I know I’ve blogged on this topic prior to today but I wanted to draw attention to the topic again, following in the footsteps of Katherine Stone. She posted at her blog about The painful decision to medicate during Pregnancy and shares her feelings regarding her decision to medicate during her second pregnancy.
For me, having gone through a prior pregnancy after a severe bout of untreated postpartum depression and then relapsing as seriously as I did, staying on my meds was not a difficult decision. Like Katherine, I too knew the risks and had access to lots of educated opinions as well as studies. I knew the risks of stopping my meds as well and what potential that held in store for myself and my family. Not only would I be risking relapse during the postpartum period, but I risked depression during my pregnancy as well – which can lead to premature birth. My second daughter was born three and a half weeks early – and I was suffering from untreated depression. Untreated because I didn’t realize it and I am really good at covering things up.
So when this pregnancy reared up and bit us in the butt, we knew it was going to be an uphill battle. I was already on meds, already in therapy, and doing well but knowing I was facing another pregnancy scared the living daylights out of me. So we decided to stay on meds. It wasn’t even an option to go off them. Thankfully my OB fully supported my decision and has continued to stand behind me. We have not had any issues, no major defects were detected at our 20wk u/s, and things have progressed just fine. I pray that they continue to do so and that our son is born happy and healthy. I also pray that I won’t relapse this time.
Hoping for the best but definitely prepared for the worst!