{"id":1176,"date":"2020-04-24T12:53:16","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T12:53:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/?p=1176"},"modified":"2025-09-24T00:37:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T04:37:09","slug":"is-it-safe-to-take-antidepressants-during-pregnancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/blog\/is-it-safe-to-take-antidepressants-during-pregnancy\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It Safe to Take Antidepressants During Pregnancy?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u2019s 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\u2019t 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Antidepressants and Pregnancy<\/b><\/h2>\n

The most common antidepressant meds include the so-called SSRI<\/a>s, 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, SSRIs can be very important for one\u2019s mental health and quitting them suddenly can make things rather difficult. Pregnant ladies who already experience a cocktail of different hormones shouldn\u2019t 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the end, it\u2019s not the antidepressant that could cause birth defects as much as it\u2019s 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\u2019s health at risk more.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span><\/p>\n

Potential Risks<\/b><\/h2>\n

The direct link between an expecting mother taking antidepressants and her child having a birth defect doesn\u2019t exist. However, it\u2019s not possible to claim that antidepressants definitely won\u2019t end up affecting the baby at all. This is why it\u2019s so important to discuss your mental health and treatment with your doctor the moment you learn you\u2019re pregnant or before you start planning the pregnancy.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019s SSRI withdrawal. It\u2019s true that this is not good, but it\u2019s also true that these symptoms will go away soon enough naturally.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019s bloodstream as well. And this does lead to an increased risk of child sedation and respiratory issues. Not all is lost though if you\u2019re really dependent on these types of meds. Immediate-acting options such as lorazepam are better for expecting mothers as they don\u2019t linger in the bloodstream.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Is Lexapro Safe During Pregnancy?<\/b><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that pregnant ladies should be very careful about what they put inside their bodies when they\u2019re expecting. This means that it would be ideal to be as much drug-free as possible. However, it\u2019s also important to be realistic. If you take antidepressants in order to function properly, chances are you\u2019ll need to continue taking them in order to function properly during the nine months of pregnancy as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re wondering about Lexapro and pregnancy, in particular, keep in mind that Lexapro is another drug that belongs in the SSRI group. It\u2019s usually prescribed to treat general anxiety disorder and depression.<\/span><\/p>\n

As an expecting mother, you\u2019ll 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\u2019s health even more than the drug itself.\"Safe<\/span><\/p>\n

Can You Take Prozac While Pregnant?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Prozac is another antidepressant that falls into the SSRI category. It\u2019s typically prescribed for treating disorders such as depression, panic attacks, OCD, and bulimia.<\/span><\/p>\n

In case you\u2019ve been taking Prozac before getting pregnant, it\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re 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<\/a> to minimize the dosage gradually so that both you and your baby remain healthy and safe.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Safer Alternative?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Unfortunately, there\u2019s no such thing as the safest antidepressant in pregnancy. There isn\u2019t an antidepressant that can be labeled the safest even when you\u2019re 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ideally, talk to a gynecologist<\/a>, psychologist, and even a reproductive psychiatrist before getting pregnant. Of course, it\u2019s not too late to do so even after getting pregnant. With the right specialists around you, it\u2019s more than possible to create a safe mental and physical space for both you and your unborn child.<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t hesitate to contact us at Women\u2019s Care of Bradenton<\/a> 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<\/a> they need. Women\u2019s Care of Bradenton prioritizes patients and strives to create a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere while addressing the entire well-being of women.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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\u2019s good health. However, some<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1177,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[114,118,117,113,115,116],"class_list":["post-1176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-obgyn-facts","tag-antidepressants-and-pregnancy","tag-can-you-take-prozac-while-pregnant","tag-is-lexapro-safe-during-pregnancy","tag-lexapro-and-pregnancy","tag-safest-antidepressant-in-pregnancy","tag-ssri-during-pregnancy"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1176\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1177"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}