Anybody Take Antidepressants While Pregnant? Need Advice!

Took zoloft with 2 of my children, no problems whatsoever but do seek professional advice so you can have peace of mind.

I don't care what any medical professional says...Effects of medication during pregnancy may not be realized until those kids are teens etc...I don't trust those results period. . We are all given a list of what is approved to take while preggie and the list sure "ain't" long. If you are not supposed to drink alcohol or use certain drugs why on earth would an anitdpressent be appoved?????? An anitdepressent alters our brain and will pass into the placenta and breast milk period.

I bordered on sever anxiety etc..and sought professional help to keep me grounded the last two months of my pregnancy. Upon delivery I began the medication that way if there was something wrong with the baby or once he grew up and had issues I don't have to wonder if it was the meds I was taking. Just my thought.

I took Effexor XR my entire pregnancy and during breastfeeding. No issues.

I took Celexa (also Citalopram) throughout the first two trimesters of my pregnancy. I stopped around 30 or 32 weeks. I have not heard about a possible link between the drug and autism and had heard only that there was a very, very small possibility of a rare heart problem if taken in the third trimester, which is why I stopped.
My daughter is 10 weeks old and seems to be completely healthy (aside from acid reflux, which I don't think has anything to do with the Celexa).
Neither my OB nor my psychiatrist who prescribed Celexa had any concerns with taking it throughout the pregnancy and actually encouraged me to stay on it even through my third trimester. They constantly reiterated that it was well-studied and proven to be safe. I don't think you have to worry.

I hope you're doing well now. Feel free to send me a private message if you want to talk!

K.
http://oc.citymommy.com - where OC moms connect!

Hi Karin,
Research study upon research study has debunked the theory of autism being linked to pharmaceuticals. Holding onto such myths not only brings false ideas to discussions, it leads people down roads of blame. Autism is inherited, fragile X chromosome proves that for many autistic children, and science is quickly on the road to pinpointing the genetic origins. With that said, autism symptoms show up at birth, and only an acute observer and behaviorist can identify its presence. Most Dr. can't and don't, it can be that subtle in infants and toddlers. That said, as a person who works with autistic children, you already know discussions about causes are exhausting, there is no "cure" just behavior modification, which will hopefully help them to be functioning adults.
Good luck,
Wendy

Breathe. Mind you, I have never taken a an antidepressant, I read a LOT of medical research. First of all, their cellular metabolism at the beginning is so slow, that it probably caused no outward issues. Secondly, the research I have read, shows that it changes the child's brain chemistry if you take antidpressants (SSRIs) during the entire pregnancy, while the brain is growing. During the first 3.5 weeks, it's the neural tube that forms, so folic acid is going to be super important - even more so with SSRIs and anti-seizure meds, since many of the meds decrease/deplete the folate levels in the body.

I would just be sure to give him fish oil - perhaps Nordic Naturals DHA Infant.

You absolutely need to talk to your psychiatrist about this. This is a medical question and you need the answer of a medical professional.
For some children, signs of autism are present at birth and for others they appear when they are older. Your son has no signs now, so you don't need to worry about it now. Trust your own professional and mommy judgment and relax for the moment.
There is a lot of hysterical information out there about this or that causing autism. Make sure that whatever information you read is from a peer-reviewed journal and that the research wasn't funded by vaccine or drug manufacturers. You want to avoid bias by the makers of your drug, but you also want to avoid hysterical information.
As of now, the medical community has discounted the causal link between vaccination and autism. Technically, between the mercury in the preservative thimerosol and late-onset autism. Even the anti-vaccine people have had to adjust their rhetoric about this, but they won't let it go. Still, they did have a victory in advocating for vaccines without thimerosol, which I can't argue with, since if you can find a preservative without mercury which is known to be toxic in certain quantities why not avoid it?
Anyway, the anti-vaccine lobby argues that the mercury in vaccines (or other medicines, which is getting back to your question) TOGETHER WITH other environmental exposures, has a neurotoxic accumulation that then results in autism.
SO, any effects would depend on the amount of titanium dioxide actually absorbed by your baby in the womb, and depending on how that drug is metabolized in your body that may or may not be an issue for your baby. The article I found was about nanosized particles being absorbed through the skin due to its use in sunscreen, which would not apply to its presence in your drug.
If you work with autistic children and you are still having anxiety issues over being able to identify signs of autism in your own child you probably need a different drug, because I would think you should have some more confidence in your abilities in that realm. You could always ask one of your colleagues that you trust to assess your child at 6 month intervals or something to help calm your nerves. That couldn't hurt.
If you are nursing you'll have to ask your OB and your ped about possible drug interactions with breastfeeding, but you are likely not breastfeeding as it is usually contraindicated with those drugs, which is fine.
The hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, giving birth, and new motherhood have likely changed your body chemisty and you might need to be re-evaluated for a different anti-anxiety drug. I would recommend that assessment as well.