Terrified stress will harm baby

[Lizziedoll]

Hello everyone
I'm 6 weeks pregnant with my first child (technically my second pregnancy as I miscarried in July).
I'm over the moon however I find it all very overwhelming. My baby's father and I don't always see eye to eye and argue a fair amount, we aren't living together yet so I am home alone a lot, financially we aren't doing great either.
I have a history of mental health issues, depression, anxiety and I worry all the time about everything (always have done).
I'm very scared feeling low will affect my child, I hear it can cause autism which terrifies me.
I was taking Citalopram but my GP weaned me off them and although it hasn't been easy I am starting to feel better and a little more stable. GP said I could take Sertraline as it's safer in pregnancy but still unsure as antidepressants are harmful to baby too apparently!
I need advice, thank you

I don't know an awful lot about anxiety (but lots of things 'could cause autism' because basically, no one knows yet) but I think it sounds like you need to put looking after yourself first for a little bit. More than in pregnancy, your baby needs a healthy mum when he or she arrives so you need to get help to get healthy wherever you can find it, have you seen your midwife yet? I think she'd be able to help you out with weighing up risk and benefits of medication.
I'm reading 'why love matters' by sue gerhardt at the moment; she says that what happens when you're pregnant does affect baby but not permanently; any negative effects can be outweighed by being available and responsive to your baby when they're little. So put you first for now so that you're able to prioritise the baby later

Thank you, that's lovely! I might get me that book!

I was on Citalopram for the duration of both pregnancies and throughout breastfeeding. While pregnant with one of them (can't remember which) a study came out which indicated that having an unmedicated depressed mother was more likely to harm the foetus than antidepressants, due to raised cortisol levels, among other things.

Both of my boys are absolutely fine. I think some unhelpful bugger decided autism was linked with paracetamol taken during pregnancy as well, so I call bullshit. Our mothers' generation and older took/ate/drank/smoked everything without a second thought and the vast majority of the time, things were fine.

Take your meds. Congratulations on your pregnancy.