refers to the progression of diseases which we see unfold at different ages of atopic children. It does not affect ALL food-allergic children and is not a one size fits all, but the pattern we see is this:
From age 0 – eczema – eczema may be the first sign of atopy, then…
From age 6months – 2 years – food allergy starts to appear
From age 3 years onwards – rhinitis (a persistent runny nose, sniffing, itchiness of the nose/eyes)/hayfever symptoms
From age 7 years onwards – asthma
We know egg, milk and peanut allergies are independent risk factors for development of asthma later on. And if you had BOTH peanut and egg allergy, the risk of developing asthma is even higher. There is also evidence that severity of food allergies may be correlated with the risk and severity of asthma, and sensitization to aeroallergens (e.g. grass) is also associated with the development of asthma.
This is why, despite the fact that both Sarah and Thomas have outgrown allergies (all for Sarah, some for Thomas), I carry on with the things I talked about in ‘How I helped my children grow out of their allergies’ and monitor them closely. Thomas had SEVERE allergies to milk, egg and peanuts – he also had severe eczema as an infant. So in terms of risk factors for developing asthma, he ticks ALL the boxes (sigh!) and statistically speaking he has a very high chance of developing asthma later on, and I am definitely swimming against the tide here. I may not be able to alter his genetic destiny with the dietary and lifestyle changes I’ve adopted, but I am trying my damn best! I treated asthma patients day in day out as a family physician, and I knew the impact this had on the child and family.
Aside from lifestyle measures, there is some evidence to suggest immunotherapy could alter the course of allergic diseases and prevent asthma or at least reduce its severity. Thomas is on the wait list for immunotherapy currently, because I know statistically he has a very high chance of developing asthma. In the meantime, I will just keep trying to alter his epigenetics with lifestyle measures and stay positive. I’ll keep you updated on his progress.
Iron – the do’s and don’ts
The facts and fiction surrounding Iron
So I write this knowing that I should have known better, as a paediatrician of all things, and am worried you may think less of me BUT
I read the ingredients of Abidec today, the multivitamin liquid, and then also looked up Dalavit, the alternative, and although they contain lots of wonderful vitamins and good amounts of Vitamins D, they both lack iron.
So I asked myself why?
Do children not need any extra iron?
Is it a formulation/preparation problem?
I know that breastfed babies get enough iron from breastmilk till 6 months but after this breastmilk does not contain enough iron for the growing infant. At this point, the iron needs to come from solids and we need to remember to give our babies iron-rich foods. Why? To prevent anaemia which in my experience usually presents as tiredness, fatigue, sometimes children are miserable or babies irritable and it can lead to reduced school performance, as well as the obvious sign of being a little pale and not quite themselves. In 2001 the World Health Organisation found 10-20% of children aged 1 year to be anaemic in industrialised countries.
So after breastfeeding my son exclusively for 6 months, I endeavored to give him iron rich foods such as, weirdly, tinned sardines and baked beans, dried apricots and sultanas, as well as meat and green vegetables especially spinach. BUT I ask myself what happens if he refuses these foods and chucks them on the floor? Well, cereals are thankfully enriched with iron such as weetabix, readybrek and shreddies (of course these contain minimal sugar unlike many of the alternatives which appear good but are coated in sugar like cheerios – but this is a whole new blog and I won’t wont go into that now!).
So my cereal eating, but green veg and meat refusing toddler now had abidec but is a little tired and is a little pale – so I ask myself again – why do the multivitamins not contain iron for children like him? He cant be the only one? Or is he?
I contacted dalavit who kindly replied, abidec did not, and although a detailed and informative response – I still have no idea why it does not contain iron – I’m afraid there were alot of finer details that I just did not understand but basically it doesn’t.
Is it a price thing? Are we meant to buy 2 different vitamins? is it a marketing ploy to ensure we spend even more money on vitamins?
I know vitamin C encourages iron absorption so it makes sense to give the multivitamins so that it will enhance the iron absorption from solids – a good thing and vitamin D (my favourite vitamin) is in all preparations – hooray!
