High risk for mental health reasons

[taylor2233]

I’m high risk and consultant led because I have bipolar disorder and have remained on medication throughout pregnancy. I’m currently 20 weeks. I have my first consultant obstetrics appointment this afternoon joint with my psychiatrist, however I’m also seeing the psychiatrist next week so I feel that todays appointment will be more tailored towards the pregnancy.

I’m just wondering what to expect in an obstetrics appointment? :) thanks

Mine yesterday was a 10 minute telephone appointment to confirm all good at recent scan and with blood tests. Also to discuss plan moving forward (when I'll get date for ELCS and booking in extra growth scans etc).

Hi I have bipolar too. My first obstetrician was around 12 weeks and from recollection was mostly around reassuring me that it was safe to stay on my medication and how important it was to keep taking it. They were going to do a referral to the perinatal team but my GP had already done that. This was in 2020 so my next appointment was over the phone when they checked in on my mood. Were happy that my mental health was ok, the perinatal mental health team were on board and had a plan to step up support later in the pregnancy. I was struggling with reflux so they arranged for my GP to prescribe me omperazole. They decided at that point I didn't need any input from gynae and deferred the management of my pregnancy to the midwives and the perinatal MH team.

I saw the psychiatrist from the perinatal team at some point. Again reassurance about medication, I was given advice about taking medication during labour and how I needed to take my meds with me as it was unlikely that the maternity ward would have my medication on the ward. I was given the risks of post partum mental illness. They recommended that I had a single room to allow my partner to stay if possible (it wasn't covid) and to have support overnight if necessary as my meds make me drowsy. I was ok in the end. My medication came with an increase risk of poor neonatal adaptation syndrome so she discussed the monitoring that baby would need over the first 3 days. The ward was able to give me the single room and some support over night once I let them know I'd taken my meds and they kept an eye on me. It was also arranged that I had the full 28 day midwife support and where possible a single midwife (after day7 I only had one midwife) and enhanced HV support too.