Making the best choice for you and your baby

by Sarah Gonser

When Jennifer B. became pregnant with her first child, she faced a difficult decision. The 45-year-old physical therapist had been taking antidepressants for five years to treat depression. She was concerned that taking medication during pregnancy could harm her developing baby, but she had also seen what can happen if you stop.

[...]

Common forms of therapy for pregnant and postpartum women include cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and supportive or psychodynamic psychotherapy.

But if the mood disorder is intense enough to affect a woman's basic ability to function, her quality of life, and her feelings about her developing baby, it is a sign that she may have a more serious depression or anxiety disorder that might be better managed with a combination of medications and therapy according to Stephanie Ho, MD, a reproductive psychiatrist in private practice in New York City and a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center.