Can a Bipolar Young Woman Plan to Be a Mother?

I am bipolar and I am a mother of 2. There are meds you can take while pregnant. However I am lucky enough to have a GREAT support system at home and that is the only thing that helped me get through pregnancy and breastfeeding cause I choose not to take any meds during that time. I did therapy and my family helped my and I had a back up of kilonopin for "bad days" There have been many times that my husband and my mom have been at wits end with me and its been hard but we got through it and my kids are fine. I just finished nursing my 1 year old on march second and I am now going back on my normal meds and my husband said he can already see howm uch calmer I am but it was worth it to nurse my son for that 1 year. Not saying everyone should do that cause its been a very rough year for us all and I was not able to do that for my daughter only 6 month cause I needed to go back on my meds with her. There are meds you can take while pregnant but I dont know about while nursing I never asked that. There is no reason Bi-polar people cant live normal lives that is why they make these meds so that we can. My cousin also is bipolar and has 3 kids but she also has a great support system. I think that is really important you cant do it alone. You ahve to have an understanding husband and help from family. Even my in-laws are helpful and understanding. If its you thats the bipolar one good luck and dont let the disease keep you from having kids.

I just stumbled upon this site and hope that I can still be of some help now, 9 months after you asked the question. I am a young bipolar mother. I did not expect to get pregnant. my partner and I were not planning a family and therefore, being responsible young adults, I was taking birth control. When we found out we were pregnant we were shocked and terrified. not only were we young but I was and am bipolar. Immediately I did something I would never advise, I stopped taking my medication without consulting my doctor for fear for my child. It took nearly 2 months before I was able to get an prenatal appointment. in the meantime I was up and down with fear and elation and nonstop vomiting. I could not eat or sleep properly which is often a trigger for me. still through all of this I had neither a manic or depressive episode. after seeing a doctor I was put on a low dose of lexapro, which I continued through my pregnancy and during the year and a half that I breastfed. Through most of this time I was as stable as I have ever been. pregnancy or prenatal vitamins or hormone levels or whatever seemed to not only up my immune system but also to regulate me in such a way that my moods did not sway quite so badly. I did have a bout of postpartum depression when my daughter was 3 months old, which enticed me to up my lexapro, something my psychiatrist said would not be problematically passed through my breastmilk. I returned to therapy to treat my depression and continued to thrive. however when I stopped breastfeeding my depression returned full force. I was subsequently hospitalized for my depression, a great hardship on my family, but something that we worked though together. my daughter turned 2 yesterday. I still struggle with my bipolar disorder. The illness is a lifelong struggle. I am often terrified at the prospect of lillia having bipolar disorder later in life (which I recently found out is less likely than I had feared) or having horrendous memories of my episodes. all this being said, I would never change the way things have progressed or tell anyone who is willing to do everything in their power to love and care for a child not to do so. If lillia were to have bipolar disorder she would have someone very capable of helping her deal with it, together we would manage her illness just like we have managed my own. I am able to look at managing my bipolar disorder in an entirely different light as a parent. when I don't feel like getting out of bed I do because I have to. when I feel myself getting caught up in negative thoughts I tell myself "you can't go down this road, she needs you." I was not able to take care of myself for myself, but for lillia I can do anything.

I'm sure this is a very touchy, painful issue. I know a lady who is bipolar who is a very good mother, when she isn't institutionalized. This is something to very prayerfully consider. Is the disorder very well controlled with meds? How severe is the disorder? Would meds harm the fetus? Would it be fair to a child to have a mother with the disorder if it means she isn't always available or safe? Can it be passed on to the child? There are many other ways to bless the lives of children, without having them ones self, such as being a fabulous aunt, a mentor, working in schools or for social services, etc.

I am a carrier for hemophilia (a bleeding disorder), but my husband and I weighed the options, and considered modern medicine and the quality of life, and the fact that I'm a mild carrier (as opposed to severe), and we are having a family. So far one of my two boys has it, and I'm pregnant with a third boy. My sister has four kids, none of which has it. It is very treatable now a days, and even my dad is now 70 years old and doing well with it. Those were our considerations. I've heard that in England, people who are carriers are encouraged not to have children, but it is still a very personal matter.

On a side note, I have finally found real help for my life long health issues by seeing a Naturopathic Doctor. They don't use drugs, and their treatments, for me at least, have been far better than anything I've ever gotten from traditional medicine. I have no idea what sort of treatments they might have for bipolar, but it might be worth looking into. You can find one on www.naturopathic.org, or do a search for someone who specializes in bipolar. Best wishes to you!

talk to your doctor you may need to switch meds (i did) but i have 2 beautiful healthy girls!

Yes. My sister was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 19 and now, 10 years later, she is doing great with two little girls. Her bipolar disorder is also severe enough that she has to stay on medication.
It is best to keep your doctor updated on any attemps to start a family because some medications are not safe during pregnancy.
It is also a great idea to make sure you have a great support system behind you. My mom and sister's husband really helped her out a lot.
Many of the problem cases that people hear about or see on tv involve a mother who does not think she needs to be on medication. It is when she is off her meds that problems occur. It sounds like you are fully aware and have accepted (in my opinion, the biggest step) that you will always need to be on medication, so I don't see that happening with you.
One final thought. Talk to your doctor about how you are feeling to make sure these thoughts are not stemming from a "low." Sometimes different meds work better for different people. Hope that helps.
Betsy

M.,

I do not know of any women who have bipolar disorder who have become mothers, but I do know that you are able to take anti-depressants while pregnant. My husband is bipolar however, and he has made a wonderful father. I say that as long as you have yourself stablized then go for it. My husband has worked very hard to keep himself under check (he went from 2-3 bouts of depression a year to not having a bout in over 2 years now!), but he says it's worth it to have our son. Good luck, and don't listen to all of the people on here with the "miracle cure". Work hard, take your meds, see your specialists and you will do great!

There are many natural ways to help the symptoms of bi-polar. Take a look at www.feingold.org. Feingold is a 30yr old non-profit organization whose purpose is to inform the public about petroleum-based artificial ingredients in our food supply. These harmful additives cause ADHD, OCD and many other emotional, behavioral and physical side effects. I have had personal experience with depression and bi-polar symptoms and a clean, all-natural diet is the answer for me. It definately helps to get the chemicals out of your diet, especially ASPARTAME. It also helps to take fish oil. Feingold is a leading authority on this suject and has helped thousands of families over the years. Best wishes.

M.:

A psychiatrist has a job because they can prescribe drugs. Bi-polar individuals have a c1/C2 misalignment that is correctable by a TRAINED Upper Cervical doctor, which is a specialist within chiropractic. By law they cannot advertise as specialists, so you have to look on websites posted by advocates who found their answer to problems. One such site is www.UpperCervicalAdvocates.com . A video of one of the advocates is under Add'l Info at www.ICServants.org

Our daughter in law had headaches, depression, took medication for Bi-polar diagnosis, and is now symptom free after we took her to a UC DC. Blessings, R.

I have a very close friend who is bipolar and has two kids...a toddler and one that will me 1 soon. If you would like to know what she is on then send me a message. She couldn't breastfeed though b/c tne meds made the baby lathargic.