Need advice from other mammas on antidepressants

Mariahst

hey ladies, I'm torn at the moment. I have no had a problem with depression or anxiety until I gave birth to my first born. I'm now in my second pregnancy and I have been off my Zoloft(antidepressants) since I decided to try and conceive. My dr wants to put me back on but I'm afraid of the potential risks. Is any other moms on them ?? What's ur take? 

carries2018

My sister as well as a couple friends were on it for their pregnancy. Meds are better than stress for the baby in most cases. Talk to your doc and follow their recommendation 

Mariahst

My dr told me it was fine but when I filled my prescription the pharmacist adviced me to be hesitant. I don't want to put my unborn child at risk. It's a hard decision to make. I just wondered what kind of experiences other moms had on them with there pregnancies! ☺

jessafishy

I'm on Zoloft and when I asked my OB about weaning off she recommended I stay on it. The risks are minimal according to her and if I'm going to breastfeed there won't be much in the way of withdrawal symptoms for baby. 

She also said relapses could happen during pregnancy and that it's much harder to get under control after a relapse. 

She also took Zoloft for one of her pregnancies so I trust her judgment.

cupcakesforbreakfast

I went off my meds for pregnancy #1, but stayed on Zoloft for this one. It sounds like the biggest risks are withdrawal symptoms for babe post-birth. I was hesitant to stay on it, but I didn't want to wait the 2-3 months for Zoloft to kick in post-partum if I was experiencing severe depression again.

roo_baby

You can probably look up studies online to understand the actual data behind the recommendation. Knowing what the specific risks are will help you make a more informed decision. I would also reach back out to your doctor and discuss your concerns with her. If you and she decide not to go with the medicine, you may want to try alternative options like acupuncture, herbs, etc. to get through the rest of pregnancy and post-partum period.

brooke_laura

This is my first pregnancy. I was taking 60mg of celexa before getting pregnant and after finding out I was pregnant, decided to drop down to 40mg (along with the guidance from my psychiatrist and OB). Both doctors assure me that it is safe and possible risk comes when baby is born (possible withdrawal symptoms) but that the withdrawal symptoms aren't too common and if it happens won't pose a risk to baby. 
My depression is too severe to quit taking my medication during pregnancy and personally feel it would be MORE stressful for my baby if I WASN'T taking it. Plus, I am at a higher risk of having post-partum depression and don't want to be off of medication when that comes.

Just listen to your doctors and trust your gut.

Brambles23

I stopped taking my meds (Wellbutrin 150mg) when I found out I was pregnant because I had heard that it wasn't recommended, especially in the 1st trimester. Things were actually fine and I didn't need them, and I had regular talk therapy appointments, so no worries.  It wasn't until a few weeks ago I started noticing the symptoms of depression creeping back up on me (feeling in a fog, hard to concentrate, no motivation whatsoever, feeling constantly down, etc) and I didn't want to spiral out of control so I called my doctor and asked if I could resume my meds.  He said it was fine, especially in the second trimester. The health/well-being of the mother has a direct effect on the baby, especially the levels of cortisol (stress hormone).  The lower the levels, the better for mama and baby all around.  

I've done some research and saw that Wellbutrin may cause minor withdrawal symptoms in the baby that resolve in 48-72 hours.  Even then, it's a very low incidence rate for that.

Talk with your doctor though.  He or she will be able to guide you in the right direction.