Pregnancy and Depression - Cleveland,OH

I was on 100 mg of Zoloft for all three of my pregnancies and my kids are fine. In fact, one of my midwives told me that of all the anti-depressants, Zoloft is the "safest". I have quotes because, while it'd be nice to be off of it altogether, a healthy emotional state is more important that the few small risks associated with anti-depressents and pregnancy.

(Actually, I was on the generic of Zoloft, which is Setraline, but since they're the same drug, I don't think it made any difference.)

-A.

I wasnt on zoloft but i was on paxil buspar and seroquel. well about 2 years ago they said taking paxil when pregnant was a huge no no... now they are saying its fine. the way i looked at it was i needed the meds to stay sane and i couldnt really be a good mom to my 3 year old with out them. the risk of anything being wrong is so small and to me i needed the meds. its your call the doctor cant make you do one thing or another but i was on anti-depressants with both my kids and they are both healthy happy kids

After my second son was born (8years ago)I developed an anxiety disorder. I began taking Zoloft while nursing, then become pregnant and nursed three more children while on zoloft. During this eight year period, I have seen a midwife, two different ob's and two different family doctors who never suggested weaning from the zoloft while pregnant or nursing. I would especially not wean right before the baby is born. I think more than ever you will need to be at your best for labor and when you get home.
The professionals told me the side effects for the baby were minimal compared to the consequence of me being off the Zoloft.
The children as newborns were never unusally irritable or cranky.( I think it's us parents who are the "colicky" ones) Actually when they were cranky, my husband would jokingly ask me if I remembered my zoloft.
Oh ya, the person who put me most at ease when the zoloft was first prescribed (and I was worried about nursing and getting pregnant again) was my pharmacist. You can make an appointment with one you trust and know. That helped answer all my questions. Just make sure you have a connection with the person. The last you thing you need is some guy spewing facts and horror stories from a book about things that happened to lab rats.
Also, who told you to wean? Do they have children? Do they take medication?
All my children have 10 fingers and toes and are beautiful and healthy. They do well in school and play hockey (well the boys do).
I am new here. Is there a way to hear back from you? I would like to know how you are doing. Pregnacy and delivery are such a special time, listen to your self and trust your instincts, your family will do great.

Hi L.,
I have never been on any anti-depressants or anything like that so I cannot be of much help. I just wanted to say one thing and I do not mean to offend you in any way (as I have never gone through anything similiar and I cannot imagine what you are going through) so anyways I would just keep in mind that your child could come out addicted to the zoloft (as you are right now, needing the 100 mg) and this would explain why the baby was irritable and I dont think quiting 2-3 weeks would be smart because you do not want the baby to go through withdraw while he/she is still in the inside that could cause complications.
Like I said I hope not to offend you or anyone reading this, but maybe you could explore other options to help with depression for th remainder of your pregnancy. Good luck.

My experinece was that I came off of all the medications that I was on when I first found out that I was pregnant. I was on four different medications due to severe depression that landed me in the hospital a few months prior. The first four months of my pregnancy were hell for both me and my husband. I was depressed, scared, lonely, anxious. At 20 weeks, I agreed to start taking Zoloft and I am very glad that I did. My baby was born last summer and he is a healthy and happy baby. And I also believe that he benefited from his mother not crying and screaming all the time, both when he was inside of me and since he's been born.

This is an individual decision, of course, and you should make it with the help of your doctor, and your family. There is a lot of information on the web, but I found that if you look enough, you'd find information to sugget and support any view. I had to realize that throughout this child's life, I will make decisions that will effect him, and sometimes harm him. I just have to do what I believe is the least harmful. I don't regret the decision that I made.

L.,

I am a mother of three and have a similiar experience to the other responder SG. I was on Zoloft for my second pregnancy but stopped it when I found out I was pregnant and had four months of depression, lonliness and anxiety so severe I couldn't be alone. I started again at 4 months of pregnancy and my daughter was born without any problems. I took 100mg of Zoloft during my entire third pregnancy and my daughter was the happiest baby and is still the happiest child I have. She doesn't have any problems. Although I hadn't heard about the baby being irritable after birth. She did cry alot the first 6 weeks but that could have been for a lot of reasons. She stopped after that. I would consider taking to your physician befor going off of the Zoloft right before delivery. I don't know if you have any physical triggers for your anxiety but mine is triggered by pain typically pain like childbirth or chronic illness. I wish you the best of luck. Making decisions that impact the lives of our children before they are born is hard, but you need to be a heakthy mom emotionally and physically to be the best mom that you can. You are already an awesome mom because you care so much about the decision. Good Luck and Congratulations!

Hi L.:
I can't speak from a medication point of view, but I would like to provide advice on supplemental things you can do that may help. I took Prozac in high school/college and then I discovered Pilates, which I now call my Prozac. If I don't work out at least twice a week, I suffer from extreme mood swings. But the combination of Pilates and eating healthy has allowed me to stay balanced and completely eliminate medications from my life. I'm not saying this approach is for everyone, but it may help you lower your dosage or get you through the time where you stop taking it.
When I was pregnant, I went to pre-natal yoga once a week and I can't stress enough how beneficial this was for my state of mind. We did a lot of stretching and I learned meditative and breathing techniques to use on a daily basis for stress management. As you know, it's so essential that you keep cool, calm and collected while your baby is developing! I hope this helps...Good luck!

