Bipolar and Pregnant

[MLS726]

I am 23 years old and have rapid bipolar, but I am also pregnant. I have been taken off my medicine. Now I am driving myself and everyone else crazy. Does anyone have any advice to help me for the next 7 months?

[supergirl495]

hi x congrats on the baby  x x i too have rapid cycle bipolar and i am roughly 8 weeks pregnant with no.3! i am on lamotragine increasing every 2 weeks on 50 now going up to 200 my doc says the benefits greatly outweigh any risk 2 the baby [still not too happy taking them] but they have lifted the brain fog and im not a psycho anymore! im terrified of bein taken off them and returnin to the old me so i do think you need to tell your doc you need somethin and if he doesnt help go over his head and get a second opinion . i had my other 2 babies unmedicated and it was hell but i also had no support was in a domestic violence relationship and things were v. messy but i did cope and they are now 4 and 2! dont quite know how i coped but you just do takin each day as it comes and rememberin how much you love your child and are determined to make things better 4 them.take care of yourself and concentrate on the pregnancy and how your baby is changing believe me its over so fast .set up as much support as you can and try 2 enjoy it x here if you need me x x amy

[bernie40]

It's common practice to be put on an anti-psychotic like seroquel during pregnancy and it may be that you're body hasn't adjusted yet.  Do some research, and talk to your psych about the recommended and safe doses.  I'm personally on a low dose of lithium as I can't tolerate anti-psychotics.

Hormones raging during pregnancy do impact on your mood particularly in the first trimester but these should settle down in the middle.

Xila31 has given some good advice.  Plenty of rest and good planning is a must.  Don't set yourself have too many things to do, for example, I know that if i book more than 2 things in a week I will begin to get stressed, so 2 is my magic number allowing me 3 days of the week for down-time (not including weekends as I have 4 children and it's always mad).

A healthy diet and good sleep pattern.  Stick to routines, without routines anyone with BP can quickly become agitated.  Regular bed-time, regular meals etc.

Make sure you are taking all the vitamins that also help good mental health, namely the Bvitamins - double check with your ob/gyn that she's ok with that.

How far into the pregnancy are you?

[Xila31]

Hi, I was pregnant twice undiagnosed and unmedicated. It is a very crazy ride, indeed. My best advice is to be easy on yourself. Take pleanty of time to rest and stay in boundries you feel are comfortable for you mood wise. Don't make any big sudden changes in your routine as that can be calming when you're not on meds. Also try to eat a balanced diet if possible. Get some exercise, too. Those things can also be helpful with mood. I would address all of your concerns right away to your psychiatrist.

Congratulations and good luck!

[MLS726]

I am on a low dose of Seroquel but my psych said no to anything else. It is also kinda hard to be on anything in the first place because I got told that I couldn't get pregnant in the first place. I don't want anything to mess this up. I know there are other things that you do with the meds and I am still new at this.

[bernie40]

First of all congratulations on your pregnancy.  I don't understand why you have come off all your medication.  There are meds that you can take throughout the pregnancy and I would advise you to discuss this with your psych.  Your mental health is very important and should not be compromised by the pregnancy.  Let me know how you get on.