[leve]

Any bipolar moms out there care to share their pregnancy experiences?

[faerie_moon_x]

I've had 3 pregnancies with bipolar. 2 were when I was undiagnosed and my baby (who is 5 months) I was diagnosed but not on medication.

For me pregnancy always goes fine bipolar wise. I cry a bit more than usual perhaps but I actualll usually feel really good while pregnant and enjoy being pregnant. However, my last two pregnancies I was also going through traumatic experiences that had nothing to do with bipolar.

After my first two pregnancies I had post pardum depression. My first pregnancy was the worst. I actually shaved off all my hair one day. But I had no support or help in any way.The second time I had support and it went better. This third time I have not had post pardum depression. I think my bipolar is different now, however, so I think even if I did have it, it was so mild and was probably just caught up in the mess that is the rest of me.

[Trippin2.0]

I was un-dxd and had an awesome pregnancy, hypomanic nearly thru out the 9 months. With the ocassional down day (usually Saturdays). I cried at the drop of a hat tho,for the silliest of things; a missing sock, chipped nail, death of a chicken who's purpose in life was to feed me but we never even had the chance to meet! LMAO but, in truth, most mom's I know experience that. I was mildly depressed for about 3 months after tho, but nothing I couldn't handle. Having a strong support structure is INVALUABLE.

[teenytiny]

I was on meds for 2 of my three pregnancies. Thank God nothing happened to them. I find being a parent and bi-polar is difficult but i am very lucky to have a man that is really trying to understand and go along with the bi-polar. But some days are so hard!!!!

[Victoria'smom]

Parenting W/ BP is hard, my pregnancy and the first 3 year where hard but we got past it. Please go to a high risk specialist and try to find an obgyn who works with many MH patents.

[hamster-bamster]

I had three un dxd pregnancies. With some notable exceptions, they went OK. I did not have PPD but after the first two births I had horrible intrusive thoughts in regards to my doing harm to my babies against my wishes. The third post partum period was a breeze without any intrusive thoughts, just pure bliss with the baby. All my problems with parenting and family life (my children now do not live with me) developed later - in the world of diapers, breastmilk and homemade babyfood I was a complete and happy natural. Also, I stayed home with the second and third child and was much happier and more relaxed this way than with my first child, whom I sent to daycare at 5 mos when I returned to grad school. I had an unsupporive husband, the stress of the coursework, other stresses, and what can I say - I ended up calling the suicide line. Remarkably, a school PhD counselor who was seeing me weekly and knew about the call still did not route me to a p-doc, and my diagnosis came 13 years later than it should have.

Based on all of this experience, my advice is to take it very easy post-partum and ENJOY! I can also tell you that from my experience, and it is just one datapoint that you can disregard, it seems that having unmedicated birth greatly aids bonding. I had unmedicated birth the third time around and I bonded immediately and strongly with the baby. But perhaps other factors were at play.