Supporting Your Mental Health: Is Medicine Right for Me?

Mental health concerns during and after pregnancy can be risky for both you and your baby. In addition, mental health concerns are most common for new parents during postpartum.

There are many ways to care for your mental health during pregnancy and after birth. One way is to take medicine.

Key Things to Know About Medication During Pregnancy

Many people worry about taking medicine while pregnant or breastfeeding. It’s normal to wonder how a medicine might affect you or your baby.
Do not stop taking a medicine suddenly—this can make mental health symptoms worse.
It’s your choice whether to take medicine or not.
Talk with your healthcare provider. Together, you can review the risks, benefits, and safety of medicines during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

What Should I Do If I Want to Start or Stop Medicine?

If you’re considering medicine for mental health during pregnancy or while breastfeeding:

Talk with your healthcare provider about your mental health medicines.
Tell them about all medicines you take, including prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, herbs, and supplements.
Talk to a perinatal psychiatrist (a mental health doctor for pregnancy and after birth).

If you’re on medicine for your mental health and want to stop taking it when you become pregnant:

Do not change or stop a medicine on your own.
If you choose to stop, your healthcare team will make a plan with you and check how you are feeling. Some medicines must be stopped slowly.

MotherToBaby®, a service of the nonprofit Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS), is a trusted source of evidence-based information on medications during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. If you keep taking medicine during pregnancy, follow their tip sheet to avoid extra doses or mix-ups between medicines.

Download MotherToBaby’s Medication Safety Tips for Women Who Are Pregnant and Breastfeeding (PDF)

Use Your B-R-A-I-N: A Guide to Making Decisions During Pregnancy

B: Benefits

How will this help me?
How long until it works?
How long will I need to do/take it?

R: Risks

What side effects can happen?
What can I do if I have side effects?
Will this medication interact with my other medicines/vitamins/herbs?
What if I don’t like how it makes me feel?

A: Alternatives

What other options are there (medicine and non-medicine)?

I: Intuition (gut feeling)

What is my first thought or feeling about this?
What matters most to me right now?

N: Nothing / Not Now

What happens if I wait or do nothing?
How will we watch my symptoms?
When should I call about my symptoms?
What if I run out of medicine?

Additional Resources

MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health Brochure: SSRIs in Pregnancy: What Patients Need to Know (PDF)
MothertoBaby® Fact Sheets: Frequently Asked Questions about Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Exposures (also available in Spanish)
Canadian Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health (IHDCYH) Video: Creating Comfort in Choice