A
male
 ,
anonymous
writes:hi my GF is wanting another baby but i dont know what to do as.1. neither of us have jobs2. she has realy bad PND3. finds it hard to cope with our son4. i think she also had PTS5. doesnt do much with our son now6. our son is currently 6 months oldshe thinks having another baby will resolve the PND as that is what happened to her friend and that PND iscaused by an imbalance of hormones after pregnancy and that being pregnant again will correct the hormones.personaly i think its not such a good idea but i would like to hear other views as i too would like another but im not sure the timing is right as i dont think i could handle 2 children pretty much on my ownthank you Reply to this Question
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female
reader, kirra07  +, writes (29 August 2010):
Having another baby at a time like this is definitely not the answer to her problems. You should have them when you both feel ready to cope with them. One baby right now is already tough enough to take care of. If she has PND, she needs to see a doctor to get help. Without treating it, she can't properly help you care for 1 baby, let alone 2.
A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (29 August 2010): She needs serious counciling. Bringing a second child into the world when you are unemployed, unmarried and unfit is crazy, but that's part of her illness. The two you you need to focus on how to work your way out of living off your government and becoming contributing members of society... not digging a deeper hole to stand in with your hand out.
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A
female
reader, DrPsych +, writes (29 August 2010):
 Unfortunately part of post-natal depression is disordered thinking. She may cling to the sense that another baby will help with the disorder. Unfortunately, if you are depressed (for any reason) before or during a pregnancy then it is a huge predictor of further post-natal depression. Another words, her post-natal depression could get significantly worse by having another child. Even if her belief about post-natal depression and pregnancy hormones was true (it is not), after the birth would be a problem. I think that focusing on having another baby is probably distracting from having the courage to see a health professional and get proper treatment. If she feels very bad, she should be seeking anti-depressant medication and counselling. My personal view is that it is better to have space between infants so that you can give them individual attention and meet their developmental needs more effectively. It also gives the body chance to recover from the stress of pregnancy. When you have lots of children close together in ages then they have to actively compete for your time, unless you have a massive support network of friends and family to help you out. I hope that your girlfriend is getting help from the doctor for her mood disorder. If she is struggling then she should talk to the health visitor who can refer her to specialist services. It is a very common disorder and talking to other women about how they have overcome it may help her to put things into perspective. She should also be checked for a biomedical explanation for her low mood. It is too easy to blame the way she feels on post-natal depression since she has just had a baby. It could be that she has developed an underactive thyroid or similar problem in the postnatal period that can be easily diagnosed with a blood test.
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