Husband has PTSD and new baby is almost here?Help!?

My husband has PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) (pretty bad) from Iraq. I am due to have a baby in 3 weeks. This is our first child together. between all his anger problems. anxiety, stress, depression is there any precautions I should take or what to excpect from him with a new baby. As far as him right now knowing a baby is coming he has been ok he don't really talk about it, he's busy doing his own thing pretty much. So this makes me very nervous about how he will be with a baby. Anyone ever been through this? Any advice? I want him to enjoy this experience this is his first child, and I want him to be ok with the baby and not loose his temper because it cries or soemthing all babies cry and the way he is now he gets so frustrated if it cries once he is going to loose it I'm afraid.

He does go to counciling and take meds....although nothing has improved over the past 2 years! So he does know it si a problem and is trying to cope with it.

Just wanted to wish you both the best of luck with the new baby...

Maybe to look at in a different view- maybe having the baby will HELP him with the PTSD.
I have PTSD pretty badly from various events, and my little baby niece takes all the hurt, pain, horrible memories, & sensations away..

When I'm around the baby, I feel like a different person. I have a sense of responsiblity.. I am responsible for her and what happens to her.. and I am able to make differences in her life that weren't possible for my own life..

Perhaps your husband will react like this towards your baby.. of course, it will ALWAYS be a struggle.. (sadly, ptsd is a *****)
But I have hope for him... I know you believe in him and I respect that very much...

Good luck to you! And Congrats!

I was just reading an article on PTSD for my personal use in the mental health magazine i get. ill give ya the link if i can find it,might be online. made me think about stuff. tho i do suggest having a therapist, they are trained for this sort of stuff & maybe be very helpful for your husband.

medicines to help feel less afriad/tense, it takes weeks for it to work tho. & talking to the therapist thru the terrible experience is reccomended.

Wow it sounds as if you have a situation on your hands right now. The only thing I can suggest at this time is to be with the baby at all times when he is around after it's born to see how he reacts and if he shows anger towards the baby then leave him because it's not worth loosing your child's life or getting the baby hurt bad..

From what you have posted it is sort of hard to know what exactly is going on with your husband. You say that he has symptoms of "anger, anxiety, stress and depression", but later say that he has been "ok". In order to know what kind of help he needs, it is important to know how severe his symptoms are. Mainly, what forms does his anger take (i.e. does he yell, slam doors, throw things, hit, behave aggressively towards you and others), and if he has trouble distinguishing reality from strong memories. I think the best thing you can probably do is, if he is NOT behaving in an outwardly dangerous fashion, to make the unspoken spoken. Tell him that you are concerned that he might be suffering, and you want him to get help. Find out of it there is a VAMC in your area, or other Veteran's benefits provider, that he might be able to utilize. It is important for him to feel supported, and not accused, so stress the importance of him feeling well and the benefits it will have on the entire family.

If, on the other hand, he is behaving violently to the point where he is a harm to the child, you or himself, or he is having trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy due to flashbacks and dissociation, then you might need to take steps towards a more serious intervention, including consulting with his medical doctor and such.

A lot of this may depend on the "type" of baby. A hard, colicky bady will be very difficult for someone with bad PTSD.

I suggest that your hubby work a bit harder on getting help and going on or finding the right mix of medications (Paxil and Lexapro are current favorites for this condition). He needs to put in the time to heal. PTSD is a scar on the brain, not a weakness. He needs talk therapy and support from as many sources as possible. You both need to take this on a lifetime project in recovery. There are resources with the VA and active services for this, but you have to work hard and be patient to get them. There is no shame in getting what you can from those systems.