Personal Pregnancy Stories
 and Links

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Robin's Story

Hi, I just wanted to send some info. on bipolar and pregnancy. I planned my last pregnancy and stopped taking Depakote before becoming pregnant. At 20 weeks, I was sent to a specialist due to pregnancy complications, who recommended resuming Depakote at that time. I continued taking Depakote through the remainder of my pregnancy, and through breastfeeding. My baby did have problems with jaundice past the first week (atypical jaundice). Since we didn't check for blood serum levels of Depakote in my baby I can't be sure, but our general consensus was that the Depakote was causing my baby's liver to not work as well as it should. Our course of action was to stop breastfeeding for a week and that worked. It's been 11 months now, and both my baby and I are doing well. Please note, I do see a Psychiatrist on a regular basis for med. management and I also discussed the meds. with the pediatrician before beginning breastfeeding. Hope this information helps. 

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Terry's Story

When I was pregnant both times, I was suffering from something but I refused any medical intervention. I was scared to, my biological mother was institutionalized while she was pregnant with me and when I was born the government officials took me away from her and put me into the system to be adopted. I was put in a foster home by the age of 2 months but, my foster parents were not allowed to adopt me until I was three years old. My fear was that if I sought medical help for my emotional disorder during pregnancy they would put me in a mental hospital and take my babies so, I suffered through it. The first pregnancy went pretty good except my baby was born early and had to be life flight to a larger hospital. This was scary but she survived and is a beautiful and intelligent young woman, she is 16. My second pregnancy was a NIGHTMARE from the beginning, I was in bad shape here I was pregnant with another baby to take care of. At that time of my life, Sarah should not have been left alone with me I did very bizarre things. I never hurt her but many times my mind would tell me to. I had a wonderful support system and a fantastic ob doc, he monitored me very closely and when he thought that I was closed to frying out, he would put me in the hospital. My doctor knew my fear of losing my babies so, he always had me admitted to the maternity ward and not the mental ward. This made me feel much better. My best and strongest support came from my husband although I got upset with him for what I perceived as "watching" me, he never did anything without discussing it with me first. I also worried how this would effect the baby but, My son is 15, and doing great also. He does have Bi Polar but, I have now come to the realization that is not because of my behavior during the pregnancy it is due to a genetic thing, I guess any way. 

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Dianne's Story

Hi! I became pregnant when I was 30 and had no idea that I was bp. Prior to my pregnancy I just kind of managed by exercising and being anxious a lot of the time. Once I became pregnant I had MAJOR mood swings. My second trimester was pretty stable but during the first and third trimester I was up and down on a daily basis. (I rapid cycle) But I really thought it was just the mood swings that most pregnant women go through. I would go between being soooo irritable to being high as a kite. I really had no idea there was anything different.....and I was so absorbed in being pregnant that I really didn't think much about it. After I had my son, I wanted to dance on the table. I did not sleep for about 36 hours, and I had a pretty short hard labor! For about 2 weeks, I was on a high. I hardly slept and just thought everything was wonderful. Well....after about 10 days I quit breastfeeding (it just was not working for us) and then I crashed. I was so irritable, I wanted to divorce my husband. And I was not taking very good care of my son. My most vivid memory is just sitting on the rocking chair with him crying. I was not bonding very well to him at all...I loved him and took care of him, but as soon as my husband came home I shut down. I am still ashamed of that. Anyway...it took about 9-10 months to get someone to dx me, they just kept throwing anti-depressants at me. Made me just a little manic!!! I hope my story helps you. I know that it is a little different because I wasn't on meds and didn't know I was bp. 

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