But no iron – so I started looking up other brands of multivitamins:
I found “wellkid” does indeed have a preparation in liquid form with iron and vitamin D – but in small amounts and less than the RDA (recommended daily allowance) but at least it does contain both. So is Wellkid better than the alternative Abidec/Dalavitwhich has more vitamin D but no iron? I just do not know is the honest truth.
I also found Haliborange chewable tablets but for over threes which seems on paper to be great – good iron and vitamin D and calcium amounts (ish) but only for over threes – so again I ask myself what about my cereal eating, meat and green veg refusing toddler?
Well, I am now feeding him dried apricots and sultanas mixed in with shreddies and dare I say it weetoes for snack time – in the vain hops of increasing his iron stores. I am encouraging red meat, egg and green veg and I am debating orange juice to enhance the iron absorption.
My alternative view is to give Floridex (from the age of 3 years only) on top of abidec – this is a natural iron syrup made from fruit juices mainly – not constipating and tastes nice and is over the counter. I checked the vitamin content of floridex which appears the best of everything – iron and vitamins together but NO! It does not contain vitamin D – so I cannot use it instead of abidec but as an extra to abidec.
I emailed Floridex to ask them but again they do not have a preparation with vitamin D and iron – they replied saying there is a worry about accidental iron overload and that is why many companies do not add iron to preparation of multivitamins – an answer – but really? Can you have that much iron from the little a toddler eats and then a once a day vitamin drop?
I also checked out Spatone – and again, great iron and vitamin C content and is available from 2 years of age and it is less constipating and upsetting for the stomach than other iron preparations – BUT – you have guessed it, no vitamin D! So again the need for 2 different supplements.
I think for now abidec (or similar) with floridex works (and there is not an overdosing amount of the vitamins by combining the two preparations) but perhaps the haliborange will be the next stage.
I guess many health professionals argue that iron is from food but a toddler does not, by definition of the word toddler, eat what you want them to eat.
I get that most children are fine without supplements – I do – but I would want to give them anything extra I can to maintain their health and development.
One definite school of thought, and this would apply to my twins in fact, is that there is extra iron in formula. So if you are on formula till the age of 1 yr then your iron stores would likely be greater than a breastfed baby for the reasons described in the first paragraph. So my twins probably do not need extra iron. And in fact lots of parents are on follow on formula for just that reason – the advertised extra iron in formula compared to cow’s milk which has minimal iron. BUT I argue, stage 1 formula has enough iron for a developing child so you do not have to go onto stage 2 or 3. And surely you have enough iron stores to stop formula and move onto cows milk at one yrs of age if you have had formula for the previous 12 months. I do not know but that is my gut instinct – and at some stage you will switch to cow’s milk to be like the rest of the family and because it is cheaper.
So again I am down to the question – what about a) my breastfed son and his refusal of iron containing foods?
and b) my formula fed twins who are now on cows milk who eat pretty well – but could they also not do with some iron as they get into the terrible toddler refusing food age? Would it harm them – no! no! no! If they have enough iron stores the body will surely just take what it needs and leave the rest – so presumably there won’t be any overload by giving vitamins containing iron and vitamin D once a day to a child?
It has really opened my eyes – all this talk about taking vitamins to increase your child iron levels – actually I now know you need to check the ingredients before you buy!
http://www.morethanmummies.com/2013/03/the-facts-and-fiction-surrounding-iron/
Three under three
This is an article I wrote in August 2012
I wanted to say thankyou to everyone who helped me through my journey,
it is very honest.
I want to start off my saying how wonderful it is to have 3 under 3, actually we had 3 under 18 months at one stage!
It is rewarding, fun-filled and full of adventures. However, I must admit to it not being always like this. I want to be honest in this article but also positive. We have 13 month old identical twin girls, Miriam and Leila, and a son called Joey who is 2 and a half. The girls are delightful, charismatic, busy and beautiful. Joey is charming, sensitive, affectionate and both scooter and book mad in equal proportions!
The first 3 months were actually ok, the girls were born 4 weeks early and they did a lot of sleeping from what I remember, being identical they were similar in their patterns and breastfed without any problems. My son did not seem to remember being an only child and took to his role as big (although I was very careful at remembering he was not so big really) brother superbly.
