Question about PPD/PPA

[Deleted]

I did not take meds during my first pregnancy, was diagnosed with PPD. Went off my meds for two months when I got pregnant with my second and went back on them with the blessing of my OB. I take Citalopram 20mg.

[karmasabiotch]

I can only talk about Anxiety. I went off Xanax when I got pg. I didn't stop sooner because we were dealing with IF and didn't know if it was ever going to happen. Even with a very high risk pg, I was surprisingly less anxious than ever before.

[cleo29]

Hmm, well for me my anxiety went away during and after my pregnancy with C. It's like the hormone mix and all that evened things out. I did have PPD after I had K and sometimes have flares of anxiety, but not nearly as bad as before having kids.

But, my doctor knew my history of depression, which is hormonally driven, so she always asked how I was doing and told me to tell her the minute that i started to feel like I was slipping.

[karmasabiotch]

I didn't have any PP issues. I went back on Xanax when J was about 1.

[Deleted]

My doctor put me on Cipralex (has another name but I can't remember what it is) specifically so I could safely stay on it while pregnant. We did try to wean me off of them before TTC but it did not go well so I've stayed on them for the entire pregnancy. At 8 months, baby seems to be just fine - good heartbeat, growing normally, no concerns.

SO my perspective is if you want to stay on the medication you can, you may have to adjust your dose or switch to something else (if they're concerned about side effects) but if it will make you feel better, yes insist they continue your perscription. Some of us just can't go without.

Obviously I can't answer PPD/PPA yet, but I know my doctor will be watching me carefully and part of my post natal follow up will include DH and he will also be watching me. I'm concerned but I just have to trust that because of my history I will be more aware, DH will be and if I go there it will be caught early enough to get help before it gets horrible.

I will also be trying to do things to help minimize my risks - i.e. introducing a bottle early (whether pumped milk or formula) so DH can help with feedings and I'll be able to rest through get more sleep. We all know we function better with sleep and also I instinctively feel the pressure of being THE ONLY ONE who can feed my baby will be too much for me.

One thing I will warn you, I'm not sure how common this is, but before I knew I was pregnant, so probably at about 2 weeks I had HORRENDOUS axiety. Not full on attacks but I was definitely the most anxious I've been since starting my ADs. So while maybe pregnancy hormones can help protect, for me there have been 3 times that my anxiety (even with the Cipralex) kicked in and was very noticable. And not every pregnancy is the same, so that means you may fall into the "fine and protected by hormones" or "no difference" or "gets a bit worse at times"

Or maybe it's coincidence and I'm abnormal. But I remember being at my doctor for a wellness check and saying "I don't know why, nothing has changed at work or at home, but I've been really anxious the last two weeks" and then 2-3 weeks later going in to confirm the pregnancy and I was at 5 weeks.

[rupertpenny]

Talk to your OB/GYN about the meds. I was being medicated for anxiety and my psych took me off meds immediately when I told her I was pregnant, before I even had my first OB appointment, and it was a fucking disaster. I became actually depressed instead of just anxious for the first time in my life. Turns out my OB and the MFM I saw for the NT scan are very supporting of moms staying on their meds during pregnancy so I begged my psych to put me back on and she did at 12 weeks. I feel a lot better and wish I had never stopped them.

From my experience I think psychiatrists are really gun shy about pregnancy and that the pregnancy experts are more up to date about recent studies regarding ADs and birth defects and that sort of thing.

I am also terrified of having PPD/PPA but obviously haven't gotten there yet.

[rupertpenny]

@tambcat, you probably went to the same MFM as me. I love him! I have my last ultrasound with him tomorrow and I'm sad I won't see him again.

[papie]

I had two episodes of depression before kids.  I was not on meds during pregnancy.  My first pregnancy was fine, but then I had PPD.  I weaned right before getting pregnant again.  My second pregnancy was very hard emotionally.  I got PPD again.  I weaned again after that (because I never learn) and found myself depressed again this past winter, so back on meds.  We are TTC, and I do not plan on weaning.  I will be very honest about it with my OB.  My GP and the pharmacist both agree that the meds I am taking now (prozac) agree with pregnancy, so the plan is to stick to it. 

[ElizabethBennet]

I've struggled with depression and anxiety for 7 years but I wasn't put on meds till my daughter was 10 months old, she's just two now.

I found that when I got pregnant my anxiety and depression got much much better. Overall the pregnancy hormones were good for me. After I had my daughter though, it got really bad and I should have started the meds much sooner than I did.

Express your concerns with your doctor and see of there is something that you can switch to that will be safe for pregnancy.