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Just because you have recently given birth and you feel you should be a happy and content new mother, in reality it does not always happen that way. Not only are breastfeeding mothers now feeling guilty that they have developed postnatal depression, they now worry that they will no longer be able to breastfeed.
Are Antidepressants Safe To Take While Breastfeeding?
The great news is there are antidepressants that are safe to take while breastfeeding. You have no excuse not to seek medical advice and you can still feel proud that you are giving your baby the best start in life, not by breastfeeding, but by seeking help for your postnatal depression.
Not all antidepressants are safe so it is very important that you consult a medical professional before you take any medication.
Your doctor will be able to safely prescribe antidepressants that will cause no harm to your baby but make your life so much easier. What are you waiting for? Have you phoned up and made an appointment to speak to your own GP yet?
The Royal College of Psychiatrists estimates 15 per cent of women in the UK suffer from PND, equating to 35,000 mothers who are not correctly treated for this common depressive illness associated with childbirth.
Sometimes it is too hard to fight depression and we need medical intervention to help us with this mental illness and that’s very important to remember, it is a mental illness. If you broke your arm you would go to the hospital because it’s too painful not too, the same goes for depression, it too is painful and it too requires specialist help.
Why do mothers with postnatal depression suffer in silence? New mothers fear going to the GP and speaking out believing this shows a sign of weakness that suggests they are not coping and are a danger to their child. This is untrue and postnatal depression does need to be treated.
A new poll has shown that 49 per cent of mothers who experienced postnatal depression (PND) chose not to seek professional help, with thousands more failing to receive it due to “serious shortcomings” in the referral system.
Have you taken antidepressants while breastfeeding? Share your experience…
About The Real Supermum
I am on sertraline 50mg and i am breast feeding lo almost 20 months xx
I was prescribed sertraline 50mg anti-depressants when my daughter was 3 months old. Shes now 6 months old and she is still breastfeeding but i am still too scared to take the tablets :-/
I feel that half of my problem is, is that I dont want to be breastfeeding anymore. I tried to stop when my daughter was 8 weeks old but she simply refuses all kinds of bottles/beakers despite me trying nearly every brand ever made. I dont want to put any unnessesary risk to her and after researching, i decided i would take the anti-depressants when she was weaned off me (despite my best efforts, she’s still breastfeeding though)
My health visitor said that with 5 being dangerous and 1 being fine, sertraline is 3 to to take whilst breastfeeding which put me off.