The difficulty is that this honeymoon stage does not last forever, the girls needed more attention as they developed, and rightly so, they also developed reflux, secondary to cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA), which went undiagnosed for a while, and help soon started to disappear after the first few weeks. If I could have done things differently it would have been to organise proper help to start a few weeks into the journey, to help with the running of the household and to help with the twins, giving me proper time with my son and also giving me some well needed rest.
The sleep deprivation I had led to a very low point in my life, and thankfully one I have worked through, and got help with, as well as having a supportive husband and family and friends that helped. But all this when I personally knew how to navigate the NHS and knew how things worked, being a paediatrician, married to a psychiatrist, of all things. So you can see I am being very honest.
Thankfully the girls and my son are all healthy children, I cannot even begin to imagine what other families go through if they also have lots of hospital appointments as well. Help arrived in abundance while I was not so well and as I recovered I was able to take more control of life, my children and house.
I think weaning was tough, messy and time consuming – so my advice would be to get help in whatever shape it comes in at this stage, get friends to puree and freeze for you or make food! Get friends to make dinners for you and your partner to save you time.
I read somewhere in a twins book that “a visitor is not a guest but a helper” and this motto really applies here. I probably did not take this to heart, and took on a bit too much all round, in addition to the breastfeeding which I stopped at 3 months. In practical terms, there is lots of equipment advice I have so please feel free to contact me if you need any support or help.
Getting out and about with the 3 – it was never as difficult as I was led to believe, Joey was either in the back-pack or on his scooter, he never took to the buggyboard. The girls were in the double buggy or one was in a sling when Joey was in the pram. One thing I have learnt is to trust your instincts – by this I mean your maternal ones, you know if something is not right with your children, I wished I had listened to mine a bit more regarding their reflux (was “silent” reflux as they never vomited, but were in immense discomfort, so was never actually “silent”) and CMPA, and this from a paediatrician! Try and rest, really try and don’t be a super woman, it just won’t pay off.
Saying all this, there is not one inch of me that regrets having them so close in age, it is just fantastic and I love being a mother to my 3 adorable monkeys. They are just delightful, they play together, they eat together, they sleep at the same time both at lunchtime and at night, they swim together – just such fun and I am so glad I have been able to overcome my challenges and can enjoy our children and reap the benefits of having them so close together.
My journey has made me a different person, I can honestly say that hand on heart, and not in a wishy-washy touchy-feely kind of way. It really has made me more sympathetic, confident, insightful and determined; I now know even more what is important in life. I know the value of true friends and family and I am now passionate about supporting others through their challenges.
http://www.morethanmummies.com/2012/10/3-under-3/
http://www.mumazine.com/article/2013/01/05/three-under-three
http://interactivepdf.uniflip.com/2/79260/295873/pub/ MummyMag Page 14
http://www.scribd.com/doc/135538026/April-Issue-Baby-Buzz-Magazine
Getting the message out
31st October 2012 – my awareness of postnatal depression and it being under-recognised and under-treated is increasingly at the forefront of my mind following the tragedy this week of a mother who was so desperately unwell she killed her two children.
I can only hope that this has highlighted how important good antenatal care and postnatal support is and I hope the new charity backed by the prime minister actually listens to parents and works with them to make a sustainable difference. Of course it took a minister who actually had PND herself to even get the ball rolling,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-18076819 and another minister talks about her struggle,
http://mojomums.co.uk/dr-sarah-wollaston-mp-on-post-natal-depression-and-working-mums/
“I thought I was the worst mum”
There is still a stigma surrounding post-natal depression, with some young women afraid to speak out or ask for help says singer and TV personality Stacey Solomon, as she shares her experience of the illness.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/
And don’t forget fathers in all of this
Support for fathers is essential – luckily there are some support groups and online information now available. After all fathers also can get postnatal depression and also suffer greatly if their parners have PND. A father whose wife had PND has set up his own website and support for fathers, I have been able to talk to him and he is passionate about information for families, http://www.fathersreachingout.com/ There is also information at http://www.dad.info/about-us