depression

Dear Astrid, I can so relate to how you feel! I'm 25 years old and this is my 2nd pregnancy; the first one unfortunately ended in a miscarriage. Now I'm also 32 weeks pregnant and haven't been working since week 23 due to hard contractions and severe preterm labor. It's really hard to explain what you're going through because no one can feel what you feel! People often say "don't make such a fuss about it," but it really is just very, very heavy. I also notice that I sometimes feel like I'm on the verge of depression, especially because you can't always enjoy your pregnancy due to all the pain. I think it's super good that you're letting it all out here! It's a big recognition for me too. Can you talk to your family or partner about it? At home, I try to watch some nice series, but I also feel so bad that I can't do much! Hopefully, you feel a bit more understood, and do go ahead and vent all your frustrations here! Big, big hug for you!

Did you discuss this with your midwife or GP? Do they not take you seriously? Maybe they have good advice for you, given their background knowledge on this topic.

Hey,
Every extra week in your belly is priceless for your little one, so I’d say hang in there! If you don’t feel on top of things now, how will you feel if you later think you gave up too soon? Don’t throw in the towel yet, but find strength in your baby. Just grit your teeth, girl! So leave that intro as it is.
Talk, talk, talk. With your partner, and if you don’t have friends nearby, on forums. There are so many. Just sharing a story and realizing you’re not alone can mean so much.

Hey Astrid, I totally get how you feel! I also made it clear today that I can't go on like this. I'm now allowed to choose whether I'll spend one or two nights a week in the hospital so I can recharge with pain relief and sleeping medication! Tomorrow I'll try this for the first time. Luckily, I met a gynecologist today who was really empathetic. The goal now is to reach 38 weeks and then see if my body is ready to guide me into labor! I hope the hospital can offer something similar for you. It's not a 100% guarantee, but just having the option is such a relief! It's really nice that you can talk things through with your partner, and please keep chatting here! I'm really rooting for you! Lots of strength, dear, hopefully the weeks will go by quickly for us and we can enjoy the little wonders we're doing all this for!

Wishing you all the best.
I’d try to find online friendships with other (expectant) young mothers in the area.

Hi Astrid, that's so tough that you're not getting much help. Loneliness is a very common problem, but nobody talks about it. Once your baby is born, you can join a breastfeeding café or a similar meetup in your area. For my course, I've gathered some good resources. If your GP/midwife isn't helpful...
Watch the documentary Roze Wolk on VPRO. https://www.vpro.nl/programmas/2doc/2016/roze-wolk.html  
Websites and book tips: 


https://www.kraamtranen.nl  
Postpartum depression by Anne Marleen Meulink https://bit.ly/2Lu6QJM  
Perfect Mothers Don't Exist by Diana Koster https://bit.ly/2PGZSVk and the corresponding website http://perfectemoedersbestaanniet.nl  
The Birth of a Mother https://nyti.ms/2q3PuMA  

Strength, and if you want to know anything, send me an email at [email protected]
Kristyna

Hey Astrid!
What a pity that I only just saw your message
I happen to live pretty close to Veenendaal! I'm only 27 weeks pregnant myself and 26 years old.
We're in a similar boat sometimes, I feel very lonely and alone, and I also don't go outside much, mostly because of the ailments I've had since day 1.
Maybe you'd still like to chat more often and get to know each other? (I guess you're already heading towards your due date?)
Or maybe we could go to a mom café or something together.
I think there was nice prenatal swimming in Veenendaal, by the way!
By the way, we're also having a boy!!