Lindsay, my experience was very similar to yours. This time i made the choice to stay on Lexapro 10mg which i'd been on since DS was 8 months old. In the past couple of months i have not been coping and only when it reached the point where i have been constantly anxious, not able to sleep and i knew it was affecting both DS and possibly DS in the womb, did i decide to go up a dose. I'm now on 20mg and feeling better.

I truly believe that the stress responses your body creates due to low mood/stress fluctuations (anxiety/depression) do have an effect on the baby in the womb. Its almost impossible to measure what this would be though, but just by knowing my DS and the fact i did not take medication and suffered anxiety through my last pregancy, i really felt it was better to be on it this time and especially at a level where it was working. Recently the 10mg felt like it was not working- the DR said this can be due to increased fluid levels diluting the medicaion and/or weight gains.

As for Zoloft vs Lexapro..... i read a substantial amount of research material/studies on both zoloft and lexapro during pregnancy and breastfeeding and decided lexapro was the one with the least instance of issue for the baby. Apparently the withdrawals are minute and can be combatted by breast feeding as baby still receives some small amount, so of course i'll be breastfeeding. I've also spoken the psychology department of my hospital and they assure me the baby will be fine after the birth and no need for any special check up let alone special care! in fact i go home after just 24 hours, and could do sooner if i wanted.

SO, i don't know if switching medications is an option?? Apart from that i would go up a dose, its important that you feel better now and are able to manage as theres still a good 3 months + left. I can't speak from your hospital but their opinions sound a bit extreme... especially as others have been on it and not had this occur. Can you do some more research or get a second opinion??? Certainly separation from the baby would do more harm that good, and i wouldn't condone that at all, surely that can't be the only options????

Anyway based on myself, i would go up a dose or switch to lexapro if that is an option. If not, then just try to get another opinion or do some more research in to it....

Hope that helps Linds, thinking of you