[BluViolet]

Anyone here been in my "too tight to fit my super swollen feet" shoes?? 6 months and I am doing ok. Some days are bad but mostly I have been ok. I am just dealing with no meds.....dropped all of them for the sake of my baby. I didn't want to expose anything to her unless it were absolutely unavoidable. Even my psych dropped me, she didn't even want to consider prescribing me my meds after I told her I was pregnant. (Not that I wanted to take them). She was upset....like I did her wrong. So I prefer not to go back to her unless absolutely necessary. For now though, I am ok. I am here.... hoping for insight!!

[ultramar]

I don't understand what happened with your pdoc. She wasn't understanding about you not wanting to take meds during the pregnancy? What happened?

[Victoria'smom]

Does your obgyn know you have bipolar?

[medicalfox]

I know a guy with autism spectrum disorder and his physician told him that he shouldn't reproduce. There is a negative stigma with people with mental illnesses reproducing children. I suppose it's because of the mother not being able to take meds which can cause a lot of complications and giving the child the same mental illnesses. I personally wouldn't have kids because I have so many disorders, but I would like to adopt one day.

[Yoda]

Beware of postpartum depression. It hit me like a brick. It was not a good time and my ob doc was dismissive.

[Eliza Jane]

I have BP II and I recently had a kiddo. I was unable to make it med free, so I switched to a single med that was considered safer. It was okay, but a far cry from my regular meds. So I can feel for you on the stress of not being on your meds.

I ended up deciding to formula feed so I could go back on my meds after delivery because I felt like postpartum issues were likely for me and possibly dangerous. Society likes to make you feel like a bad mother for not breast feeding, but it has been a really good decision for me to bottle feed.

I also had a bit of a falling out with a pdoc over my decision to get pregnant. He was horribly judgmental and made me feel like a bad person. He wouldn't rx anything other than an SSRI which he knew and admitted was useless for me. Long story short, he basically said that my options were no baby or a new pdoc. I went with a new pdoc and he has been great and understanding about pregnancy and new motherhood.

If you go back on meds after pregnancy, I would find a new pdoc. You don't need someone who is judge-y about your life decisions.

Good luck. It will be over soon!

EJ

[tryinghardmom]

Sorry about your pdoc being such a , well I guesss the only word I can use here, is jerk. I wish you well with your pregnancy.

[bipolarLady7]

BluViolet, I've had four children so far after my diagnosis of bipolar disorder. I had three of them while on meds (with the first, I only took an antidepressant, and only during part of the first trimester). All of them are happy and healthy.

I am so sorry to hear that your psychiatrist was not understanding and helpful. I hope you will be able to find someone better when you need to.

I second the advice to beware of postpartum depression. I had that after my second was born and it tore my family apart. If you don't have support from friends or family for you and your baby, I would make finding loving helpful support one of my top priorities before the baby is born, even if you have to start with a pro-life pregnancy center. (I don't mean to say that like it would be a bad thing, but just because you don't know the people there yet)