Getting preg

[niccie27]

I've suffered pnd and am on medication , its under control atm, me and my partner have talked about getting pregnant again but I'm concerned about the medication side and the pnd returning was just looking for any advice from anyone that has had another pregnancy after suffering pnd thanks in advance xx

[DoraDonig]

Hi Niccie27

I had PNP with my first and we re now expecting our second (due in march). It was a big decision (especially for my partner) to agree on getting preg again...all I can say is the mental health care in pregnancy is amazing.midwife is really good, I also have a maternity mental health nurse, through whom I ll be seeing a psychiatrist, so even though there is a high risk of mental health issues I am confident that the support network will help.

Speak to your GP about medication as I am positive there is some medication out there that you can take during pregnancy and best of luck with everything xxx

(mind.org.uk/information-sup...

[Ellie_at_APP Partner]

Hi niccie

Welcome to the forum. I was just wondering if you experienced postpartum psychosis, or postnatal depression? If you experienced postpartum psychosis I wanted to let you know that we have a guide, free to download, if you are planning a pregnancy and are at risk of PP (which you will be obviously if you have had PP in the past). The link to the guide is here: app-network.org/what-is-pp/...

This should give you all the information you need about planning a pregnancy. The most important thing is to get advice from a perinatal psychiatrist, particularly about medication. They will know about medication that is safe to take in pregnancy, and explain the risks etc. I know a lot of perinatal psychiatrists recommend staying on medication, as long as it is safe to take, in order for you to stay well.

I also wanted to give you this link to this medication which gives you the side affects of different mental health medications, which you may find helpful: choiceandmedication.org/ncmh/

I wish you well with your decision, I know it can be a hard one. I hope these links are helpful

Ellie

[niccie27 in reply to Ellie_at_APP]

I sufferer from postpartum psychosis I'm on aripiprizole 20mg but but want to try for another baby , I'm just scared of the illness returning xx

[Jenny_at_APP Partner]

Hi niccie

I had PP after my first son was born in 2012 and had a second son in 2016 without recurrence of PP.

I appreciate everyone's experience is different. I was off all medication when we decided to try for another baby so that wasn't an issue for me in terms of the pregnancy though I did then need to decide whether to take medication after the birth. I accessed APP's second opinion service with Prof Ian Jones which was really really helpful - he explained the risks of PP happening again (around a 50% risk for me) and we discussed ways of trying to reduce the risk - for me breastfeeding and lack of sleep seemed to be major factors so I chose to formula feed and my husband and mum did the night feeds for the first few weeks... I also chose to take a low dose of medication for the first 6 months after the birth.

The pregnancy planning guide Ellie has linked to is really helpful. Definitely discuss your options with your doctors and if you have access to a perinatal psychiatrist that's ideal.

It's a really difficult decision to make and an anxious time but if you do decide to try for another baby, if you've got good support and put plans in place, if PP did hit again hopefully it wouldn't be as bad second time as those around you would know what to do and what medication works for you etc. I'd suggest starting by discussing your options with your doctors - then take things a step at a time. If you do decide to try for another baby there is a lot of great advice in the pregnancy planning guide and a lot of shared experience on this forum.

Wishing you all the best.

Jenny x

[Bluelady-sing]

You have a right to have your children - If you think all these people being involved with you is good thing. I do wish this forum would stop seeing having a baby as a problem. It is a fundamental human right. you must have heard of self fulfilling prophecy.

I have never heard of anyone being ill because they had a baby

[Ellie_at_APP Partner]

Hi All

Thanks for your response Pumpkins.

I'm sad to hear that you feel that we on the forum see having a baby as being a problem as this is not APP's view at all, in fact I would say it's the opposite.

Here at APP we are really passionate about tackling the stigma of perinatal mental health, raising awareness of PP, and doing what we can to ensure that professionals know how to support women who are at risk of PP, and don't judge them or think they shouldn't have children.

And of course we're passionate about women who are at risk of postpartum psychosis having the right information and support, so that they can have as good a chance as possible of not becoming ill with PP, hence our planning a pregnancy guide and the second opinion psychiatry service. I have heard from many women who were feeling really anxious about their risk of PP, to the point that it was stopping them considering having children, who found accessing the second opinion service mentioned above for pre conception advice really helpful, and it helped them to go on to have children.

It is absolutely clear that some women are at risk of PP than others, and we can't deny this fact, as hard as it might be to know it. This is detailed very clearly on our website under FAQ, 'Who is most likely to get postpartum psychosis?' app-network.org/what-is-pp/...

Sadly, the truth is, many women do become ill because of having a baby - the majority of members of this forum, including myself. I had no previous mental health history until 3 days after my son was born when I became acutely psychotic. When we look at the statistics of admissions to mental health units in the course of a woman's pregnancy and the first year postpartum there is a massive spike in admission 2 weeks postpartum - there is a clear link to having a baby, and becoming unwell, though it is not clear the causes of PP but it's believed hormones do play a part.

But these statistics shouldn't put people off having children - I think it really helps (I know it has helped me) if you know your own personal risk of PP. With the information given in the pregnancy guide, and by seeking advice from a perinatal psychiatrist, women can make some good personal decisions which will reduce their risk of becoming unwell, but these are very personal decisions and each person needs to do what is right for them.

I hope this is clear and helpful for anyone reading, and please don't hesitate to write if you have any questions.

Ellie