Keeping my shit together-Zoloft while pregnant/nursing

[smiley]

I am so so sorry about your mom, first. Secondly, I took Zoloft through both pregnancies and breast feeding. If you need it, take it. If it’s working, keep taking it.

I messed with my dosage during pregnancy #2 and that wasn’t very smart and left me miserable for a couple weeks. But it also showed me how much it was helping. Taking care of yourself is so important and will hopefully make the day to day easier for you during this stressful time.

[leahcar]

I didn't want to read and not say anything. Good for you for being proactive. Zoloft was miraculous for me PP with my second; I hope this brings you even a little bit of relief.

[babybean]

Sending love and strength. You’ve gotten good advice and tips. <3

[nevertoomanyshoes]

I’m so sorry you have so much on your plate now and into the future. You are doing an amazing job and being proactive about your mental wellbeing. So many hugs to you.

[AmyG]

Jan 23, 2018 14:14:27 GMT -6 sweetc129 said:

Jan 23, 2018 14:03:21 GMT -6 AmyG said:

Zoloft is safe so take it with no qualms.

Get as much help as you can get from hospice, they aren't just for the last few days of life. Hospice can be involved for 6 months or more to help you with the care and help you find respite care as needed.

Hugs and prayers for strength thru all of this.

This is really good advice, thank you. My mom's oncologist has told us she qualifies for hospice since she has less than 6 months, but she has not wanted to officially quit treatments and as long as she gets any chemo she doesn't qualify (and her chemo treatments are very sporadic because she is in and out of the hospital and/or too weak/sick and forced breaks). We believe that her next appointment 2/14 her Onco will tell her she is too sick to continue and hospice is her only option, and we all hope this happens for many reasons. He told her he was very hesitant at her appointment last week to let her do another round of chemo, even at a significantly decreased dose, because she is too weak, but would let her try one more time if she wanted, and she did so we supported her on this decision. She is living in a nursing home and the nurses have to wheel her to the bathroom and lift her up on the toilet to go to the bathroom she is so weak. She winces in pain when she moves and chemo just keeps knocking her down further and her cancer has not responded in anyway to any radiation or 4 different types of chemo. She had to take a long chemo break a few months ago and was able to regain some strength and went out to lunch with a friend of hers and we want her to have enough time that maybe if she stops chemo now she can regain some strength and have even a couple weeks of visiting with friends and family w/o feeling like an invalid. 

You can go ON hospice care and then go OFF of hospice care if you improve or change your mind and want to get more treatment etc. Hospice can be so very helpful in pain and symptom management.  If they come in at the very end, they tend to be very proactive on pain management to the point sometimes it seems like just sedating the patient and there is no quality of life, but at the very very end, that's what you need.

But if hospice comes in when you first get your diagnosis of estimated <6 months to live and you aren't going to aggressively try to treat, they can do wonders for pain management, symptoms and side effects and keep you comfortable in your place you are living (at home). She should likely talk to them BEFORE it gets too far along to make sure she finds out what that next step is, how to proceed, how to get approved and all that stuff they can help with.  Sometimes their counselors can reach out and help you come to a decision about how to proceed on this whole confusing end of life what you can do and not do and what you have no control over and how to handle that.

My dad's hospice team we soooo very helpful to my mom as my dad went thru the end of his life.  he was estimated at 6 months and we got 6 weeks. simple things like the hospice dr and nurses came to him, brought in hospital type equipment as needed to the house(bed, toilet lift, walkers, wheelchair, oxygen), managing all of his meds to keep him comfortable, help him keep from freaking out about what was happening(anti anxiety meds), delivered his meds to him (hospice volunteers would pick up at pharmacy and delivery), checking on my mom, helping with end of life wishes, including funeral plan, who to notify, how to collect as much help from organizations as you could get etc.  of course not all hospice are the same, some better than others.

[cribs]

Zoloft is my bff. Especially when pregnant. Also, I'm so sorry about your mom. That's a lot all at once

[Deleted]

I want to echo what Amy said about hospice. They were really wonderful at the end of my dad’s life. He also died from cancer. Have you guys signed up? We were able to sign up for a special palliative care program that transitioned to hospice immediately at our request, instead of starting the paperwork when we knew we needed it.

In addition to all of the other great aspects of hospice, we were entitled to grief counseling at no cost- the immediate family, up to a year after his death. I made use of that, and it was helpful. My H is great, but I know he got tired of hearing me. And sometimes it was hard to talk to my own family.

