Doing a pregnant without anti depressants - any tips!

[CheeseBiscuitsChutney]

Hello All!

I have struggled with anxiety since my teens, and for the last 7 years I have been on Citalopram. I made the decision to wean off as we started TTC given the risks of SSRIs in a pregnancy (albeit I know these are widely debated - but anxiety has me constantly erring on the side caution).

I’m now 21 weeks. And I will admit, I have struggled in the pregnancy. A constant fear of something going wrong and catastrophising situations etc. But I am determined to continue being medication free unless it is at any point decided that I pose a greater risk by keeping off them than going on them.

I know this is debatable - and people may not necessarily agree with my decision. And I appreciate all views, but at the same time will be led by the perinatal team, midwives and doctors.

What I would love to hear, however, of how you all have kept calm in pregnancy. What has worked for you etc? Any books I could read, or classes I could take?

Thank you so much and Merry Christmas x

Nothing worked for me.

I tried to wean off and stay off but ended up having a breakdown during one of my consultant led appointments.

Ok I’m going to give you my own experience which was right for me, not Judging. I couldn’t have come off of my mental health medication as I can not function without it, I went down to the lowest dose in my first pregnancy. I usually top up with diazepam too but I avoided this completely. I’m my first pregnancy I was so so calm I felt that something in my body was keeping me calm stopping me from getting ‘uptight’ let’s say. This time, I’m pregnant again, on double to dose of my previous pregnancy and I’ve been so ill (sickness, viruses and now covid ffs) I feel like I’ve been put through the mincer metaphorically. And I’m just constantly worried about my baby. I’m in a totally different place than with my son. All said and done it’s your choice but if you really need them meds take them, remember that baby baby needs a healthy mum when it’s born. All the best xx

If you can manage without, great.

Me? I’d have killed myself without it.

Hi @CheeseBiscuitsChutney, congratulations on your pregnancy! It sounds like I was in a similar situation to you. I had anxiety which expressed itself through ruminating thoughts and catastrophising. On citalopram for around 6 years before we decided to try for a baby. I weaned myself off over a couple of months before i became pregnant. Then I spoke to my midwife about my past who was very supportive. I did get anxious quite a lot in pregnancy but it remained manageable. What helped for me was having a small number of individuals who I could be honest with and they would help me rationalise when I was catastrophising which would help nip it in the bud rather than it just building bigger and bigger in my head. I also did a few sessions of hypnotherapy which I think helped.

Also, for what's it worth when the baby arrived I ended up not going back on the citalopram and have remained off it for the 8 years since then!