As an aside, I was prescribed with Ativan while my wife was dying.
I went off the medication the day before she died.
Not A Good Idea.
I went absolutely out of my mind.
Do not, do not, do not just stop taking any antidepressant ‘cold turkey’.
It was, quite literally, a nearly deadly experience for me.
Just a POV from someone who is still dealing the aftereffects.
It took me four to conceive. And I had really bad PPD - I don’t thing anyone realizes how bad it was (after YEARS of depression, I’m pretty good at hiding it). Pregnancy hormones, post partum hormones and depression are a BAD MIX.
Healthy and functional you is WAY more important. If you aren’t healthy and functional, and you hit PPD, your life and the baby’s are both in danger.
I would definitely agree with the idea of checking with a psychiatrist who is knowledgeable about women’s health and your ob/gyn. They should be able to come up with a safe plan to keep your depression under control during the pregnancy.
As general comments: Paxil is considered Pregnancy Category D and generally not recommended for pregnant women, but many other psych meds are considered to be an acceptable risk in pregnancy compared to the risk of untreated depression (it has been shown in studies that the stress and depression that mom suffers can cause negative effects on the fetus). Even though it might sound odd to those who have an old-fashioned mental image of “electroshock”, ECT is also considered to be a relatively safe treatment for pregnant women who are severely depressed.
[continue hijack]
Yes, I’m pregnant again 
We did a second IVF cycle before Christmas and although things looked dodgy for a moment (only one egg fertilised), I got the best Christmas present ever with a postitive result on the 23rd! Morning sickness not as bad this time around, but it’s kicking in nonetheless. I was beginning to worry at 7 weeks when I didn’t even feel pregnant!
I’ve been following your blog, actually, so have been keeping up to date with how you’ve been coping (congrats on the twins!!). Although, at the moment, I’m more interested in how you are managing to deal with toddler issues - my one is similarly, um, challenging!
[end hijack]
Back on topic, Antigen, I would definitely recommend taking care of yourself and continue to treat the depression in some way, even while ttc, through pregnancy and beyond.
For one, you have no idea how long (and stressful) ttc might be. As you may have picked up from above, I’ve been through fertility treatment, and have spent almost 5 years ttc. Had I been suffereing from depression through that time, it would have been a lot of time to go without treatment!
Also, the first year after you have a baby can be stressful in ways you can’t know now. If you add longstanding depression on top of possible PND, you may find it a real struggle. Although my issue was anxiety, I really wish I’d got it treated earlier (my son was well over a year before I sought help) - I could have enjoyed things soooo much more.
Best of luck!
Given that pregnancy always involves a lot of anxiety and can produce depression, it seems pretty stupid to refrain from treating those conditions when they already exist pre-pregnancy. Nobody would even consider stopping diabetes treatment while trying to get pregnant. Any regime of medication needs to be checked carefully for pregnancy interactions, but I’m wondering how much of the notion that “one shouldn’t be on antidepressants while pregnant” is linked to the “it’s all in your head” mindset.
Best of luck to all you pregnant or trying to get so ladies, and congratulations Nymysys on the little avenger!
Good point, and don’t forget the “Fulfilling your natural destination as a mother will cure you of all that depression nonsense, and if you don’t get on that pink cloud with your baby there is something wrong with you”-mindset, and the “taking the slightest risk to your baby means you’re a bad mom”- mindset.
Gosh, I remember being 8 months pregnant and having a bad, bad, cough. That doesn’t sound too bad, you might think. But coughing so hard tore at my already sore ligaments and caused pain bad enough to wake me up. So I shook awake at least every fifteen minutes. For four days. Four days of not sleeping, that is the kind of torture that if you inflict it on a prisoner, you get the Geneva convention on your ass for. And I stupidly doggedly muddled on, weeping and swearing, because I didn’t want to take a sleeping pill my GP prescribed because those might be bad for the baby. Looking back, I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. :rolleyes:
Fulfilling your natural destination as a mother will end in you drinking a lot more wine. In my experience. I was talking to my OB about it yesterday. We agreed that Drink More Wine was one of the most important pieces of advice to give new parents.
Thanks very much for all the stories - I feel a little better about even just *wanting *to be back on my meds. I’m not ashamed to admit that I need them; I don’t see any difference between Wellbutrin and insulin, as far as treating a medical condition goes. I guess I’m just nervous about getting pregnant while taking stuff that might affect the baby, but like so many of you have said, if I’m a useless mess, it’s even worse for the baby, so maybe it’s a better choice. And yes, I am very very concerned about PPD and I know I’m at risk, so I and everyone around me will be on guard for it when the time comes.
I like the “oxygen mask” theory. Help myself first.
I have an appointment with a regular not-a-family-member doctor for early next month so I can discuss all this, and we’ll see how it goes.