Suicidal During Pregnancy?

There are studies that show that a depressed mother while pregnant can have a negative impact on her children while in utero with problems showing up much later in their behavior.

PLEASE get help. Zoloft is safe in pregnancy - don't worry about anything you see lawyers advertising about on TV. Please talk to you OB or go to a hospital.

Yes, this happened with my 3rd pregnancy. Please contact your doctor today. The stress of pregnancy and hormone changes can do this. I constantly was crying (like 5+ times a day) and was often thinking about how I could hurt myself without hurting the baby. My doctor prescribed Zoloft and within a few weeks I felt back to normal. I remember when the medication kicked in, I noticed the sky was blue and it was a beautiful day, and it had been so long since I had been able to think something positive like that. I hope you will go get some help today. All the best to you!

Please, please contact your OB right now.

This is a medical situation. I know you were only asking if this happened to others, but I feel compelled to respond and urge you to get your OB up to date on this development so you two can have a plan in place to deal with this and manage it for the rest of your pregnancy and post-partum.

Although you state you are not "gonna listen to myself," the intensity, frequency, and duration of these thoughts may increase to an unmanageable point.

While having thoughts does not mean a person is going to act on those thoughts, the situation may escalate. You need to have a plan in place in the event this happens, and you must be able to have emergency access to your provider. He/she must know about this before it gets to an emergency situation.

To answer your question, this has not happened to me. However, I have spent more than two decades dealing with people who have had suicidal thoughts and helping them to manage these thoughts. This is not something to keep from your provider.

Please, call today and get your Dr. on board and have a plan in place.

Sincerely,

J. F.

No, it never did happen to me during pregnancy. Just so you know, suicidal thoughts at ANY time are not normal and you need to go to the ER immediately. I see that you're in Middletown. I used to live there. Middlesex is the closest hospital to you, so go there. What you're feeling is beyond pregnancy blues or pregnancy depression and needs immediate treatment, okay?

If your insurance doesn't cooperate with Middlesex then you can still get to Hartford Hospital which is a public hospital and it's a straight shot up 91N. Not too far from there is St. Francis, also up 91N. Or go up 9N to New Britain General or, um, what do they call it now? Hospital of Central Connecticut. The one on Grande Street on the side of the park.

Get a neighbor to take the kids if your husband isn't home.

Call your OB NOW. Don't wait. This isn't normal. Don't take any chances that you can "ignore" this feeling. Your hormones could be way out of wack and screwing around with your chemistry in a negative way.

Suicidal thoughts are never normal, not during pregnancy, not any time. You cannot tell yourself that you wont' listen to these urges. Someone having suicidal thoughts is not stable enough to resist, it's not a matter of how much strength you have. You cannot will mental illness away. If you are having these thoughts now, please head to your local emergency room right away. If you are not having the thoughts at this very moment, contact your OB's or MW's office. Seeking treatment is what will help you and your baby and your other children. Good luck.

Call your Dr. please! They are there to help you with these issues during pregnancy. Although we care deeply, we are not qualified to help you. Please call them NOW.

Dear Mama- Your doctor should be able to help you- Have your doctor check your iron levels. While I was not suicidal, I did get depressed and my doctor checked my iron levels and found I was very anemic. Once we corrected that, I was much better. I wish you all the best.

mama:

uuummm no. it hasn't happened to me.

You need to call your OB/GYN or better yet - GO! to your local hospital and get yourself checked in.

It's happened to a lot of women because of the raging hormones. We don't hear a lot about it - we hear more about post-partum depression, but it's another version of the same hormonal imbalance. I'm sure it will go away but it's hard to know when, so I think it's essential that you get some professional advice right away. Talk to your ob/gyn and get a referral to a counselor or psychiatrist who is familiar with these issues and can help you with possible medications which are safe during pregnancy. If you can, you might see a massage therapist who specializes in pregnancy massage too. Please don't sit home and wait for it to resolve itself. You need to take care of yourself sooner rather than later. Good luck. Act today.

This has never happened to me while pregnant. But it has happened to me as a result of medications I was on and depression/anxiety.

Please, PLEASE talk to your doctor!!!

No. Call your OB.
Let them help you.

Agreed - call your OB or better yet, just go IN and see him or her. Something is NOT right.

Please call the doctor. Please. You need help. It's very important.

I haven't had this experience personally, but pregnancy is one huge wallop of a hormonal change, and it's common for all kinds of mood issues to come up.

I think it's great that you've asked this question here. Now, the next step is to sit down with a doctor and tell him/her about these feelings. There ARE some drugs that are safe to take during pregnancy. And it's really important to have a plan going forward, especially because the postpartum hormonal changes may make your feelings worse.

GOOD for you for reaching out. Now please just give your doctor a call.

You need to talk to your doctor ASAP.

If these thoughts are serious, you need to get help right away. Start by talking to your OB, but you will probably need to talk to a psychiatrist as well. There ARE anti-depressants that are safe to take throughout your pregnancy, so don't be afraid to do so if that is what the doctors recommend. They know which ones to prescribe to pregnant women.

You may need to see a therapist or counselor on a regular basis as well to help determine why you're having these thoughts. The drugs will help manage them, but won't resolve why you're having them in the first place.

Finally, (and don't do internet research on what I'm about to say), a friend of mine was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after having her first suicidal thoughts during pregnancy (and multiple suicide attempts in the years to follow). Talk to your docs about the possibility, just to cover your bases.

I hope everything gets better soon!

Please talk to your doctor before feelings turn into irrational actions. I know you don't want that for yourself or your children, who truly need you.

Call your doctor and tell them you need an appointment today. This is your most important thing to do now.

Good for you for reaching out. Now go and call your doctor. S/he will get you some help ASAP. Could be a hormonal thing mixed with taking care of two other kids. Get it treated and ASAP.

I was anxious my whole pregnancy. I wish I had done something about it but didn't realize it was happening until after!

Feel better.

I became very depressed during the first trimester of my second pregnancy. That was pretty unusual for me - normally I'm fairly upbeat. My OB/GYN noticed the change in behavior and put me on Zoloft. I felt SOOOO much better! I stayed on it until my daughter was 6 months old. My doctor assured me that the use of anti-depressants has been well-studied and is generally considered safe - especially considering the alternative, where the mother may want to hurt herself or the baby. Please speak to your doctor about your feelings; medication can help you feel better!

Yes, I had such thoughts with my 2nd, and they were really, really strong from 12-14 weeks, and then they just went away. After throwing up lots from weeks 6-12, and just being totally exhausted, I did end up with a rough few weeks.

One thing I did was make sure I got more sleep. i also tried to remind myself every morning of all the reasons why I wanted another baby. I did a gratitude list. it helped.

I just wanted to let you know that YES, I was with my second, and it literally hit at 3 months. It only lasted a few weeks.