What is Reddit's opinion of MommyMeds?

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Many doctors don't know jack about how breastfeeding works and what does or doesn't get into your milk/effect your baby. This app is fantastic and recommend by Lactation Consultants. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.infantrisk.mommymeds.paid I was diagnosed when I was pregnant with my 2nd. She is 7mos and I am still unmedicated. That decision had nothing to do with the pregnancy and breastfeeding. Good luck.

Hi - Catriona here. The first thing to say is that it is absolutely possible to go through pregnancy and postpartum with bipolar disorder without having a mood episode. The key is to work closely with your care team (including partner/family/friends/healthcare providers) on a plan for your mental health, including what will happen if anyone notices signs of a mood episode. There is a high chance of a mood episode if someone stops their medication abruptly when they find out they are pregnant, so this is not recommended. The risks to baby of most mood stabilizers/antidepressants/new antipsychotics in pregnancy and breastfeeding are honestly fairly low, and the risks to baby of a mother experiencing a mood episode during pregnancy or postpartum are higher - in most cases - than the risks associated with the medications. So - in general, the prevailing wisdom in the medical community is to continue taking your medication. There are a few exceptions. It is ideal to avoid valproic acid in pregnancy and to avoid lithium and carbamazepine in the first trimester of pregnancy. These are due to small increases in risk for heart defects (lithium) and neural tube defects (valproic acid/carbamazepine). Ideally, individuals who are taking any of these medications prior to pregnancy should discuss their use during pregnancy with their psychiatrist and consider switching to alternate medications. A consultation with a reproductive psychiatrist is also ideal if possible. You’ll note my repetitive use of the word “ideal” - this is because I am very aware that life doesn’t always cooperate with our best intentions and plans. If you get pregnant unexpectedly, please don’t stop taking medications before discussing that with your care team. There is a great deal of pressure in society not to take medications in pregnancy and the implication that taking medications in pregnancy makes you a “bad” mother, but it is honestly better for the baby in most cases to continue taking the medication. I took my antidepressant throughout both of my pregnancies, and I am very glad that I did. Gradually tapering and discontinuing your medication before trying to get pregnant, in close collaboration with your care team, is an option for individuals who have been stable for a while and want to give that a try. With respect to breastfeeding, the amount of medication that the baby gets is much less compared to the amount they get during pregnancy, so the risks are lower. Further resources on medications during pregnancy: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.infantrisk.mommymeds.paid&hl=en&gl=US; https://mothertobaby.org/

Your second question is obviously connected to your first. The risk of postpartum symptoms is higher with abrupt discontinuation of medications. Postpartum depression is very common - 10-15% of women experience it. Postpartum psychosis is more rare, at 1/1000. Both postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis are treatable illnesses, and moms and babies do very well with appropriate supports. For individuals with bipolar disorder, the chances of postpartum depression and psychosis are higher - approximately 25-50% chance for postpartum depression (which means 50-75% chance NOT to develop postpartum depression) and ~30% chance of postpartum psychosis (or ~70% chance NOT to develop postpartum psychosis). These are average risk figures, and if you’d like to discuss a risk figure tailored to your own family and situation, I encourage you to get in touch with a genetic counsellor. Factors that affect these numbers include your specific diagnosis (BDI or BDII or BDNOS) and experiences of mental illness for other family members (amongst other things). There are many options for managing these risks, which ideally would be discussed with a reproductive psychiatrist, but include medication, psychotherapies, social support, and hospitalization (for severe experiences of postpartum depression and any instance of postpartum psychosis). An acronym which I really like that captures factors to promote mental wellness for everyone, but that are particularly important in the perinatal period is NEST-S: N = nutrition, E = exercise, S = sleep (or rest), T = time for yourself, S = social support. These can obviously be tricky to implement in the perinatal period (sleeping while the baby sleeps isn’t as simple as it sounds ;)), and some are particularly tough during this pandemic, but setting small, achievable goals for each of these mental health supports can make a big difference. Additional resources: https://reproductivementalhealth.ca/bipolar -

You should check out these links and ask/look there

lactmed MommyMeds

E-Lactancia <em>in Spanish AND English</em>

Alternatively, consult with IBLC if you are very concerned. i had oral surgery done put to sleep, took a singular hydro, pumped and dumped. Than subsided on Tylenol and ibuprofen. A month prior i had a tooth removed, my nerves are more exposed, with the singular aid of lidocaine. I was awake for it. It sucked. I was only given ibuprofen.

Hi there. Dr. Catriona Hippman answered a similar question to yours about pregnancy in last year’s AMA. I’ll paste her answer here because I think it will be helpful to you:
Hi - Catriona here. The first thing to say is that it is absolutely possible to go through pregnancy and postpartum with bipolar disorder without having a mood episode. The key is to work closely with your care team (including partner/family/friends/healthcare providers) on a plan for your mental health, including what will happen if anyone notices signs of a mood episode. There is a high chance of a mood episode if someone stops their medication abruptly when they find out they are pregnant, so this is not recommended.

The risks to baby of most mood stabilizers/antidepressants/new antipsychotics in pregnancy and breastfeeding are honestly fairly low, and the risks to baby of a mother experiencing a mood episode during pregnancy or postpartum are higher - in most cases - than the risks associated with the medications. So - in general, the prevailing wisdom in the medical community is to continue taking your medication. There are a few exceptions. It is ideal to avoid valproic acid in pregnancy and to avoid lithium and carbamazepine in the first trimester of pregnancy. These are due to small increases in risk for heart defects (lithium) and neural tube defects (valproic acid/carbamazepine).

Ideally, individuals who are taking any of these medications prior to pregnancy should discuss their use during pregnancy with their psychiatrist and consider switching to alternate medications. A consultation with a reproductive psychiatrist is also ideal if possible. You’ll note my repetitive use of the word “ideal” - this is because I am very aware that life doesn’t always cooperate with our best intentions and plans. If you get pregnant unexpectedly, please don’t stop taking medications before discussing that with a care team. There is a great deal of pressure in society not to take medications in pregnancy and the implication that taking medications in pregnancy makes you a “bad” mother, but it is honestly better for the baby in most cases to continue taking the medication. I took my antidepressant throughout both of my pregnancies, and I am very glad that I did. Gradually tapering and discontinuing your medication before trying to get pregnant, in close collaboration with your care team, is an option for individuals who have been stable for a while and want to give that a try. With respect to breastfeeding, the amount of medication that the baby gets is much less compared to the amount they get during pregnancy, so the risks are lower. Further resources on medications during pregnancy: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.infantrisk.mommymeds.paid&amp;hl=en&amp;gl=US; https://mothertobaby.org/
I hope this is helpful to you. Take care!