DEAR ABBY: I am a 47-year-old woman with a new (unplanned) baby. Despite my husband's initial reservations, we both consider her a welcome addition to our lives.
We also have three older children, 25, 21 and 18. My doctor says I need time to adjust to all the recent changes in my life, but I believe there's a bigger problem.
Ever since the baby arrived, I have been overwhelmed with fear about aging. This is completely out of character. Some days, I can't even leave the house. I find myself pushing my husband away and neglecting the needs of the rest of my family. The only one getting the best of me is the baby.
My husband thinks I'm trying to do too much, that I should stop breast-feeding, get help around the house and "snap out of it."
My inability to communicate and be intimate with him is causing problems between us, and they are affecting the rest of our family. My husband has always been my best friend, but he can't understand how I feel these days.
I don't know how to climb out of this hole or what to do. Help! -- TRYING TO DO TOO MUCH
DEAR TRYING: Tell your doctor exactly what you have told me. You may be suffering from postpartum depression caused by hormone changes following childbirth. Please don't wait. Do it now.