Well, ladies. Here we go again. I’m 14 weeks pregnant. This was a BIG surprise. My husband and I did not plan on having any more children. We had a few different reasons, but of course one of them was that I didn’t want to go through a postpartum mood disorder again. It’s such a devastating experience and I didn’t ever want to feel that way again.
But here we are now, and after getting over the initial shock, I’m starting to get excited. Since it is very likely I will experience PPOCD again, I’ve decided to take the bull by the horns. I’m going to be participating in a study at the Emory Women’s Mental Health Center in Atlanta. I’ll be taking an antidepressant during my pregnancy. I’ll be monitored before, during and after by a psychiatrist who is an expert in the treatment of postpartum mood disorders. And I’ll be studied via blood tests and other tests to learn the impact of psychiatric medication on my body and hormones as well as on my baby. The study is quite involved, but I figured I’d better put my money where my mouth is, so to speak, considering what an important subject this is to me. So I wanted to let you know. I’ll keep you posted. I will say that so far, other than terrible morning sickness, I feel fine and much more relaxed this pregnancy.
Congratulations!
Are they still accepting patients for the Emory study? My husband and I will be TTC #2 in the next few months, and I plan to be on Zoloft the entire pregnancy (based on past experience). I recently had a consult with Dr. Diana Dell at Duke University who is also an expert in this field, and she was extremely reassuring and helpful. This is an issue dear to my heart and I would like to help other women if I can. Thanks!
Katherine, I am really glad that you are showing excitement – but, if you ever need an ear, give me a hollar! Just remember to increase your Omega 3 foods and/or take a supplement, plus selenium for keeping your mood up. Congratulations! We are all here for you – and, remember, you are not alone this time! You have an army of women behind you now!
I'd like to echo D.A.'s sentiments! And thank you for participating in the study! You will hopefully be part of something that will have an impact on what we know about SSRIs during pregnancy and much more.
Congratualations and best wishes – and thanks for participating in this important study. I must echo – you are not alone; we're all behind you on this and will be thinking of you.