Breastfeeding and Treating depression w/ Zoloft or Nutrition?

[gggifts]

Hi,

I think I am depressed. I am bf'ing my 3.5 month old ds. I have also bf my dd until 20 months old before (so btdt without meds) . Sometimes I come in and out of the depresssion, but I have had it all my life. My goal this time was to bf for as long as possible and fight through the depression again, but home circumstances are just making that really difficult right now. I always tell myself that I'll take antidepressants AFTER I am finishined bf'ing. Anyhow...

I have some questions and I would really appreciate it if there are any answers out there. Please help!

1. Are there any studies or does anyone have any experience on the long term effects of Zoloft and bf? How did your kids turn out? Do they have more struggles than your other children with whom you didn't take Zoloft? I am really concerned about and feeling guilty about ds even having a minute trace amount of the Zoloft. I am afraid I will ruin his brain chemistry and he'll never be right. (fyiw, I have a mother who is schizophrenic, so I am really really fearful of altering brain chemistry).

2. Are there any nutritional programs that work for depression that I could do? I have read some stuff but don't even know where to start (such as how many mg of which vitamins, which foods to do /avoid, etc.). I am pretty exhausted from the depression.

Thanks for your help.

[tanyalynn]

I started zoloft when I was 7mos pregnant with my now 5yo daughter. I was okay with the safety data that was available for pregnant and breastfeeding women (stayed on it while nursing) given what I viewed as my choices then. And I definitely think it's a better choice than going untreated, I personally would rather have mom feeling good and able to interact happily with kids/husband/the world than be untreated. Especially at the lower doses, the amount that gets into mom's milk is very low to often undetectable.

That said... member Gale Force has info in her siggy (linking to her website) about nutritional approaches to depression. Never occurred to me back then that this was an option. I've later had to deal with health issues that are related to the underlying nutrition problems that were involved with my depression, so I think treating it (and considering why your nutrition could be lacking) is good if you are in a place to do that.

My daughter is 5yo and I don't think she has any lingering effects from the zoloft. No problems at her birth, no problems initiating nursing, nothing like that.

Also, there's a Depression subforum, forget where, but lots of breastfeeding moms discussing meds and other options. You'll get good ideas there too.

and to MDC

[gggifts]

Thank you so much TanyaLopez. I really appreciate the info and I'm going to check it out now. And thank you for your personal experience.

[tanyalynn]

Hey, just in case you hadn't seen the forum (there were several forums that it took me more than a year to see, even though they're right there ), under Pregnancy & Birth there's a Postpartum Depression forum. Lots of info and experience there.

[gggifts]

thank you. i did not know. :