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Hey Linds, I think it sounds like you are approaching this in a very sensible and smart way. Good on you for looking at all your options, and working with your hospital and dr's to get the best outcome for you and your family. Hugs, and I hope you feel a lot better for the rest of your pg.
I believe my DS had some separation anxiety too and he was only taken away for a few minutes (oxygen) and i also believe that it can lead to/contribute to PND for the mum too as a biological response to grieve the loss of the baby's physical presence kicks in if it is not there. I really hope the hospital can work with you on a compromise about the special care unit and the separation.
Anyway i'm glad you've made a decision and i hope you start feeling better really soon
Hi Lindsay,
can you put up with being a miserable cow for the nest 15 weeks? I would chose that over putting my baby at risk with the higher dosage...15 weeks will pass in no time but the repercussions of the meds might last a life time. What does your OB recommend?
I'm sure you mean well Chalalan, but the "risk" is impossible to measure and is different for every mother and child. It's also a lot more serious than being a 'miserable cow'. Before i went on medication (while breastfeeding - i was crying every day, too afraid to leave the house, had headaches and chest pains, unable to sleep.... for me the medication was a godsend and has had no effect on my son apart from him being so much happier as he has a happy healthy mum). Some people are at risk of harming themselves when not on medication, so the risk to the baby would be significantly reduced by taking medication. Depression is such a debilitating illness, and while i obviously don't think taking medication while pregnant is ideal, it certainly does help many women simply function in their every day life and if thats the case, then the benefits far outweigh the risks.
Last edited by Matryoshka; April 14th, 2008 at 01:08 AM.
Mumma B - I have had experience of zoloft for the record, and by the sounds of things your son was safely delivered by the time you took up medication as a recourse to your depression.
I'm advocating that the fetus gets a chance to grow and develop away from these strong chemicals if it can be helped at all....and yes I understand the symptoms of depression since I have experienced them myself but I know that I would never put my own headaches or heart palpitaions above the life of my eagerly awaited and cherished bub.
I had anxiety not depression and yes with my first son i avoided medication during pregnancy. But knowing him as the child he is, i truly believe my anxiety had an effect on his brain during my pregnancy and whilst a happy child, he himself has a highly anxious personality despite my gentle parenting (breastfeeding/co-sleeping/everything child led). There is research which suggests the stress responses YOUR body creates during anxiety and depression DO have an effect on the baby's brain development in utero. Which is why this time i made the choice to be on medication for this pregnancy, NOT because i wanted to do without the headaches or stress but because i truly believe that daily panic attacks, hyperventilating and other extreme distress i wont go in to here would be more harmful than the effect of medication on my baby. Apart from that what you have to consider is that both Lindsay and I have other toddlers to look after while being pregnant and suffering depression/anxiety - it certainly isn't fair on the children that are already here having to witness and deal with that on a daily level.
Whilst i'm sure every mother would love to have her baby in the womb have the choice of growing and being born medication free, but we are the mothers and have to make the choices we believe best for us and them at the time.
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Your right on the dot hun!!!There is research which suggests the stress responses YOUR body creates during anxiety and depression DO have an effect on the baby's brain development in utero. Which is why this time i made the choice to be on medication for this pregnancy, NOT because i wanted to do without the headaches or stress but because i truly believe that daily panic attacks, hyperventilating and other extreme distress i wont go in to here would be more harmful than the effect of medication on my baby. Apart from that what you have to consider is that both Lindsay and I have other toddlers to look after while being pregnant and suffering depression/anxiety - it certainly isn't fair on the children that are already here having to witness and deal with that on a daily level.
Whilst i'm sure every mother would love to have her baby in the womb have the choice of growing and being born medication free, but we are the mothers and have to make the choices we believe best for us and them at the time.
Chalalan- If you go back to my 1st post I listed my options... apart from what B said Im also having high blood pressure now so without upping my meds its not going to get any better.... having high blood pressure in pregnancy isnt all that safe either. Im increasing my risk of having pre- eclampsia which then will lead to me being induced early(as early as 32-34 weeks)and while the survival rate is high at that stage there is also alot of complications that can come with that.
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Your right on the dot hun!!!There is research which suggests the stress responses YOUR body creates during anxiety and depression DO have an effect on the baby's brain development in utero. Which is why this time i made the choice to be on medication for this pregnancy, NOT because i wanted to do without the headaches or stress but because i truly believe that daily panic attacks, hyperventilating and other extreme distress i wont go in to here would be more harmful than the effect of medication on my baby. Apart from that what you have to consider is that both Lindsay and I have other toddlers to look after while being pregnant and suffering depression/anxiety - it certainly isn't fair on the children that are already here having to witness and deal with that on a daily level.
Whilst i'm sure every mother would love to have her baby in the womb have the choice of growing and being born medication free, but we are the mothers and have to make the choices we believe best for us and them at the time.
Chalalan- If you go back to my 1st post I listed my options... apart from what B said Im also having high blood pressure now so without upping my meds its not going to get any better.... having high blood pressure in pregnancy isnt all that safe either. Im increasing my risk of having pre-eclampsia which then will lead to me being induced early(as early as 32-34 weeks)and while the survival rate is high at that stage there is also alot of complications that can come with that.
So its not me just not wanting to be a miserable cow.
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Hi Lindsay hon, How you feeling at the moment? any better from 2 weeks ago? Im thinking of you, I know how hard it is to make this decision. I have been the one now to not take any higher dose and try and cope without it like you were saying. Im sorry to hear your BP is high hon.
I agree with MummaB, if we had a choice we try and be free of medication but some of us really need it, if I wasnt taking my Ciprimil I would end up in hospital with high anxiety and PND and OCD and that is not good for me or the baby inside me. I am doing what I need to make sure I can get through each day without falling apart, I have spoken to my OB, psychologist GP and soon to speak to my new psychiatrist in relation to my dosage of Ciprimil in the upcoming weeks before birth and after birth.
Some people need to realise that none of us would choose to take meds if we didnt feel we need to. We wouldnt wish how we feel or have felt in the past on anyone.
Lindsay - thinking of you.
Bel
xxx
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