Pregnancy and antidepressants

Posted on 2 December 2015

On antidepressants and planning to fall pregnant or pregnant already? We got expert advice from a Mediclinic psychiatrist.

‘If a woman has been diagnosed with depression and becomes pregnant, it is of great importance that she consults with both her gynaecologist and pyschiatrist throughout the pregnancy,’ says Dr Irvine Eidelman, a psychiatrist at Mediclinic Constantiaberg. ‘Let’s assume the patient is on medication and has been on it for a period of time – in such a case becoming pregnant should be planned. The correct thing to do would be to plan the pregnancy together with the patient’s gynae and psychiatrist, because it’s a responsibility everyone has to share.’

Many doctors don’t like patients who are pregnant to take medication, as it could put the foetus at risk. ‘What’s not commonly understood is that we prefer patients not to take medications during the first three months of pregnancy, which is when the foetus is most vulnerable to developing genetic deficits,’ says Dr Eidelman. ‘In the first trimester especially they should also stop smoking, eat properly and refrain from drinking alcohol.’ Once you’re in your second trimester, it’s okay to take medication as long it’s given under supervision – which is very important.

‘The other thing that is not commonly appreciated is that in the first trimester the focus is on the mother’s health. In fact, the mother’s health is important throughout the pregnancy – and afterwards. You want to keep the mother healthy,’ Dr Eidelman stresses. And when is the mother most vulnerable? ‘During the first trimester, delivery and post-partum. If everything is planned well in advance, any kind of depressive episode that comes can be managed,’ he adds.

Planning is very important. ‘Yes we don’t like patients taking medication during their first trimester, but in some cases certain medications can be taken with relative safety,’ says Dr Eidelman. ‘Talk to your doctor if you’re on antidepressants and are planning to become pregnant or you are already pregnant.’

The information provided in this article was correct at the time of publishing. At Mediclinic we endeavour to provide our patients and readers with accurate and reliable information, which is why we continually review and update our content. However, due to the dynamic nature of clinical information and medicine, some information may from time to time become outdated prior to revision.