antidepressant meds and bf?

[jennlindsey]

hi mamas,

hope you don't mind me askin' a question ...

i'm 3 months pregnant, and was on psych meds (risperdal, lithium, celexa) until i conceived (that week, without knowing i was pregnant, i spontaneously said "i have to get off meds NOW!" -- talk about intuition). i have been doing *fantastic* during the pregnancy, but i'm trying to be realistic about having an increased chance of PPD after the birth due to my mental health history.

i know i won't be going back on the lithium, as it's a serious bf/pregnancy no no, but my question is this ... have any of y'all successfully bf on the SSRIs (zoloft, celexa, etc)? while i don't want to take any unnecessary risks, and know that first and foremost my baby needs a mentally stable mama, bf-ing is really important to me.

thanks for your input. and hugs to all the mamas who might be having a tough time.

[georgia]

zoloft is the breastfeeding mother's SSRI of choice....very microscopic amount transfers into the milk. paxil is next, then celexa & effexor. if you do a search here, there's also a TON of experience and info.

best wishes to you!!!!

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

zoloft is the breastfeeding mother's SSRI of choice

I took zoloft for a year w/ dd then 3 mths w/ds. no problems

[Azreial]

Kelly Mom has alot of info on it.

Pretty much from what I've read is that the meds are safest at babe is 3mths and the list posted above.

I'm currently on Wellbutrin and Celexer my dd is 9mths oldand I've been on antideppesants for 3-4mths and we haven't had any neg experiences with her. I tired zoloft but I was with aweful; diarrhea

and congrats on your pg

[jennlindsey]

Thanks everyone for your insight ... I was on Zoloft for several years and it worked just fine (other than being not-so-fun for the libido ... though I doubt that's gonna be #1 mama priority with a newborn, lol). I went back and read some of the posts here and I am feeling *very* relieved. Still concerned about PPD, absolutely, but at least I feel like it's not an either/or treatment with meds vs. bf-ing. Whew!

[BabyBumblebee]

I took celexa right through my pregnancy with dd, and then switched to Lexapro after she arrived. We nursed successfully and joyfully for 16 1/2 months! You can do this

[ancoda]

Something else you may think about looking into is seeing a Naturopath Doctor. I have been told that they can even give you stuff to help during pregnancy, but I am planning on waiting till after my baby comes in Dec before I go see one. If you are interested in names of Naturopath doctors let me know and I can tell you the ones that have been recommended to me.
alisha

[Lizseas]

Hey All:
Haven't figured out how to do the signature thing yet... but I will tell you that I am an RN, LLL Leader and IBCLC (Lactation Consultant) who has survived PPD and antepartum anxiety with my second pregnancy. A GREAT resource for any BF Mom is: Medications and Mother's Milk by Thomas Hale. He thoroughly researches tons of meds and gives them ratings of 1-5 for safety. Also included are statements from the AAP. Make sure your healthcare provider has this resource! If your med comes up as an L3 (safety), it is often because there are no specific studies done with BF Moms... you can then look at the pharmokinetics of the med (like protein binding and molecular weight--all explained in the forward), and make a very educated decision. You can also time taking your meds around BF to work around the half-life of the med. As with all meds, you must weigh benefit versus risk. I used Prozac throughout my first pregnany and for several years PP with no untoward effects on my son (who BF for 5 years). Take good care of your self and your mood so that you can be the best Mama that you can be!
Liz

[jennlindsey]

Originally Posted by ancoda

Something else you may think about looking into is seeing a Naturopath Doctor. I have been told that they can even give you stuff to help during pregnancy, but I am planning on waiting till after my baby comes in Dec before I go see one. If you are interested in names of Naturopath doctors let me know and I can tell you the ones that have been recommended to me.
alisha

Thanks Alisha ... I'm in Beaverton too! Fiance is friends w/one in Lake Oswego but I'd be curious who you like.

[ancoda]

There are two that have been highly recommended to me.
1. Dr. Edwin Hofmann-Smith who works at The Natural Childbirth & Family Clinic in Portland.
2. James Hermes who is at Beaverton Naturopathic Medicine.

[jennlindsey]

Originally Posted by ancoda

There are two that have been highly recommended to me.
1. Dr. Edwin Hofmann-Smith who works at The Natural Childbirth & Family Clinic in Portland.
2. James Hermes who is at Beaverton Naturopathic Medicine.

Cool, thank you!

[etsba]

I'm on aropax & breastfeed my 9mth old daughter. It's been close to 6 months I've been taking ADs. Don't know what aropax is called OS, but the drug name is Paroxitene, it's an SSRI.
I wish I had chosen to take ADs instead of living through 2.5yrs of hellish PPD after my first birth.
I also try to eat a good diet, plenty of Omega 3's zinc, low GI carbs.

[courtenay_e]

Two things. First, zoloft worked for me antenatally and was suggested as a great choice by my CNM were I to be brought low by PPD. Second: Not only did I have a history of depression, but my mom, her mother and several of her six sisters also had problems with SEVERE ppd. They sent me home with a filled prescription from my last prenatal visit, because they wanted me to have help at hand at the first HINT of ppd. I was fine. Tired, but fine. Not even EVER a hint of ppd. I was disappointed with parts of the labor and delivery of both of my children (first CNM acted like an OB...dh had to go find her and tell HER that I was in transition...delivered 38 mis later. Second birth was a planned homebirth where the midwife left when I was dialated to 4 and fully effaced because I wasn't making enough noise and she didn't believe I was in active labor. I delivered 2 hours later at the hospital with a cnm I really liked...but it was certainly not a homebirth), but even with births that didn't go as planned (they don't ever really seem to...)and babies with colic and allergies to foods in my breastmilk to add extra stress...the chemicals in my brain just stayed normal. I wanted to tell you this because I was pleasantly surprised, and I hope that maybe you will be too! There's hope.