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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Ttc and depression

11 replies

Sef89 · 18/03/2021 10:15

Who got pregnant whilst depressed and or taking anti depressants??
Just feel like the Internet makes you feel like you've got to be relaxed well I'm not unfortunately just the way I am after my loss last year and when you feel like that there's no switch that just turns it off.
I've always been an over thinker and I've always had anxiety to a degree it didn't stop me having me now 3 year old.
Anyway please tell me you did get pregnant despite your mental health?
Thanks

OP posts:
MummyLE · 18/03/2021 10:34

I've not had depression but anxiety, although before getting pregnant I was on citralopam which is a type of anti depressant.

I was on quite low doses but managed to get pregnant second month so it's definitely possible Smile

notalwaysalondoner · 18/03/2021 10:36

Have you talked to your GP about this? Important to understand how the medication might interact with pregnancy. But there's no inherent reason that either your mental health or the medication (unless you've previously been warned that lower fertility is a side effect) should impact your chance of conceiving.

BlueberryPancake21 · 18/03/2021 11:07

I was in counselling for anxiety and depression when I got pregnant the first time after 3yrs TTC, although not taking any medication. You're right there isn't a switch and I got sick of people telling me to relax - because I obviously choose to be like this and if only it had occurred to me to try to relax before now! I then had two losses. By the time I got pregnant the third time I was still grieving our losses, worried about my age, convinced there was something wrong with me that I was failing DH by not being able to have the child he wanted to badly and probably at the worst in terms of mental health I have been in my life.

Honestly, my pregnancy hasn't been the experience I would've chosen with severe anxiety throughout but it is what it is and it has happened in spite of my mental state! I'm now 37 weeks with everything looking good (and still facing ignorant people telling me to "calm down - it's no good for your baby"). It definitely can happen.

Worth having a chat to your GP to say that you are trying to conceive if you haven't already just to check on medication and because you might need extra support - pregnancy is a challenging time anyway with added hormones playing a role.

Superscientist · 18/03/2021 11:47

I'm bipolar and had no issues conceiving. I had antenatal depression around 3 months pregnant and I have had severe pnd since she has been born. My mental health has only affected me and not my LO.
I stayed on medication through out pregnancy and am now breastfeeding whilst on medication. I got advice about medication in pregnancy before I started trying to conceive

Original poster
Sef89 · 18/03/2021 12:29

@BlueberryPancake21
Congratulations on your pregnancy, how did you cope with the losses....did you not feel you needed antidepressants?
How old are you.....that's my other worry as I'm 40

OP posts:
Rosieposy89 · 18/03/2021 12:29

I am 13 weeks pregnant with my first. I take mirtazapine 15mg and was on 30mg and 50mg quetiapine when I fell pregnant. I had preconception advice before ttc and for me staying on medication is the best thing. It took us 2 years to get a BFP and we had failed IVF before we fell naturally so TTC was incredibly stressful and at points it made my mental health worse. Weirdly, the month we conceived I was very relaxed, and we weren't mentally trying for a baby as we were just waiting to start IVF again and I was willing my period to turn up so we could start. I have no idea if relaxing had helped or if it was just our turn.

Original poster
Sef89 · 18/03/2021 12:30

@Superscientist thanks what anti depressants did you take?

OP posts:
Original poster
Sef89 · 18/03/2021 12:33

@Rosieposy89 did you find the anti depressants helped with feeling more relaxed?

OP posts:
Superscientist · 18/03/2021 18:48

In pregnancy I was on 400mg quetiapine as a mood stabiliser. We had a 72h stay after she was born to check for poor neonatal adaption syndrome which is slightly more common in babies that have been exposed to some meds in utereo.
I'm now breastfeeding whilst on 700mg quetiapine 45 mg mirtazapine and 100mg (working up to 200mg) sertraline due to severe pnd which isn't responding to treatment as we would like. I'm also getting cft therapy which I would recommend if it is offered

MeadowHay · 18/03/2021 19:13

I had recovered from depression when I got pregnant last time but had an anxiety disorder and was still taking a low dose antidepressant just because we had a lot of upheaval in our life immediately before I got pregnant and I didn't think it was a great time to come off it. Weaned off very slowly in first trimester without issue. I did get what I now think was PND after birth for the first 6-9 months or so and didn't have treatment for that but it did recover on its own. I basically always have GAD but I'm autistic and for most of us anxiety seems to go with the territory. I'm now pregnant with no.2.

Rosieposy89 · 18/03/2021 20:04

@Sef89 - I wouldn't say it relaxed me but when I came off my meds completely after about a year TTC, I ended up with a mental health crisis and had to increase my dose again. My psychiatrist thinks its better to stay on a low dose x

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