Sertraline do I or don’t I?

My dr prescribed this whilst I was pregnant, told me it was an SSRI and that I’d have to stop taking at 36 weeks or my baby may go through withdrawal when born, for this reason I did not take it

I’m taking it, the consultant said it’s absolutely safe, mothers mental health is of upmost importance and OCD is potentially debilitating, I would take them.

I’m on sertraline and I’m 10+3 and I have been reassured that this is one of the most common anti depressants to be on during pregnancy, they have told me I will need to be monitored more closer to the end but that’s okay, means I get to see baby more! X

Ask to be ref to see a consultant at the hospital there’s usually one who specialises in mental health if it’s a large hospital. You’ll then be able to discuss with them. I was on citalopram prior to pregnancy, I tried to reduce it enough to come off before I got pregnant but found it just wasn’t possible. I spoke to a consultant who is very knowledgeable about this field and she reassured me. I did my own reading too. Stayed on my medication, got pregnant and still on it now pn. Have a little read of this and go from there. https://www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/Medicine--pregnancy/Sertraline/

I was prescribed it in my first pregnancy with my boy. He’s now 2 years and he’s absolutely fine! It’s safest in the second & third trimesters. The doctor said the first trimester when the baby is still developing is the most risky but people have been on it even then and been fine. I was always told that if you are suffering badly that can affect the baby more than taking the tablets so I honestly wouldn’t worry. I also was on 50mg, it’s more for if you’re on 250mg or a high dosage the baby can suffer withdrawal symptoms x

Hey babe I’m a MH nurse here and the majority of studies don’t indicate a raise of risk of birth defects from sertraline however if you are worried you can ask to speak to a consultant in psychiatry and explore all your options. I ended up on sertraline after having my little one but struggled with my mental health all through pregnancy just tried to hide it for a number of reasons, I actually only admitted that I needed medication about 1.5 yr after she was born as my mh got really bad and my mum basically forced me to go to the doctors, since starting it I’ve felt so much better, the first two weeks were quite hard as it made me sleepy and feel a bit sick but after I got over that I felt I could handle things better mentally. I now look back and regret not taking it sooner as I feel I’ve lost out on a lot of my lo early days because I was so unwell. Hopefully you can make the right decision for you and remember you have a right to be fully informed and make an informed decision 💗

I have ocd, I have been having talking therapy which has massively helped, once I explore the root cause of the anxiety then I don’t really get the symptoms as much. I’ve never tried sertraline but I hear some find it helpful. X

There isn’t a link between antidepressants and send- I personally had less of a mood dip on escitalopram than sertraline, as it made my mood swings a bit worse to begin with. What works for one person may not work for you though so it’s worth trying to see 🤷‍♀️ there is also a medication that you can get that you take when you feel anxious that has the same qualities as an antihistamine which I’m being put on for my anxious spikes so that might be an option to discuss with your GP x

Sertraline, I was on 100mg, my girl is 11 months, I do have postnatal but I'm swapping to Fluoxetine

Hi, I got prescribed sertraline in my second trimester. I was told I may have to stay in hospital longer (approx. 3 days after the birth) to check the baby for withdrawal symptoms. I was also told I may not be able to give birth in the birthing centre, but have to give birth in the hospital. I checked with a midwife who said I definitely could give birth in the birthing centre regardless. But I think the most important thing for me, was making sure *I*was ok, make sure I was a functioning human being, and if that meant I needed medication, then that is what I would do, for both me and my baby... I never thought I would meet my baby my depression was so bad in my second and third trimester. But he is now 19 months old. The most important thing is to continue to be honest with your midwife/peri mentali health team. Talk. There are people to listen xx

I've swapped from Sertraline to Fluoxetine, so much better in my opinion