Sending warm thoughts- this is such a hard, hard time- the end of pregnancy, the caregiving, a dying parent, and the transition to SAH. Be easy with yourself. 💕

[goldenbird]

Big hugs ❤. I am so sorry about your mom.
I'm glad you're in therapy and seeking help because you've got a lot going on. Remember, your OB wouldn't give you the prescription if it wasn't safe. You taking care of yourself and your mental health is paramount. I hope it helps you.

[dapostrophe]

I was pointed to this thread by a friend on my BMB after posting about a similar situation. I am so sorry you are going through such an unimaginably difficult time. I don't have to deal with a loved one dying of cancer, but I am also pregnant and dealing with some significant family/life situations (including being pregnant after a vasectomy) and the depression hit me hard. I am also putting my job/business on hold to stay home with a bunch of little ones, and that has not been an easy thing to grapple with. I love my work.

Like you, I was recently recommended meds and had reservations, but I decided my mental health and the ability to be present in my life was the top priority. I started a low dosage of Welbutrin and it was recommended to me to wean off closer to when the baby is born. It's too soon to say if it's helping me, but there have been lots of positive experiences written about here and that is heartening.

Just wanted to pop in and say I may not fully understand what you are going through, but your story resonated with me, and in some ways I can definitely empathize. You're not alone in feeling this way.

[girlonabike]

Hi!

With my first, I had severe PPA. My father passed from cancer when my son was 3 months old, and my mother was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. I ended up moving my mom in with us because she was unable to be on her own any longer. Zoloft was a lifesaver. I had a newborn to care for, along with all the overwhelming stuff that comes with taking care of a sick parent. Somehow, I made it through.

This time, I am 37 weeks pregnant, and my mom is declining. It is taking a huge toll on me, physically and mentally, and I can feel the PPA monster rearing it's head (she still lives with me, so I handle all of her care). I have an appointment this Monday with my midwife, and I'm asking to have my prescription for Zoloft renewed ASAP. If I have to skip breastfeeding to save my sanity, I will do that too. I HAVE to take care of myself, or else I will not be able to take care of anyone else.

Ask for help. This has been my biggest hurdle. Ask for help. There are so many support groups out there. I also use My Life Line (www.mylifeline.org) to post updates for the rest of my family, and to have a public calendar of appointments and other stuff that I need help with that people can volunteer to help out with (it's kinda like Meal Train, but for cancer).

You have my deepest sympathies. It is such a shitty thing to go through. DM if you need to vent/share--believe me, I understand.

[flaviadeluce]

I came off effector prior to pg1 and postpartum was a horrendous mess due to numerous life changes and started Zoloft then. I breast fed on it and stayed on it through pg2 and nursing for 16m with that one. I have no qualms about it and pg and bf. You can always discontinue it if it isn't helping and it is a greater risk to baby for mom to be untreated. I'm sorry about your mom.

[sweetc129]

thisbitch and AmyG Hospice is absolutely an invaluable service we want to take advantage of, but she can’t since she is still considered in treatment. Her last chemo was Friday, so less than a week. That’s why we are hoping her Onco pulls the plug and finally tells her enough is enough so we can get her in hospice care. She’s been getting palliative care, but as you know it’s not the same. It’s so hard, she doesn’t want to stop because she doesn’t want to pull her last hope even though everybody around her knows it’s not helping. I have many conversations with the oncologist w/o my mom I’m the room and I read her scans and blood work that she doesn’t want to know about. She knows she’s dying but doesn’t want to know how soon or how bad it really is. He told me her life expectancy but she didn’t want to be in the room when I asked.She is insisting her pain is from a pulled muscle versus yet another metastatic site which we believe it to be, just waiting on scans to confirm.. She knows she has cancer in her lungs and liver but doesn’t know 80% of her liver is cancer and her hepatic vein is almost completely blocked. I can’t imagine how hard it must be as the patient to come to terms with your own death.

[sweetc129]

Jan 23, 2018 18:11:20 GMT -6 girlonabike said:

Hi!

With my first, I had severe PPA. My father passed from cancer when my son was 3 months old, and my mother was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. I ended up moving my mom in with us because she was unable to be on her own any longer. Zoloft was a lifesaver. I had a newborn to care for, along with all the overwhelming stuff that comes with taking care of a sick parent. Somehow, I made it through.

This time, I am 37 weeks pregnant, and my mom is declining. It is taking a huge toll on me, physically and mentally, and I can feel the PPA monster rearing it's head (she still lives with me, so I handle all of her care). I have an appointment this Monday with my midwife, and I'm asking to have my prescription for Zoloft renewed ASAP. If I have to skip breastfeeding to save my sanity, I will do that too. I HAVE to take care of myself, or else I will not be able to take care of anyone else.

