Unexpected pregnancy

[MichelleO]

I just found out I was pregnant while being hospitalized for OCD anxiety psychosis and depression and was told to try the first trimester without meds so I came home today after being hospitalized for a week and need to know what meds are safe and best.. I'm a year post partum

[Jenny_at_APP Partner]

Hi MichelleO,

I hope you're ok and feeling alright (physically and mentally). Sorry to hear you've just had a week in hospital.

I'm assuming you're under the care of a mental health team at the moment? I would hope they will advise you on medication, I wasn't on medication during pregnancy so have no experience to share I'm afraid but I'm sure others will.

Have you seen the APP guides? The pregnancy one has a lot of really useful information including advice on medication - app-network.org/what-is-pp/...

I'm sure this is a very anxious time and I hope you get good input and support from your doctors, hopefully they will monitor you closely during your pregnancy. I hope you have good support from family and friends too. Do keep in touch here, I was comforted during my second pregnancy knowing the forum was here and I wasn't alone.

Take care, thinking of you x

[Ellie_at_APP Partner]

Hi MichelleO

Thanks for your post. Sorry to hear you have been hospitalised with your symptoms... I hope the hospital admission helped?

How are you feeling about the pregnancy? I imagine it must be a shock, particularly not feeling good already? Do you have a good psychiatrist? Ideally you really need a psychiatrist who specialises in perinatal mental health to advise you re meds, and support you through this time. Often general doctors / psychiatrists are not as knowledgeable as they could be about the different medication, and how much of a risk it is to the baby. What they do say it is always a balance between how much of a risk the meds is, and the risk of you being unwell. It is important that you stay as well as possible, and taking medication is part of that.

There is a website about medication which you may find helpful. It gives all information on mental health medication and the side effects, including if it is safe to take in pregnancy. You can search a certain medication and it will give you all the information. choiceandmedication.org/ncmh/

If I remember right you aren't in the UK? If you were I would suggest that if you didn't have a perinatal psychiatrist in your area, that you could ask to be referred to the second opinion psychiatry service in Cardiff which would be free for you or your local health authority if you were in the UK. Information is here: app-network.org/what-is-pp/...

And do take a look at the guide that J-B-55 gave the link to. That gives you all the information about planning a pregnancy when at risk of PP.

Take care, do write whenever you like, and ask all the questions you need to

Ellie

[MichelleO in reply to Ellie_at_APP]

All Drs are refusing to put me on Medicine and I'm having hallucinations idk what to do

[Ellie_at_APP Partner in reply to MichelleO]

HI MichelleO

I'm so sorry to hear that, that sounds really scary. And you're right, coming off meds isn't often the right thing to do (though it does depend which meds).

Is there a way you can give them a copy of the APP 'planning pregnancy' guide which has information in there about meds? Or a link to the website I gave? app-network.org/what-is-pp/...

I know you're in the US so it's hard to know what to suggest as I don't know services. It's really important if you can find a perinatal psychiatrist who can support you? I wonder if a US organisation could help you, such as Postpartum Support International postpartum.net/

For example they have Postpartum Psychosis Support Coordinator - her contact details are on this web page: postpartum.net/get-help/spe...

Take care Michelle, do let us know how you are doing, and I hope these links are helpful.

X

[Lilybeth Volunteer]

Hello MichelleO

How are you? I hope the links here were helpful. Have your Drs been more supportive to you than in your last post? Hallucinations can be very unsettling so I hope you are ok.

Take care.