Bipolar and medication whilst pregnant

[maddielangdale]

I know this is a risky thread but would like to know,
i am 9 weeks 5 days pregnant I am under the care of a psychaitrist who i only see on a 4 monthly basis as i am currently stable. I am taking quetiapine 300mg and sertraline 50mg while the Dr says I am safer on the meds than off them and the same case for the baby, i've been hearing mixed reviews about the medication so i basically wanted your views especially if you are on this medication and are or have been pregnant xx

I think it's one of those things which is very much down to the individual. Bipolar varies so much from one person to the next and there really is no one size fits all.

FWIW when I fell pregnant the first time I was on lithium and venlafaxine and I had to come off them both. I needed an antidepressant so took amitriptyline but didn't need a mood stabiliser. Things are different for me now though and my bipolar is a lot worse so if I were to fall pregnant now the treatment would be different. I can't even touch antidepressants now, let alone on their own.

Pregnancy itself does tend to have a stabilising effect on bipolar so you may find that you stay relatively well anyway. I certainly did, with the exception of the lingering depression I was more stable than I'd been in years.

Your psychiatrist is the best one to advise though and if that's what you've been advised then that is what he believes to be the best course of treatment for you.

Hi I don't have experience of bipolar and pregnancy but I am pretty sure most areas have a midwife who is specialist in mental health and pregnancy, could you phone your GP's or NHS trust and ask? also although you are not seeing your psych regularly, you can ask to see a CPN on a regular basis to touch base and if any issues crop up they can get you an appointment with the psych quicker