Hi,

My bipolar friend recently had a baby, and her doctor said Lexapro was a good choice for an AD. It's a low-dose SSRI, so it's kind of a compromise (definitely better than nothing).

I've been doing research for a cognitive development course about the effects of post-natal depression on children up to a decade later, and all studies have found cognitive and social deficits in children whose mothers were depressed during at least the first three months. BUT the current hypothesis is that it's not the depression itself, but the interacting contextual factors that cause the deficits (e.g. stress, less of a reaction to baby by parent, financial problems, marital conflicts, other mental illness, severity and chronicity of depression... etc.). So in no way does a mother having any mental illness doom her child to not be the best he/she can be.

So, in my opinion, being on meds during pregnancy would be worth it since you'd be most likely to be able to give your baby the best of your mental health. And I'd imagine it's just an amazing time to enjoy and discover your new bundle of joy, that would be greatly worth it to not have to struggle against any mental illness. Good luck for a smooth and easy pregnancy, this must be such a special time for you and yours!

Jessie