Whether to continue with your anti-depressant medication once pregnant is a question that should be asked of your doctor. For many, these prescriptions are necessary to tackle depression.
Mothers who are depressed are at a higher risk of not taking good care of themselves. They may not eat right, or they might turn to substance abuse or stop taking advantage of prenatal care. This highly increases the chances that the baby will suffer may premature birth, a low birth weight or developmental delays and problems. While there is a risk of health problems when taking anti-depressants, it is the lesser of the two concerns.
Pregnant mothers who stop taking their medication when they become pregnant are more susceptible to depression relapses and experience a variety of side effects including nausea, chills, anxiety, mood swings, insomnia and fatigue.
With the challenges of pregnancy, someone who is depressed should continue take their medication to maintain their own health. In fact, the possibility of birth defects or other problems is relatively minor for those taking anti-depressants. Some medications are safer during pregnancy than others. However, this is not true across the board so it is something that needs to be discussed in detail with your doctor.
