anti-depressents & BF

[Southwestwhippet]

Please can some of you knowledgable people help me.

My DD is 7months and I am still BF her. Also doing BLW so still BF quite a lot on demand.

I stopped taking fluoxitine when I got pregnant, have not been right since TBH, was a total mess whilst pregnant and, apart from a brief respite when DD was a tiny newborn, have been going steadily downhill since. I don't want to go into detail but I really am reaching the point where I can't cope.

My GP told me when I was pregnant that I should wait until I had had DD, BF her for a month then switch to formula and start taking fluoxitine again. I was devasated as BF is something really really important to me. I was determined not to do this.

I love BF DD, love it love it love it. I really do not want to stop yet. Would be devastated if I had to stop. In my current state, BF feels like one of the only bright spots in my day with DD.

But I'm panicing I'll have to stop and switch to FF if I want (need) to go back on anti-d's.

Are there any anti-D's I can take that I can breastfeed whilst taking? Does anyone know? Please advise me, this might seem like a nothing issue to some people or that I'm being selfish because I know some people can't BF and I've had 7 blissful months of it, but it is really really standing in the way of me going to my GP and I am reaching breaking point here Any help?

I'm on sertraline.

It really is the drug of choice as Leonie says.

Your GP is really out of order with the suggestion you ditch bfing. Especially as it is probably one of the things that is making you feel good about yourself as it is for me! ADs and bfing are compatible.

Brestfeeding Network have great info on ADs during bfing.

here is info from bfn

thank you so much everyone.

Armed with this information, I think I shall approach my GP tomorrow.

Hi there I came across this the other day when I was browsing as I am thinking of TTC and would dearly love to BF (had to stop with DD after just 3 weeks)

breastfeeding and psychiatric medication

The whole of this website is really useful I have found.

I find it such a shame that you were made to come off your AD during pregnancy, and caused you to suffer so much, when the likelihood was that you and your baby would have been fine if you'd stayed on it.

Hi OP

Thanks so much for posting this as I am in a similar situation and find it helpful to know someone else is feeling like me and also the advice.

I have a docs appointment on Monday. I know I have PND, it's affecting everything and I am really struggling. I have a breastfed 5 month old, who I can't get to take a bottle of EBM anymore and I'm panicking about being prescribed ADs on Monday and having to immediately stop bf'ing. I really want to keep up at least one feed (which I think is def possible) but I need to stop the other feeds gradually.

I also have a 2-year old DD with special needs (not developmental but physical) who is being affected by my increasingly short temper, shouting, weeping etc.

I know I need to get help for the PND as the kids are suffering, but I also want to keep bf'ing and even if I did change to FF I need to be able to get my DS to drink it, so the whole thing is leaving me in a right mess.

Hopefully my doctor will agree that I can continue bf'ing. I have taken Sertraline before, so maybe that would be a sensible choice for me.

I just want you to know that I completely understand how you feel about bf'ing. It's the one thing I'm doing well/is going right!!

take care

I was prescribed paroxetine whist breastfeeding.

It allowed me to continue breastfeeding, which I really wanted to do, and it helped my mood.

Coming off it was hell though.