Any1 had severe post partum psychosis... - Action on Postpar...
Any1 had severe post partum psychosis with ECt go in to have other pregnancies?
Hi, I've had a serious psychotic episode before. I was sectioned so can't get more serious than that lol. They kept me in psychiatric wards for 3 months. This was 5 and a half years ago. I'm expecting again next week. Just thought I'd let you know what kind of support I've had for this pregnancy. I've been under a mother and baby mental health team from the beginning and have had regular appointments with them so that I can be monitored. I am also under the care of an obstetrician so they can check the baby's development/growth because of the meds that I'm taking. I was told I need to stay on my meds to keep me stable as coming off them would increase my chances of having another episode which would be far worse for the baby. In fact I've even had to increase my meds because I felt I needed to in order to manage the pregnancy and how it has been affecting me. I've got bipolar and I've been suffering from spd and gestational diabetes also which is depressing for me. I have a birth plan written by the mental health dr which outlines the sort of care I may need during labour and after the birth. Me and my baby might have to stay in hospital for a few days so they can monitor the baby for any withdrawal symptoms but I've been assured that most babies have no symptoms or they may have minor symptoms such as crying more and being twitchy or restless, difficult to settle. But this shouldn't last any longer than a few days. The midwife will be coming to visit me for a month once the baby's here which is longer than normal because they don't want to hand me over to the health visitor until they're certain that I'm ok first. The mother and baby mental health team are going to be monitoring me for 6 months I think she said. Hope this helps. It was a tough decision about having another baby but there are so many things in place to help mothers who've had a history of ill mental health so that we don't have to do it on our own. I've been very well looked after during my pregnancy and professionals have been both supportive and have taken my mental health seriously. Good luck x
Hi nurse32
Welcome to the forum - really glad you've found us. A number of mums including myself on the forum have gone on to have second/third babies after PP and as smiles1975 explains so well the key is having good support from a specialist team during pregnancy and developing a clear care plan for what happens if any symptoms develop.
My own experience was of PP followed by severe depression with baby #1 and five years later we felt recovered enough to take the big decision to have baby #2. I had early warning signs of mania after our second baby but these were treated quickly and I had no psychosis. Sadly the depression did return after about four months but I made a good recovery with ECT and antidepressants. My lovely girls are now 8 and 3.
We do have lots of women on the forum who had no mental health problems at all after a second pregnancy. The statistics suggest that around 50% of women who have PP will not have a recurrence. But of course this means that around 50% will and this risk can be higher if you also have bipolar disorder. So specialist care is needed in pregnancy to reduce risk through medication - either during pregnancy or soon after birth.
A pre-conception appointment with a perinatal psychiatrist can be a very useful way of talking through medication issues and assessing your individual risk of a relapse. If you have a perinatal mental health team in your area your GP may be able to refer you. Cardiff University also offer a second opinion psychiatry service which your GP or psychiatrist can refer you to - see info here app-network.org/what-is-pp/...
We are here to chat whenever you need as you think about your options. It can be a tricky time as you reflect on what happened with your first baby, but the advantage is being forewarned, forearmed and much more able to plan things to support your wellbeing during the pregnancy and birth.
All the very best
Naomi x
