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Introduction: How to Know if Antidepressants Are Actually Safe to Take During Pregnancy
If you’re expecting a child, it’s only natural to wonder if taking antidepressants during pregnancy is safe for your baby. Here we will discuss if it’s essential to consider medication.
Pregnancy and the Fear of Taking Antidepressants
Most women who discover they’re pregnant will go the extra mile to eat right, exercise, take their prenatal vitamins, or abstain from alcohol and tobacco for their health and the babies. But what about women who are depressed and taking antidepressants or might need to during their pregnancy?
It’s not surprising moms-to-be would be concerned about taking antidepressants and question whether they should stop or start medication or how it will affect them or their unborn child. They might be even more apprehensive if they already take medicine for another medical issue. Still, many women don’t realize that part of taking care of oneself is also considering medication to manage mental health symptoms.
Often these women’s fears stem from doctors advising them to stop taking antidepressants during pregnancy, stressing all the complications that could occur. Yet, this medication might have kept the individual stable before their pregnancy but has left them to now worry about their future mental health, thus putting them in a dilemma.
Mental health is just as important as physical health, and leaving depression untreated can be even riskier for a mother and their unborn child. Therefore, due to the intricate nature of pregnancy and antidepressants, it is crucial to seek a medical prescriber and address these issues to find the safest and most effective treatment for one’s symptoms.
Why Untreated Depression During Pregnancy is Risky
Pregnancy can be very taxing on the body and, more often physically, requires extra work, effort, and energy to accomplish tasks. At the same time, drastic and rapid hormonal changes can affect one’s moods and emotions. For example, pregnant women may become more irritable, anxious, sensitive, or cry more frequently. Therefore, if you combine all these factors, those with untreated depression may begin to struggle more with their self-care, such as not eating right, sleeping well, exercising, or maintaining necessary prenatal appointments.
Continued untreated depression may also lead to more dangerous behaviors, such as alcohol or tobacco usage, self-harming behavior, or suicidal thoughts or attempts. In turn, these behaviors can pose an even greater risk to the unborn child, such as lower birth weight and possible depression or anxiety later in life. Therefore, one might need to consider antidepressants.
Most medications have pros and cons. Still, taking an antidepressant during pregnancy can be even more frightening, as mom-to-be has not just their health to worry about but their child’s health and welfare. That is why it’s challenging for women to consider taking medication for depression during pregnancy. However, untreated depression may not only affect a mother’s moods, thoughts, and emotions but can adversely affect the child.
It is important to note that although medication can decrease symptoms, therapy is also beneficial in treating one’s underlying causes of depression.
Should One Consider Taking Antidepressants?
It isn’t an easy decision for many moms-to-be whether to take antidepressants during pregnancy. There are often concerns about children being born with congenital disabilities. However, several studies have shown meager rates of inheriting any issues.
Although certain antidepressants might pose a higher risk for the unborn child, having a well-versed medical prescriber with whom you can discuss your symptoms and who offers the safest medication options can help you decide the best course of treatment.
In addition, a medical prescriber who treats pregnant women is more apt to be overly cautious when prescribing particular antidepressants and often dispensing the lowest dosage that will benefit the mother and least impact the child.
Is There a Risk to the Baby While Taking Antidepressants?
Some studies have shown that taking antidepressants during the final trimester of pregnancy may cause temporary medication withdrawals for the baby up until one month after birth. Symptoms may include jitteriness, irritability, poor feeding, and respiratory distress. Still, evidence has not proven that a mom who begins weaning off her antidepressants will reduce the risk of symptoms for the child. What’s important to consider is that ceasing medication might increase one’s chances of relapse or severe depression.
Although some studies have linked autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with children whose mothers were taking antidepressants in utero or how taking certain antidepressants has caused gestational diabetes, the risks are also relatively low to none.
Any prescribed antidepressants will vary depending on the person’s symptoms or risk factors. For example, a physician might prescribe something different for individuals with anxiety, depression, or sleep disturbances. They will also rule out any other medical issues the individual has and if they are taking medication that could counteract antidepressants.
Again, the prescriber and patient will work together to determine the best action plan.
Questions to Ask Your Provider
Although antidepressants are one of the most effective and safest medications, that doesn’t mean women understand which will work best for them or their unborn child. Therefore, one recommendation is to attend your appointment with a list of questions.
Questions to ask your provider about antidepressants may include the following:
- Have you treated other expectant mothers?
- Will this be safe for both my unborn child and me?
- Will you start with the lowest dosage?
- What if the medication doesn’t work?
- Is there another antidepressant we can try if one doesn’t work?
- How long will it take to see improvements?
- What are the side effects?
- Will it adversely affect other medications that I’m taking?
Some women find doing medical research in addition to seeing their prescriber helpful.
What Is the Best Course of Action?
Pregnancy can be both a wonderful and challenging time. Still, those struggling with depression and taking antidepressants will likely have more concerns, such as considering the benefits and risks for them and their unborn child. Therefore, finding a prescriber who will work with the patient to choose the best course of action for both mom and child is vital.
Featured Image Credit: Devon Divine (Unsplash)
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