OCD and pregnancy.

[Michxoxo]

Hi, I just wanted to ask if there’s any other people that suffer with OCD?
I‘ve had OCD for as long as I can remember, but I was diagnosed around 6 and a half years ago. I was put on fluoxetine and I had counselling and it worked magic, my OCD didn’t completely go but I had it under control and I could fight the urge to do compulsions and so on. When I found out I was pregnant at 4 weeks I rang my doctor and told me to come straight off my medication because the risks to the baby are really high so obviously I believed a medical professional (he was the same doctor that put me on my meds all those years ago) and about 2 weeks after I came off I came crashing down, my OCD and anxiety came back with a vengeance. I’m 17 weeks now and the last couple of months has been the worst, I’m scared to go back on my medication after what the doctor said even though everyone else is telling me it’s okay too. I also have terrible terrible contamination OCD at the moment, everything just seems so dirty and full of infections. I’m washing my dishes about 10 times before I use them and I still feel like they’re not clean, I’ll wash them, put them in the dish washer and then wash them again and I’m still scared to eat or drink out/off them. I feel like everything in the house is contaminated like counter tops, door handles, just absolutely everything. I’m disinfecting like no tomorrow but then I’m really worrying too that the cleaning products are really bad too so I’m in a serious catch 22 with my mind, I’ve had more counselling, I’ve tried mindfulness, yoga, meditation but I don’t feel like anything is working for me at the moment because the OCD and intrusive thoughts are so bad.
Like last week, I had a sink full of dishes that I needed to do and my partner decided to wash raw chicken over them, he never ever does that so I don’t know if he was in a rush to do it or he had just lost his mind for a second but now I am well and truly scared to eat off anything in the house now because of salmonella. I’ve washed all the dishes that were covered in raw chicken water, put them in the dish washer, washed them again, dish washer and then washed them again by hand and I feel like they’re still not clean at all in the slightest and it’s honestly driving me nuts now, I feel like everything is contaminated and I’m going to get an infection, I’m convinced I have an infection.
I just feel like things aren’t clean because I know just washing up liquid doesn’t get rid of salmonella and it’s honestly just taken over every thought I have, that I have an infection that hasn’t been diagnosed yet. I know I’m not allowed any reassurance but has anyone been suffering with OCD through pregnancy? That it’s gotten worse since pregnancy too? Do you have any coping mechanisms because I’ve tried all the usual things and nothing seems to be working against the thoughts this time.
Thanks.

Have you spoken to your midwife? There are services especially for pregnant women that they can get you signed up to, even if it is just someone to talk to/a hand hold! ❤️

Speak to your gp urgently!!! I was specifically put on fluoxetine (for depression) while ttc because it is considered 'safer' in pregnancy. It has a relatively long history, though can't be 'tested' on pregnant women because that would be unethical...

I really think you need to look at the medication (with a doctor) to evaluate how it may actually be in yours (and baby's) best interest. Read the gp what you wrote in your original post.

Heya, i have what i suspect to be ocd and intrusive thoughts, it comes and goes but i was at my absolute worst during pregnancy. I went to my gp crying because i was so desperate and having terrible intrusive thoughts and compultions. I would convince myself I'd run someone over in my car and drive back and check, convinced myself i was speeding and that I'd seem a speed van and go back and check, at one point i convinced myself the baby wasn't my partners, it was awful. I got referred quickly to a counselor for CBT, because you're pregnant your referral should be much quicker.

Tbh you should seriously consider the medication. The level of OCD you have seems to be causing a lot of stress, the stress may be more detrimental to your pregnancy than the medication.

I have OCD but never had a clinical diagnosis as it's manageable without medication. People would say I'm a control freak as that's how I cope with it, I have to do things myself because it drives me a bit crazy when others don't do it "right". I'm a lock/switch checker, takes me far too long to leave the house or go to bed because of the obsessive checking.

Hey guys, thank you for the replies, I’ve spoken to my midwife this morning as I had my 16 week check up but at 17 weeks haha, she’s referred me to the prenatal mental health team I have an appointment with them soon.
I would love to go back on fluoxetine because it gave me a life and I was the ‘old mich’ like I was myself and my life wasn’t taken over by my OCD.
So I’m waiting for all that to happen but the fear of the contamination has well and truly taken over my life, I’m scared to drink from glasses straight from the dish washer because I feel like all the germs have been swilled together and then that there’s still residue from the dish washer tablets that I’ll be drinking straight fairy liquid, it all stems that I’m so afraid of getting an infection and anything happening to my baby it’s sending me into over drive and I’m turn has made me scared of everything.
Sorry to put this on everyone I just needed someone to talk to thats been the same with their OCD through pregnancy because my family are brilliant and they understand what I’m like but they’ve never seen me like this before so I’m sure they’re sick of me talking about it now 😂

This must be the silliest question to? But I can’t find anything about it on the internet other than certain dish soaps contain triclosan which is harmful but nothing we have here contains that, but are dishes that have just been washed with boiling water and dish soap or dishes that have just come out of the dishwasher safe for me to eat/drink from as soon as they come out of the dish washer/just been washed? Or is there something I need to do in between?

Ah @Michxoxo this sounds so hard.

I have OCD and partner and I are currently going through infertility treatment which has sent it spiralling even with fluoxetine. Without it I don't think I could cope.

I was told by two consultants (two!) that it is safe to take in pregnancy. It's about weighing up the risks and the risk of you having a breakdown is far bigger than the risk of the baby having problems from it.

You are really down and unwell and really need to looK after yourself, your health.

I'm sorry things are so difficult.

No - there is nothing you need to do. You can eat or drink off things that have come from the dishwasher. Dishwashers pretty much act like sterilisers and the high temps denature any enzymes that would be on your dishes.

@theotherfossilsister sorry to hear you’re going through that I’m really sorry. Yeah I totally get you, I thought I would have coped but it’s evident I haven’t so far! Just so scared of infections and contamination! I need to wait for my prenatal appointment and hopefully from there I can go back on them, yeah I’ve had a fair few panic attacks and I’ve spoke to my midwife and she’s said that baby is well protected in there and that wouldn’t hurt the baby so I’m going with that, but I do need to go back on something, I just feel like I’ve done everything wrong so far and I feel like a bad mother already.
@physicskate thank you! That does make me feel a bit better about it, I’m just so worried I’m drinking/eating all the fairy liquid that’s left on the dishes afterwards, this has only been the last 2 odd weeks the contamination because the beginning of the pregnancy I wasn’t too worried about it, I was but not to this extent

The beauty of soap!!! So - one half the soap particle is hydrophobic and clings to things like oils. The other half of the particle is hydrophilic, so LOVES bonding with water. This means that after sticking to the oils/ germs/ etc.... the soap will simply be washed away! Woohoo!! It really is quite interesting, on a chemical level!! So there won't be soap left on dishes after a complete cycle.

I know logic can't always overcome anxiety and intrusive thoughts... but I, personally think you're doing an ace job!!!

@physicskate thank you so much, that does make me feel better, I’ve learnt so much since getting pregnant! It’s just that fear and that I’ve hurt the baby by what I’m drinking/eating (my diet was brill too at the beginning and now it’s gone down hill haha) but thank you that does make me feel better that it has all been washed off and they’re clean to eat and drink out of!
Ahh that means the blinking world, thank you so much 💖

Dishes are perfectly safe to eat and drink off straight out of the dishwasher. They pretty hygienic if you clean all the filters regularly, I do ours quite often. I love my dishwasher and take such good care of it that it is still going strong after almost 14 years of working hard in our house lol.