There is a slight possibility that I am pregnant, but it's too early to know. I just have a feeling.
Anyway, for BP women that have had pregnancies, what did you do about meds? My doctor said would take me off of everything, but I've read a lot of things that suggest doing otherwise. What did you do? And did you have any problems after the baby was born?

[Crazy Hitch]

I wasn't diagnosed as BP yet for both my pregnancies but I did get my first official diagnosis of major depression when I was pregnant with my daughter. I'm sure keeping tabs with your pdoc early on will help. Good luck if you're pregnant

[cashart10]

When I was pregnant with my first two babies, I was still in denial of my bipolar disorder and therefore took no meds. I had severe postpartum depression with my first baby but not with my second baby. However, just a few months after my son was born, I had a psychotic break. I went back to my old pdoc. He talked my husband and me into getting my tubes tied. Well, soon after that conversation I found out I was pregnant with my third baby. All throughout that pregnancy I was a total mess. I was psychotic and knew no boundaries. I was afraid to tell my pdoc when I first found out because of our conversation and because I was sleeping less than 4 hours a night. I thought he would shun me but he didn't. He was, once again, persistent that I should get my tubes tied as I would just get worse and worse. He told me several times that I need to be realistic about the severity of my illness. I was sad because I always wanted 4 kids but my husband was in total agreement with my pdoc.

Anyway, back to your thread (sorry for high jacking it), I wasn't sure my pdoc was correct in the safety of the number of meds I was to be taking during my pregnancy. I wasn't sure if I should have been taking anything at all. I went to a pdoc who specialized in mood disorders in pregnancy. She took me off of the Klonapin but left me on the Lamictal and a lowered dosage of Abilify. She closely monitored me, seeing me weekly often. Both her and my previous pdoc insisted for my sake and the sake of the baby that I needed to be on medications.

I was so poorly unstable that she put me on Lithium during my 3rd trimester. It still didn't help. I remained psychotic and suicidal and sleeping only a couple hours a night. Once I gave birth to my beautiful baby girl my mood still did not improve. I was hospitalized when my baby was 7 weeks old and that was the beginning of my ridiculous cocktail of meds. Of course, I wasn't able to breast feed because of the meds and I was VERY bitter about it because I nursed both of my older babies for more than a year. I felt no one was responsible except me.

Cash- do you notice any cognitive effects or anything in your kid that you took lamictal with?

[LiteraryLark]

My pdoc told me that i have to stay on my meds during my pregnancy. She says my health is more important.

[cashart10]

So far my daughter has no development issues. Her vocabulary is better than most two year olds and her comprehension is better than my 6 year old son (he struggles with minor autism). I am unaware of the future but to now there are no repercussions. Knowing her, I don't foresee there being any major concerns.

And she's the one you took meds with correct?

[cashart10]

Correct

[eclogite]

Anecdotal story..

My friend went off prozac (and other stuff) during her pregnancy with her first child. He has anxiety issues (and has for years.. he's 12 now). She stayed on her meds for her second child and she's had no issues.

I was diagnosed with depression at the time of my pregnancy. I had discontinued taking my AD right before deciding to become pregnant. That is an ordeal unto itself. My doctor said it might be advisable for me to consider staying on the med through pregnancy. I declined and I'm very glad I did, however I should have stayed on top of my mental health care during and after which I did not for various reasons. I don't advise that, but I'm not going to chastise anyone, including myself since I didn't know better at the time. However, consider this advise to stay on top of all things mental health related if you find you are indeed pregnant.

Being on meds or not is very personal. I would feel terrible advising someone even using my experience. talk it over with someone you trust.

Thanks everyone. I may be worrying for nothing. Either way I'll be okay.

Better to plan ahead and not need it. Either way, good luck.

[lilypup]

I took nothing with all three of mine but this was 25 years ago. I cried during the 6th month on. They induced one of mine early because i became sui. Once I had the babies I was fine and nursed all three. It was weird.

[raspberrytorte]

When I found out I was pregnant (surprise!) I was just on 1.5mg of alprazolam. My provider at the time took me off that immediately obviously. Because I became so depressed and anxious (I didn't want to be pregnant) she put me on 25mg of sertraline a night.

So, I felt much better then, and had a fantastic pregnancy, besides puking once a day (sometimes twice in the beginning) for nine months. No depression or anxiety.

I wish I wouldn't have taken it. Everyone told me it was fine. My obgyn told me she's never delivered a baby with problems from the mom being on sertraline, and since I was on such a tiny dose she insisted the baby would be especially fine.

Anyway, my daughter is four. When she was two we were told that she had a major developmental delay, particularly in language, and was put in an early childhood class.

Right now I think she's mostly caught up.

I'm not sure if she's going to have problems (learning issues) when she starts actual school. She's starting 4k in the fall.

Anyway, so I don't know if her delay was because of the sertraline, or if it would have happened anyway. Either way I feel like ****ing **** about it and like now she's going to have a crap time in school and become depressed and frustrated and struggle to keep up with her peers and have self esteem issues because I took sertraline when I was pregnant with her.