Did you suffer from post-partum depression? Do you think having to return to work made it easier or tougher to deal with it?

I had PPD for 17 months. My husband suggested I go back to work but since we don't live around any family members, I had no clue who would watch my son and I was worried he was too young for daycare. I did take medication and it did help me. I have a degree in behavioral neuroscience so that helped me a lot in determining what may be "biological" versus "situational" causes of my PPD. I do work now, I run my own business, but I run it from home and my son is in daycare a few days a week. Has it helped? Yes. I really think that people are just plain different in respect to staying home versus going back to work. For me, staying at home with my son was THE hardest job I had ever had in my life! I did it anyway, because it was the best option considering all other factors. Not everyone can be a SAHM just like not everyone can be a WOHM. Find what makes you happy. If you are happy, your children will be happy. There is no right or wrong answer. What worked for your mother or your friend may not work for you. My best advice is to listen to yourself, not society that expects us to do everything. Ignore negative feeback. People love to give their opinions and too often they will be judgemental or nasty because they, themselves, are not happy. So, if you think that going back to work may help with your PPD, give it a shot. I know moms who have/had PPD and going back to work was the best thing for them. Don't feel guilty if that is what works for you. Feel happy knowing you have found what is right for you. I know other moms who decided staying home was the best way to go - they just had to acclimate to the significant changes that come with being a SAHM. I found a very comfortable middle-ground.

I spent twelve weeks at home with my daughter, and enjoyed every minute of it. Postpartum hit me really hard in the days leading up to going back to work. I planned to leave my daughter with her sitter on the Friday before I went back, and I sobbed from the minute I left her until several hours after I picked her up. I really didn't want to go back to work, and want to change careers. Also, it just seemed so final to me, that I could no longer immerse myself completely in baby things. Going back to work also meant my son had to again stay for after-school care, and we don't get home until late.

I actually called my OB and got samples of Lexapro. I took it the day I went back to work, but once I got back in the groove, I was fine. I still want to change careers, and am taking steps towards that.

i think while not physically at work the thought of going or being there made me not feel very good. however, once actually at work, i felt much better. i think what kate said above makes plenty of sense as i felt the same way and a few years back i remember reading a similar study about work often times these days being less stressful than being at home. at work you don't usually have chores you have to do or have the stresses that you have to deal with sometimes with your family, although, the number of hours we have to work is often one of the causes of stress at home. at work, though, you can also socialize a bit which can help people lift their spirits. i am the type that feels like i can get depressed at times, however, i believe very deeply that the mind is a powerful thing, so i just work on changing my perceptions and thoughts to not get depressed and things like that. i do my best to think of everything i have and look at all of the things i've overcome. i think it's largely perception we think of work as "work" and that has a negative connotation so the thought of it is depressing. this is kind of a good thing though because then once you get there it's not really as bad as you were thinking. on the other hand if work was called "vacation" we might have a better attitude about going there then once we get there if any little thing was wrong we'd be disappointed. does that make sense?

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