Can It harm the baby ???

Question

If A women is on antidepressents and becomes pregnant, does
she have to quite taking her medicine, or are there certain
antidepressents she can remain on ???

Answer 1

First of all, don't listen to people on Yahoo for medical advice, please. Second of all, yes, there are CERTAIN antidepressants that pregnant women can safely take at certain dosages. However you need to consult with your OB/GYN and your psychiatrist to select those meds and weigh the potential impact on the child versus the potential impact on you for not taking them.

It can all be worked out, I promise. Don't listen to the person I am sure will chime in and say "you don't need drugs."

Answer 2

Getting the right help is important, because depression can keep you from taking optimum care of yourself and your baby, now and after delivery. Deciding whether antidepressent medication will be part of the treatment plan will require sitting down with your practitioner (and, preferably, the therapist too) to weigh possible risks (for you and your baby) against potential benefits. Recent studies show that such SSRI's (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) as Prozac and Zoloft are safe for use by expectant mothers. Still, consultation with your practitioner will be necessary before beginning or continuing these other antidepressents during your pregnancy.

Answer 3

It depends on what depressants mom is on. I was on peroxitine (generic Paxil) my entire pregnancy, and from the research done, it has not been found to have any ill effects on the baby. Prozac on the other hand (fluoxetine in generic form) has been known to cause birth defects. But I would talk to the prescribing doctor and find out what they think, and what they feel comfortable with. I was blessed with a wonderful dr, and she gave me tons of articles to read, as well as tell me what she knew. She let me make the choice, but gave me her input. I felt I made a very educated decision in remaining on antidepressants for my pregnancy, and I have a healthy, active, daring 10 month old baby girl that is right on schedule with development.

After the baby is born, you need to figure out if you will breast feed or not. Some antidepressants pass through the breast milk to the baby, and can cause a whole nother world of issues. All I can tell you is research, research, and more research. It helped me!! :)

Answer 4

One can not just stop antidepressants. That is like driving a car 70 miles an hour and then slamming into a brick wall. There are many antidepressants that are completly safe during pregnancy and after delivery when nursing. The best thing to do is call your OBGYN asap and confirm that the one you are taking is safe , if not he/she will be able to switch you to one that is safe. Don't just go cold turkey. Anyone who suggests that you do is not acting responsibly and is giving you an uninformed opinion.

Answer 5

It will NOT hurt the baby at all... I am bipolar and have been on antidepressants for years, and they told me NOT to come off my medication, that there would be no problems.
The thing is, if you suffer from depression, "pregnancy" can "deepen" that depression. There's all kinds of hormonal changes going on in your body at that time. So, if you were to go off your medication, you take a chance on getting much much worse. I myself had a tough pregnancy, and sometimes became suicidal, so they even put me on another medication during that time that is in the antidepressant family.

Answer 6

You can take anti-depressants during your pregnancy, it just depends on what "class" they are. You can usually take class A and most class B. A Dr. will let you stay on a class C medication only if there is a major health risk to the mother and the baby is constistenly monitored, but you don't see this very often. Usually what happens is if you are taking an anti-depressant that is not a class A or B, your Dr will switch you to one that is safer during your pregnancy.

Answer 7

There is no medication that has been proven to be safe for an unborn child. Period. There are ways to naturally improve your condition, including getting some sunlight, eating chocolate, eating foods high in nutritional value, exercise, etc. I'm sure you will get the same info (maybe more) from any decent OB/GYN or midwife.

Answer 8

This is a question for your doctor. If I'm not mistaken, most antidepressants are "Class C" (NOT safe during prengnancy) drugs. I'm not experienced with them, and don't keep up with the latest, but ask your dr. if there's something newer that's comparable with what you're on, and see if he/she thinks it's a good idea to wean you off your current meds and get you on to something safer.

Answer 9

I know a girl who was on a bunch of meds before she got pregnant - antidepressants included. She took them during her entire pregnancy. Her child was born with deformed hips - NO LIE.

Answer 10

It's sad in todays world that people are brainwashed into believing they need drugs to make them feel better. You've been turned into a drug addict by the state to support the pharmaceutical companies. Only recently in this century have people been perscribed chemical substance to fight the guilt they have inside because of sin.