HI,
Sorry it has taken me so long to respond it's been a weird couple weeks for me. I'm just now coming out of a depression.
Congrats on your pregnancy. There are a couple of things that helped me manage the emotions of pregnancy:
1. Remembering that being emotional is normal during any pregnancy whether you are bipolar or not. My non bipolar friends experience emotional roller coasters to due to the pregnancy hormones.
2. Keep your stress levels in check.
3. Exercise, exercise, exercise. It will help with mood stabilization and is good for you and the baby
4. Omega3 fatty acid supplements. It is a known mood stabilizer. And studies show it is helpful for your babies brain development so it is win-win for everyone. And it is natural - you can get omega from fish or flaxseed.
5. Get a support system. Surround yourself with people that care about you and who you can talk to about how you are feeling. My sister was a great support for me when I was pregnant. I would call her whenever I needed to talk and she was always there for me.
6. Stick with the therapy it makes a big difference.
7. Talk with doctors about what meds would be safe. There are safe meds. I was med-free the first trimester and then went back on a low-dose of lamictal. My doctors and I both reviewed the literature and determined it to be safe during the second and third trimester. Drugs like Depakote are known to not be compatible with pregnancy so you wouldn't be able to go back on that. But maybe your doctor will consider Lamictal
I recommend the following books - Panic Free Pregnancy, Moods when you are expecting. I've written about them in my blog look under recommended reading.
Hope this helps.
Keep in touch. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have and help support you during this time.
Sorry it has taken me so long to respond it's been a weird couple weeks for me. I'm just now coming out of a depression.
Congrats on your pregnancy. There are a couple of things that helped me manage the emotions of pregnancy:
1. Remembering that being emotional is normal during any pregnancy whether you are bipolar or not. My non bipolar friends experience emotional roller coasters to due to the pregnancy hormones.
2. Keep your stress levels in check.
3. Exercise, exercise, exercise. It will help with mood stabilization and is good for you and the baby
4. Omega3 fatty acid supplements. It is a known mood stabilizer. And studies show it is helpful for your babies brain development so it is win-win for everyone. And it is natural - you can get omega from fish or flaxseed.
5. Get a support system. Surround yourself with people that care about you and who you can talk to about how you are feeling. My sister was a great support for me when I was pregnant. I would call her whenever I needed to talk and she was always there for me.
6. Stick with the therapy it makes a big difference.
7. Talk with doctors about what meds would be safe. There are safe meds. I was med-free the first trimester and then went back on a low-dose of lamictal. My doctors and I both reviewed the literature and determined it to be safe during the second and third trimester. Drugs like Depakote are known to not be compatible with pregnancy so you wouldn't be able to go back on that. But maybe your doctor will consider Lamictal
I recommend the following books - Panic Free Pregnancy, Moods when you are expecting. I've written about them in my blog look under recommended reading.
Hope this helps.
Keep in touch. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have and help support you during this time.
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