Antidepressants and pregnancy pose certain relationship that can affect a pregnant woman and her baby. Taking antidepressants may harm your unborn child, but it makes you feel better when you're depressed and pregnant.
If you are pregnant, deciding whether to go on or stop using the drug that helps you is one of the daunting tasks a woman could face. A lot of women are facing depression and taking the drug-prescription is the only way that could alleviate the symptoms. But what if it will be harmful for your baby?
Earlier, pregnancy hormones were believed to treat depression. But that is not exactly the trend today. Pregnancy could prompt or heighten mood swings that are hard to manage. Antidepressants and pregnancy is like walking between taking the risks and acquiring the benefits.
Definitely taking antidepressants when you're not pregnant is advisable to treat the symptoms, and it is more important during pregnancy. Not taking the prescribed drug could harm you and your baby.
Without antidepressants, you may not be able to take care well of your baby. You may not eat the right foods, or go for check-up and you may not sleep and eat well. Antidepressants and pregnancy is really inevitable. But before deciding to continue or stop it, you may talk first with your doctors and family about it.
There are antidepressants that could cause harm to babies. But there are also some types of prescription that are proven harmless safe for pregnancy. According to Web MD, there are certain serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and few medications that are safe.
The relation between antidepressants and pregnancy must be carefully evaluated as taking medication could cause birth defects. Although there are few that is proven safe, make sure to talk it over with your psychiatrist and ob-gyne first before making a certain decision.
Antidepressants and Pregnancy:
There are some antidepressants that are safe in a case-to-case basis. Tricyclic, Bupropion, and certain serotonin reuptake inhibitors are okay, but may also pose risk in some instances. Mayo Clinic reported that early research have shown limb formation in the use of tricyclic antidepressants.
New studies have also exhibited the use of sertaline, fluoxetine and citalopram to be associated with lung problem with the newborn in some cases. Drugs such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors including phenelzine and tranylcypromine (Parnate) and SSRI paroxetine (Paxil), are generally not prescribed during pregnancy.
These medications have shown fetal growth limits, fetal heart defects and maternal high blood pressure. Antidepressants and pregnancy is interrelated all throughout. Your unborn child may experience what is called withdrawal symptoms such as irritability if you stop taking prescription medicines suddenly.
At the same time, lessening the drug usage is extra debilitating for the mother as emotional disturbance is higher during the post-partum period.
Generally, antidepressants must be weighed before using if you are planning to have a baby or is already pregnant. There are depression that could be managed only through counseling, therapies and yoga without the use of antidepressants.
However, if you have complicated depression or have history of it, taking medications could be an option but poses a great risk. Always have an informed decision about your depression and pregnancy.
