Anxiety During pregnancy. Anyone and the baby was fine?

[Angie93mk]

I am 19 weeks with my first ivf baby. I suffer anxiety but my psychiatrist said I should stop taking medications. I am anxious but not like crying or something just worried and overthinking all the time. I spoke this with my 'friend" who said my baby could have autism because of me and my anxiety. So I started reading articles and there are wome tellings about anxiety linked to autism... I am very angry at my friend but also so worried and full of guilt. Does someone knows more about this, or was anxious while pregnant to give me some info.

Your friend is talking bollocks. Ignore her.

Ask your GP or midwife to refer you to the perinatal mental health team — they are experts in mental health care during pregnancy and can advise you on medications and help you to come to a decision on the best way to manage your mental health during pregnancy. The view that all medication must stop in pregnancy is outdated, there are options which are very minimal risk especially after first trimester. I’m sure your baby will be absolutely fine either way, but you don’t need to suffer! Ignore your friend - I’m sure she had good intentions but she really isn’t helping to reduce your anxiety! Good luck xx

I was anxious in my pregnancy and then I was anxious about what my anxiety was doing to my unborn baby. I saw a counsellor for a bit but the only thing that helped was seeing that my baby (now 10yo) is absolutely fine. Can you try a mindfulness app to calm yourself down? That might help to gain a bit of mental space where the worries subside. Congratulations on your pregnancy!

I suffer from anxiety and while I've been ok off my tablets during pregnancy (most of the time), the midwife does constantly remind me that there is medication to take that is safe during pregnancy. Perhaps speak to your midwife and see what she suggests?

Many people with autism suffer a lot with anxiety, not because anxiety causes autism but autism makes them feel anxious. Your friend is ridiculous and you should maybe get some prenatal counselling

Thank you a lot for the support.
I don't think i need medication right now, I am overthinking but not sweating, not having fast hart rate, not crying and I am home on bed rest and alone because everyone wants to protect me from this covid, my husband even wears mask at home and sleeping in another room. Not easy but I can handle. Just this opsesive thought right now is killing me...

Hello. I suffer from anxiety too. Social, health and being pregnant anxiety about the baby.
I think your friend has stressed you out for no reason.
Your friend is right in a way that autism and lead to anxiety. However you can also just have anxiety.
I do have 3/3 children with autism. All have anxiety too due to their autism.
Although it's not very uncommon for women to find out they have autism older in life. 🤦🏼‍♀️. Due to changes in knowledge about how women are effected. Boys it's normally more obvious where women mask (which causes higher levels of anxiety as constantly over thinking every thing!).
Also autism isn't as scary as it sounds, you soon start to understand your child even if they have no words. So either way I wouldn't be scared.

She said that my anxiety will cause my baby to have autism... I don't know how my baby will turn out, I ll.love him to death.
But the fact that i contributed somehow for him to have any condition is really killing me.

Are you CEV OP? Shielding like that is going to be extremely isolating and I imagine will give you lots of time or your mind to go into overdrive and your anxiety to increase. Your ‘friend’ is not being helpful at all and seems to be talking complete rubbish.

Yes, I have asthma.
I feel so deprivated.

Your husband’s behaviour is very extreme. Shielding is ending on 1st April, wearing a mask indoors and sleeping separately from you is probably fuelling your anxiety.

But I live in Macedonia, here the situation is the worst. Also his colleges don't want to wear masks at work so he don't want anyhow to hurt me or the baby.

My anxiety was through the roof, I kept taking my medication because that is usually the safest approach. My son is literally the chillest most happiest unicorn baby you could imagine. Please listen to your specialists and not listen to your friend who is scaremongering. Stopping your medication, dealing with the withdrawal and the high pregnancy hormones is a recipe for disaster and will be much more detrimental to you and your baby

Sorry for assuming you’re in the UK 😊

I don’t know what the advice is in Macedonia but it might be worth weighing everything up and seeing if the risks of you catching COVID outweigh the detrimental effects on your mental health.