Treatment
Treatment for mental health problems in pregnancy and after giving birth can include psychological treatments and medication. You can find out more information about treating mental health problems during pregnancy and after birth.
Taking medication may carry risks for your unborn baby, but if you don't take medication that has been prescribed for you, or you stop taking it, there is a risk that you might become seriously unwell and this can be a risk too. You and your doctor should discuss the risk of treating or not treating your illness, as well as the risks to the developing baby of taking medication.
Your discussion should include:
how severe any previous mental health problem was
the risk of you becoming unwell
whether you can cope without treatment
which treatments have helped you in the past, and
the risk to the unborn baby of some of the drugs used in treating mental health conditions
You can also talk about whether the options will affect breastfeeding.
Find out more about mental health problems and medications in pregnancy.