Ask for help. This has been my biggest hurdle. Ask for help. There are so many support groups out there. I also use My Life Line (www.mylifeline.org) to post updates for the rest of my family, and to have a public calendar of appointments and other stuff that I need help with that people can volunteer to help out with (it's kinda like Meal Train, but for cancer).

You have my deepest sympathies. It is such a shitty thing to go through. DM if you need to vent/share--believe me, I understand.

I’m so sorry you had to go through all this as well. Thank you for sharing your story.

[sweetc129]

Jan 23, 2018 17:28:36 GMT -6 dapostrophe said:

I was pointed to this thread by a friend on my BMB after posting about a similar situation. I am so sorry you are going through such an unimaginably difficult time. I don't have to deal with a loved one dying of cancer, but I am also pregnant and dealing with some significant family/life situations (including being pregnant after a vasectomy) and the depression hit me hard. I am also putting my job/business on hold to stay home with a bunch of little ones, and that has not been an easy thing to grapple with. I love my work.

Like you, I was recently recommended meds and had reservations, but I decided my mental health and the ability to be present in my life was the top priority. I started a low dosage of Welbutrin and it was recommended to me to wean off closer to when the baby is born. It's too soon to say if it's helping me, but there have been lots of positive experiences written about here and that is heartening.

Just wanted to pop in and say I may not fully understand what you are going through, but your story resonated with me, and in some ways I can definitely empathize. You're not alone in feeling this way.

I’m sorry you are also struggling mentally. There is so much to deal with as it. I’m glad you are also taking care of you. That’s what I keep telling myself, I need to take care of me.

[sweetc129]

Again I can’t thank you all enough for sharing your stories. I already feel better about taking Zoloft and knowing everything, including myself will be ok.

Love you all and wish each and every one of you the best.

[girlonabike]

Jan 23, 2018 18:36:23 GMT -6 @karenwalker said:

Jan 23, 2018 18:11:20 GMT -6 girlonabike said:

Hi!

With my first, I had severe PPA. My father passed from cancer when my son was 3 months old, and my mother was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. I ended up moving my mom in with us because she was unable to be on her own any longer. Zoloft was a lifesaver. I had a newborn to care for, along with all the overwhelming stuff that comes with taking care of a sick parent. Somehow, I made it through.

This time, I am 37 weeks pregnant, and my mom is declining. It is taking a huge toll on me, physically and mentally, and I can feel the PPA monster rearing it's head (she still lives with me, so I handle all of her care). I have an appointment this Monday with my midwife, and I'm asking to have my prescription for Zoloft renewed ASAP. If I have to skip breastfeeding to save my sanity, I will do that too. I HAVE to take care of myself, or else I will not be able to take care of anyone else.

Ask for help. This has been my biggest hurdle. Ask for help. There are so many support groups out there. I also use My Life Line (www.mylifeline.org) to post updates for the rest of my family, and to have a public calendar of appointments and other stuff that I need help with that people can volunteer to help out with (it's kinda like Meal Train, but for cancer).

You have my deepest sympathies. It is such a shitty thing to go through. DM if you need to vent/share--believe me, I understand.

Talk to your midwife. You can absolutely breastfeed while on Zoloft. Not pressuring you to Bf, just saying if you had already planned on it and are now second guessing, don’t.

I’m so sorry for what you’re going through.

Oh, I know it's safe to breastfeed while on Zoloft, it's more that I couldn't take one more "caregiver" role. I stopped breastfeeding my son shortly after my dad died because it was just too much responsibility, and I was overwhelmed. 

[ovenrack]

Ohhh sweetc. This is all so fucking unfair. I hate that you’re having to be in this position - parenting your parent is the hardest thing around, let alone while you’re pregnant/have a newborn.

I hope you can have some of the tough conversations with her, after she sees her oncologist, and that you’re all able to move towards a set of actions which will help. Those conversations are never easy. There will be things she can ignore or choose not to hear, but those initial conversations are inevitable.

Hospice was invaluable to both of my parents. My mom died when my son was 6w old, and she was only in hospice (in a residence) a couple weeks. But man, those nurses and chaplains and volunteers know their shit.

Huge hugs to you. Please PM me or bat signal any one of us. I hope you have some IRL lifelines to text angrily or sadly MOTN or MOTD when life becomes particularly overwhelming, and if not, you’re getting my phone number.

And Zoloft is my jam. So get on it. 😘

[Deleted]

Jan 23, 2018 18:40:47 GMT -6 sweetc129 said:

Again I can’t thank you all enough for sharing your stories. I already feel better about taking Zoloft and knowing everything, including myself will be ok.

Love you all and wish each and every one of you the best.

I’m sorry. It was really hard for my dad to face his death, too. And so hard to give up the fight. It took his Dr really breaking things down for him to get him to that point, and then her finally telling him that there just wasn’t anything else she could do and that he wasn’t well enough for more treatment. Each ability that he lost was another layer of grief for him.

