Any Experience with Bipolar while Pregnant?

I found out that I am pregnant a week ago (just 5 weeks along). This was planned and I have been off meds for the last 4 months while trying. My goal is to stay med free during the entire pregnancy.

What kind of strategies have you tried during this time? Are there any resources (books or websites) you would suggest?

Thanks!

Congratulations on pregnancy.

I guess my bipolar symptoms started before/during my second pregnancy, but I was not diagnosed yet back then. I had two pregnancies one after another and it set my bipolar symptoms on. The best thing probably was that I did not know about being bipolar back then - less you know, less you worry.

I was hospitalised in womans hospital as I now think during manic phase when I wasn't sleeping and was so active that it led to uterine acitvity, felt like abdominal pain. Had intravenous magnesium to calm that down. Did help.

I would suggest avoiding as much as you can all your trigers, taking multivitamins, fish oil. Check your vitamin D levels, at least for me it was low, supplementing helped my moods. Try to rest and sleep as much as you can.

Take care, all my best wishes

The Vitamin D will be a big thing for me this winter, I live in Michigan and tend to have lower levels especially during the winter.

I was dx'd during my pregnancy. They put me on Latuda and I was able to take it for the rest of my pregnancy. Please concider medication during pregnancy. Before I started the medication my hormones and bipolar did not mix well and I had a lot of crazy things going on.

I was terribly symptomatic during all 3 of my pregnancies. Please, if you plan to remain med free be very closely monitored by your pdoc. Hormones can wreak some serious havoc on bipolar.

I have monthly (or more if needed) visits with my pdoc and weekly therapy sessions. I do worry about becoming more symptomatic (I currently have some mood swings and persistent non-threatening visual hallucinations). We ended up finding out that my anti-psychotics were raising my prolactin levels and stopped my period for 9 months. The increase in prolactin is not uncommon.

I took AD's during pregnancies with my 2nd and 3rd children. It was totally necessary as I was suicidal and was certain that my family was better off without me. Horrible mood swings.

Congratulations on your pregnancy! Blessings and best wishes for working through this question. Motherisk through the Hospital For Sick Children in Ontario has a hotline you can call to get up-to-date research on different medications and pregnancy/breastfeeding.
The Hospital for Sick Children - Motherisk

I didnt know i was bipolar when i had my 3 kids so i took an anti depressant. Now i think id need meds or to be in the hospital. (Not getting pregnant again)

I didn't take any meds either and was ok during the pregnancy, but after the birth, I went into full blown post pard psychosis. If you know you are bi-polar, please let your docs know so they can monitor you and don't ignore any signs of strangeness. The hormones after giving birth does through you off kilter and the healing after giving birth is what you don't realize until after giving birth. A lot of stressors will trigger all at once. I don't want to scare you, but it is what I've experienced and I wouldn't want anyone to experience PPS.

I have been really open with all my doctors about it. They have classified me as "high risk" already because of that. It does mean that I get extra monitoring and care, which I don't mind. I am also lucky that my fiance is super cautious when it comes to watching my moods.

Congratulations! Please don't judge any negative emotions, thoughts, or feelings that might pop up during your pregnancy. Instead, reach out for help by talking with your OB and your p-doc. Focus as much as you possibly can on self care and happy things, things are happy places and occupations for you.