During pregnancy, most moms-to-be go above and beyond to take good care of their bodies in order to take good care of their growing child. Eating right, quitting smoking and alcohol, as well as regular light exercising, are all very common steps when it comes to maintaining your and your baby’s good health. However, some ladies also have to take care of their mental health by taking prescribed medication for their mood disorders. It might seem logical that antidepressants and pregnancy don’t mix well at all. Still, it also might be safer for both the expecting mother and the baby not to cut the antidepressants immediately. Fortunately, with the right practice and balance, you can maintain a healthy mental state and pregnancy.

Antidepressants and Pregnancy

The most common antidepressant meds include the so-called SSRIs, which stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. Essentially, SSRIs help your brain retain and produce more serotonin, which is known as a happy hormone. These are typically prescribed for depression and anxiety disorder.

That said, SSRIs can be very important for one’s mental health and quitting them suddenly can make things rather difficult. Pregnant ladies who already experience a cocktail of different hormones shouldn’t risk things more by quitting the drug without prior consultation with their doctor. There has been some talk about SSRIs potentially increasing the risk of birth defects. However, the facts are definitely not as grim.

In the end, it’s not the antidepressant that could cause birth defects as much as it’s the poor mental health of the expecting mother. Therefore, continuously treating your mood disorder and taking SSRI during pregnancy is more than recommended. Otherwise, the lack of help you need could lead to increased depressive or anxious behavior, which can put your own and your baby’s health at risk more.

After all, you probably take antidepressants in the first place because you need your mental strength and serotonin boost to stay on top of things in your daily life. When you get pregnant, your baby will need you to stay on top of things, too.take medicine antidepressant

Potential Risks

The direct link between an expecting mother taking antidepressants and her child having a birth defect doesn’t exist. However, it’s not possible to claim that antidepressants definitely won’t end up affecting the baby at all. This is why it’s so important to discuss your mental health and treatment with your doctor the moment you learn you’re pregnant or before you start planning the pregnancy.

In general, it seems that around 30% of babies whose mothers have been taking antidepressants during pregnancy can show the signs of neonatal adaptation syndrome. Symptoms usually include increased irritability, difficulty breathing, and jitteriness, which are thought to be caused by the baby’s SSRI withdrawal. It’s true that this is not good, but it’s also true that these symptoms will go away soon enough naturally.

On the other hand, drugs that act as tranquilizers, such as alprazolam, clonazepam, and diazepam, should be avoided during the pregnancy, especially if you tend to take them in larger doses. These particular drugs have long-term effects and can linger in the bloodstream for too long, thus ending up in the baby’s bloodstream as well. And this does lead to an increased risk of child sedation and respiratory issues. Not all is lost though if you’re really dependent on these types of meds. Immediate-acting options such as lorazepam are better for expecting mothers as they don’t linger in the bloodstream. 

Is Lexapro Safe During Pregnancy?

There’s no doubt that pregnant ladies should be very careful about what they put inside their bodies when they’re expecting. This means that it would be ideal to be as much drug-free as possible. However, it’s also important to be realistic. If you take antidepressants in order to function properly, chances are you’ll need to continue taking them in order to function properly during the nine months of pregnancy as well.

If you’re wondering about Lexapro and pregnancy, in particular, keep in mind that Lexapro is another drug that belongs in the SSRI group. It’s usually prescribed to treat general anxiety disorder and depression.

As an expecting mother, you’ll have to be honest with yourself and consider just how much you rely on this medication in your daily life. Make sure to visit your doctor to discuss the possibilities and potential effects that this drug could have on the baby. However, even if you both come to the conclusion that you can deal without the drug, for the time being, you should never stop taking Lexapro suddenly. Withdrawal symptoms could affect the baby’s health even more than the drug itself.Safe During Pregnancy

Can You Take Prozac While Pregnant?

Prozac is another antidepressant that falls into the SSRI category. It’s typically prescribed for treating disorders such as depression, panic attacks, OCD, and bulimia.

In case you’ve been taking Prozac before getting pregnant, it’s crucial that you talk things over with your doctor. Actually, taking Prozac has more urgency compared to Lexapro, for instance, because Prozac is labeled as a category C drug by the FDA. This basically means that there’s not enough research on its effects (or lack of effects) on a growing human fetus. Therefore, you have to discuss your pregnancy and current mental condition with your doctor in order to decide whether continuing to take Prozac during pregnancy is essential for you. After all, the mental health benefits you could be getting from this drug may very well outweigh the potential risks.

If you’re adamant about quitting Prozac during the pregnancy, you still have to talk about this practice to your doctor. Withdrawal symptoms from Prozac can be very serious and severe, so much so that they can impact the baby negatively a lot more. That said, ask your doctor to minimize the dosage gradually so that both you and your baby remain healthy and safe.

A Safer Alternative?

Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as the safest antidepressant in pregnancy. There isn’t an antidepressant that can be labeled the safest even when you’re not pregnant. After all, different drugs exist in order to treat different mood and mental disorders as well as different levels of those disorders. In that respect, antidepressants are rather individual, just like the patients taking them. Of course, your doctor will always suggest healthy practices and other options that could help, but nothing can be labeled as a 100% safe alternative to antidepressants if you need one in the first place.

Ideally, talk to a gynecologist, psychologist, and even a reproductive psychiatrist before getting pregnant. Of course, it’s not too late to do so even after getting pregnant. With the right specialists around you, it’s more than possible to create a safe mental and physical space for both you and your unborn child.

Don’t hesitate to contact us at Women’s Care of Bradenton where we provide top-quality care. Our experienced, professional, and compassionate staff will make it a point to provide you with the best possible service and attention. We pride ourselves on the quality and warmth we deliver to all of our patients. Women of all ages are welcome to visit our office and book an appointment they need. Women’s Care of Bradenton prioritizes patients and strives to create a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere while addressing the entire well-being of women.