The hospice team (when you get there) is great for the patient, too. My dad felt really protective of my mom and didn’t want to talk to her about his fears of dying or his thoughts on it because he didn’t want to make it worse for her. And she didn’t want to talk to him about his dying, because she didn’t want to scare him. I did a lot of butting in during that time, and I hated that part, too.

Anyway, best wishes as you navigate all of this.

[cnf]

First off, you know I love you and I'm so sorry this is all happening at once.

I've been on Zoloft postpartum both times now. It makes an enormous difference. I did stop taking mine when I got pregnant again, but it was my personal preference and I had already dropped down from 50mg to 25mg. I did that knowing I would ultimately need it again. My doctors have assured me plenty that it is very pregnancy safe.

Sending you hugs 💙

[sweetc129]

ovenrack I’m sorry for your loss and that you have experienced this. It’s so hard and awful. I will reach out if I need it, thank you so much.

[Bluebird]

Fuck cancer.

You’ve got a LOT going on, and kudos to you for taking charge of your mental well-being. I had bad PPA, but it took me months to even really recognize what was happening. I was still BF, but I started Zoloft at 5 or 6 months PP, and it changed my life.

I distinctly remember the exact moment when I realized I was enjoying life again, and not just trudging through, trying to get by each day. I only wish I’d started it sooner, and I will be proactive next time around if I have another kid.

ETA, 25 mg did the trick for me, and it did not affect BF at all. I continued until DS was just over 10 months.

[valiente]

Didn’t want to read and not offer my love.

I’m so sorry all of this is on you.

I started on Zoloft and therapy after my youngest was born. I had 2u2, my marriage was in crisis, and my mental health was terrible. There was a while where I was chronically overwhelmed and in or about to be in a fight or flight response. Zoloft got me to a place where I could trust my body and mind to keep an even keel for most day-to-day stuff. I started at 25mg and eventually went to 50mg. And my DD weaned just before her second birthday I’m still on 50mg and will be for the next few months at least.

If you decide to start try and have some support because you might feel like pukey and exhausted garbage for a couple weeks. Sometimes it helps to move when in the day you take it. I’m glad you’re being proactive.

[sweetc129]

Jan 23, 2018 20:18:11 GMT -6 @holliberry said:

I’m so so sorry you’re going through this sweetc129. When I was pregnant with DS, I was in 100 mg of Zoloft throughout the entire pregnancy and about 6 months pp. My psychiatrist at the time also agreed that it was the safest drug to be on during pregnancy. So please take care of yourself as best you can, and don’t be afraid to take it if you need to.

I’m sorry your mom’s cancer turned out to be so aggressive. My mom has stage IV metastatic colon cancer too, but has been given 2-3 more years. She was diagnosed a week after DS was born, so I understand what you’re going through now. Please pm me if you want to talk. Big hugs and lots of love and strength to you.

PM sent

[emmilally]

Another Zoloft success story here. I had very bad PPA with my first and went on Zoloft at 35 weeks with my second. It was so worth it and I'm happy I pushed through my initial resistance. I was no longer afraid to be alone and I was no longer afraid to be with people, if that makes sense.

Just a heads up that for some people 50 mg is a lot to start on (though it's the lowest therapeutic dose) so keep talking to your doctor. I had to start on 12.5 mg and work my way up.

[sweetc129]

Not sure I want to make a separate post, but know a couple people have reached out to me.

This past week has been whirlwind. Things progressed very quickly, and my mom passed peacefully last Thursday. My sister lives across the country and luckily given how things played out she was in town and able to be with us by our mom her last week. My mom may physically not be present for the birth of my son but she will be there and she’ll be healthier than ever. I’m so so sad, but so grateful she is no longer suffering.

I’m doing ok. Actually for me the timing is good for my mental health. I was able to be there 100% for my mom when she needed me and in 4 weeks when my baby comes I’ll be able to give 100% to him. Yesterday was the viewings and today is her funeral. I am looking forward to this part being over since I’ve already said my goodbyes and the images of her in this last week are so raw I need some distance so I can start to remember her as the wonderful mother that I know.

[sweptaway]

sweetc129 I'm so sorry for your loss. It sounds like it was the best scenario you could have hoped for and I'm glad you have a little peace with it. Whatever you're feeling is ok.

Good luck on the next part of your family's journey ♥️

[cnf]

💜💜💜

[byjove]

So much love to you my dear! you are the picture of strength and grace ❤️

[moosemom]

I am so sorry for your loss and hope you can continue to find peace.

[imapenguin]

I’m so sorry. 💜