After having my first child, I suffered from PPD and was prescribed 100mg Zoloft. Wow, did it help! So much so, that my doctor recommended I stay on it for a few years. When I got pregnant with my second child I asked my doctor about possible side-affects of the Zoloft on my baby, she explained all the possibilities and although it can be frightening, the occurance is so rare that it was an easy decision for me. The benefits of Zoloft far outweighed the risk. It may sound selfish, but I knew I neeed to stay on the medication through my entire pregnancy for my own health and as a pre-emptive strike against a second round of PPD. My second child was born happy and healthy with absolutely no signs of any side affects from the Zoloft. Also, because I had been on the Zoloft before he was born, I was able to enjoy and appreciate him much more than I was my first son. As you know it takes time for Zoloft to build up in your system and all you can do during that time is feel miserable and wait for it to have an effect. There is nothing selfish about being an emotionally fit mom.

i've never dealt with anything like that, but is it possible to maybe switch to another type of med that maybe is as afeective but less risky for the baby. i don't know if there is such a thing, but you could always ask. i wouldn't want to take a chance on hurting the baby, but some people who have severe depression problems, just can't function with out their medication. there are some alternatives that are safe though. yoga, meditation, low impact exercise, prenatal massage are all healthy drug free ways of handling depression. the best person to talk to about your options are you ob and your therapist...they may be able to consult with each other about the best course of treatment for you.

Hi L.! Check out MomsMark! (www.momsmark.com) It is a personalized service for moms, keeping them fit and healthy througout pregnancy and beyond. Studies have shown that diet and exercise can and should be a part of your fight against depression. When mom is happy, everyone's happy! I sounds like you are surrounded by lots of support. You just need to put the pieces together!

I don't personally have any experience with Zoloft, but I do take Celexa. My original dose was 3 times the normal adult dose (I take it for my low blood pressure rather than antidepressent effects), but it is an antidepressant. My Dr and I talked for a while about what to do when I was trying to get pregnant. In my case we were able to decrease the dose of Celexa and add another medication (a heart med that helps increase blood pressure). I do remember her mentioning that some people have to stay on their meds no matter what to keep both mom and baby safe. Discuss with your Dr if there are any safer (during pregnancy) and/or combination of drugs that may reduce possible side effects and still give you the benefits. Good luck!

It is ok that the doctor said that have your ob put you on prozac it is better for the baby I had that some problem last year with my twins I found out about them and had to go off my meds just to start something else it wont hurt you i promise ok askk about prozac and let me know ok

L.,
I have bi-polar disorder and I took Zoloft with both of my children. There were no side effect to either of them as far as I know. My OB would tell me that the side effects were minimal if I were to have any, and that my mental health being good was the important thing. I would find an OB that could help you reach a happy middle because you being depressed for 9 months is going to effect the baby more than the medications will. Good luck!
M.

Oh, sweetie.

Face this head-on. I was doing fine until about 6.5 months (I'm *mildly* bipolar), and then WHAM. The only thing that kept me alive was feeling the baby move at just the right time. It was terrible; I needed help, and I didn't realize how bad it was until my hormones smoothed out after the pregnancy.

Do something about this. If you need to find another OB who will help you find a happy median, find one. I know there are doctors who really understand depression and can help with finding drugs that won't interfere with the pregnancy. Do this. Your kids need a mom who is herself, especially right now.

Take care of yourself. Please.

L., i can answer this... 1)i worked for an ob-gyn for 5 yrs until becoming a SAHM.... i wouldn't chance anything!!! i would stop taking the pills. if anything maybe you should start seeing a therapist for these feelings that you are having. most symptoms of depression start at the very beginning of most pregnancies anyway and diminish within a few weeks of the hormones start leveling out. when you are pregnant its not good to take something that isn't needed. not saying that you don't have these feelings but there are other ways of dealing. and 2) i was on zoloft 100mg for about 6 months and i felt no different, turns out it was all in my head. and thats all i needed for a dr to tell me. (not saying that yours is just in your head) but think positively. i was lonely and sad all the time but there are always underlying issues that i had to deal w. if you stop these meds, thats best for baby. and believe me, you'll be fine. also the baby will be irritable whether of stop in 3 months, or in 2-3 wks before since baby is used to getting the meds. i'm not a dr, but i think you should listen to your ob. sorry but i really think you should do whats best for both of you. good luck. and if ever need to talk, i'm here for you. i know partly what you are going through.

One of the best perscriptions for depression is exercise...give StrollerFit a try. It is a pre and post-natal exercise program. You'll meet other moms who are probably in your shoes, and get a great workout with your little one. The NE Cincinnati classes offer it 6x/week - go every day if you need to. Besides it will help with labor and delivery and help you become a healthier mom all the way around.

Nevertheless, it will all be fine. Listen to the doctor --