Estrogen therapy for postpartum depression...

Has anyone done this?  Did it work?

My doctor prescribed it for me, but I'm hesitant... Estrogen is what makes you sick during pregnancy (and I'm not real eager to be nauseated again) and it can also dry up your milk (although I'm ready to quit that anyway, I think).

I see there is a current clinical trial the government is doing on it (http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00059228), but I was wondering if anyone had tried it and had good results...

Anyone?

I've never heard of it, but it sounds very interesting!  Would it be in conjunction with meds or on its own?

I have never tried it and I didn't know there was such a trial going on!  I would be inclined to try it before going to anti-depressants!  I know that when I had ds2 something changed majorly in my body and I haven't been the same since then.  The thing is that when you give birth your hormones(you probably know more about this than me, lol) go crazy and sort of take a dive.  I have thought about this a lot because I was sooooo worried about getting PPD with my last birth.  I was thinking if there was some way to give women hormones to keep that dive from happening that it could help women not progress into PPD.  If I had a chance to try it I really would have even if I thought it could make me nauseated.  BUT I do understand your reserves about that part of it because you have been through so much in the nausea/vomiting dept. during your pregnancies. 

If you decide to try it I would love for you to come back and update!  It's very interesting to know they are doing trials with this!  I actually thought about asking my dr. for HRT after giving birth with my ds3 but I thought he would think I was off my rocker, LOL...guess I might not have been so far from base.

Good luck if you do decide to try it and here's to hoping you won't even get the first twinge of nausea!

I did it, after DS3, 4 & 5!!

I had PND after DS2. It was a combination of 11 month age gap, baby had lactose intolerance (undiscovered until 4 months old) and a mmc (after taking morning after pill). It all got to much for me and I was put on "happy pills" for a year or so. I came off them when pg with DS3 but was very up and down throughout the pregnancy.

My Doctor (woman) was a specialist in womens health and recommended I use Oestrogen patches after DS3 to combat PND. I had to put them on within 3 days of giving birth and wore them for about 3 months in total. It made such a difference. I know it worked as when DS3 was 8 weeks old I stopped using them and took a nose-dive. So I continued for a while longer.

 I had a fight getting them after DS4 & DS5 however as I had moved and it is very controversial in the UK. Have never heard of anyone else having been offered them. I am a determined lady though, lol!!

 I used them for shorter times after each baby and not at all with DS6.  I never felt any sickness whatsoever and I breezed through the 3 day baby blues. Some people don't react so well to a dip in hormones. That little help was a godsend!

HTH, xxx

noimagination:

I did it, after DS3, 4 & 5!!

I had PND after DS2. It was a combination of 11 month age gap, baby had lactose intolerance (undiscovered until 4 months old) and a mmc (after taking morning after pill). It all got to much for me and I was put on "happy pills" for a year or so. I came off them when pg with DS3 but was very up and down throughout the pregnancy.

My Doctor (woman) was a specialist in womens health and recommended I use Oestrogen patches after DS3 to combat PND. I had to put them on within 3 days of giving birth and wore them for about 3 months in total. It made such a difference. I know it worked as when DS3 was 8 weeks old I stopped using them and took a nose-dive. So I continued for a while longer.

 I had a fight getting them after DS4 & DS5 however as I had moved and it is very controversial in the UK. Have never heard of anyone else having been offered them. I am a determined lady though, lol!!

 I used them for shorter times after each baby and not at all with DS6.  I never felt any sickness whatsoever and I breezed through the 3 day baby blues. Some people don't react so well to a dip in hormones. That little help was a godsend!

 

HTH, xxx

I've been taking it orally.  Haven't noticed any difference.  Started taking Prozac too.