Association of Bipolar Disorder and Pregnancy

Are you a dupe of bipolar disorder for ages? Or just got it during pregnancy? Suffering from bipolar disorder makes you feel differently. Bipolar and pregnancy are connected as most of the time women with bipolar disorder have different emotions. They do not want to become pregnant and want to become pregnant. Well, in both cases, consult with a good psychiatrist about your disorder and the side effects of bipolar medication on pregnancy. 

People with bipolar disorder have mood changes from low to high. Sometimes they are a maniac and sometimes they are depressive. Those people are so tentative to accept the major changes in their life, like being pregnant. If you have BD, it doesn’t mean you can never become a mom. It’s about how you will manage your well-being and mental health together. The women with BD should discuss the condition with their doctor and ask for the possible treatments and recommendations. Moreover, it is also important to keep communicating with your partner about whatever situations and episodes they are going through. 

If you are planning a baby and you have Bipolar Disorder, it is important to give the complete history to your consultant without hiding any single detail or feeling ashamed. Your overall condition will be assessed by considering the following possibilities;

How severe your symptoms are?

• The medications you are taking and what could be their possible side effects on pregnancy.
• How could your bipolar disorder be managed?
• These details are important to consider, as well as the possible risks of your baby will also keep into account. 

The Possible Effects of Pregnancy on Mental Health

As you all know, different hormonal changes occur during pregnancy which leads to mood changes. Sometimes you feel so good and happy and someday you feel irritated and low. Well, the symptoms of the bipolar disorder become more prominent during pregnancy and women begin to experience other mental health problems. Most of the women observed that pregnancy has brought a big change in their mood, and if the bipolar disorder remains untreated there are chances of increasing the risk factors. 

Is there any effect of Moods Disorder on the Fetus?

There is no clear evidence about the effects of mood disorder or bipolar disorder on fetal growth. However, there are chances of transmitting the disorder into the fetus. But still, researchers are studying the genetic relation of bipolar disorder. 

How to Manage Bipolar Disorder in Pregnancy?

When bipolar is considered, the only treatment is a medication that helps manage the symptoms and make fetus development normal. Pregnant women are recommended by the doctors to take mood stabilizers that help them manage their symptoms, but it could be harmful to the growing fetus.  To manage BD and reduce the risk factors for your baby, it is important to tell your gynecologist about all the medications you take for BD. Your doctor might stop your medication and decide when you will need them. Instead, they will recommend you to take psychotherapy and work on self-care. This will reduce the risk that could be harmful to your baby’s development also, keep you away from other medical health conditions.