From eating right to exercising regularly, most pregnant women want to do everything right for their baby. But many women face mood disorders during pregnancy and as you prepare to welcome your new baby, managing your psychiatric symptoms also becomes necessary. Many doctors advise pregnant women with mood disorders to stop taking drugs like antidepressants, as giving up the medications help keep them healthy. But is giving up your antidepressants really advisable?
Most studies fail to account for the physical effects on babies from antidepressants taken during pregnancy for the effects of mother’s psychiatric illness. A mother who is depressed is less likely to get good prenatal care and is more likely to get engaged in unhealthy dangerous behaviors which might be harmful for the fetus. In fact sometimes untreated mental illness of the mother poses risks like high levels of a hormone called cortisol in the newborn babies which raises a baby’s risk of behavioral depression and anxiety later in life.
It is however important for a mother as well as her doctor to know the risks. Many psychiatric and ob-gyn experts suggest that if new mother’s or pregnant women face mild depression and are asymptomatic for at-least six months then they are allowed to stop using antidepressants under a doctor’s supervision.
Sometimes psychotherapy along with a healthy lifestyle can help manage depression and other mental illnesses. Some of the healthy lifestyle routine includes:
- Yoga and meditation
- Exercise more
- Minimizing your stress
- Spending time outdoors
- Having regular therapy sessions with your therapist
Even though antidepressants don’t cause birth defects, it’s still possible for them to affect the baby’s health. Findings on effects of antidepressants on growing babies are inconclusive and mixed.
Even though most risks found by researchers have been low, some of the risks for the baby include:
- PPHN – persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns, a lung disorder
- Birth defects including heart defects
- Miscarriage/abortion
- Low APGAR scores and birth weight
Sometimes, babies exposed to antidepressants in womb may experience withdrawal symptoms like
- Irritability
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels)
- Breathing problems
- Poor tone
No matter how low or small a risk is, no mother wants to unnecessarily expose their babies to medicines like antidepressants. However, there is no right answer justifying the decision to take or stop taking antidepressants during pregnancy. You must decide and look into your own set of circumstances and make the decision based on the risks and benefits. If your doctor advises you to stop your medications during your pregnancy then, it’s worth a try but never stop taking medications without consulting your doctor first.