Another NP here with positive stories of taking zoloft while pregnant and breastfeeding. I've dealt with depression and anxiety for most of my adult life, and been on antidepressants for the past 15 years or so. Before getting pregnant I went out of my way to seek out a psychiatrist with a specialty in women's mental health, and that's when I went on zoloft. Had no problems with my pregnancy, though we did step down the dosage in the third trimester to prepare for labor as I wanted to reduce the risk of any withdrawal for my daughter right after birth (there is some evidence to suggest this can happen, but this was not the case for us) -- anyhow -- I nursed her until she was 2.5, she's 3.5 now, and I don't think there's been any adverse effects (and she's been enrolled in an NIH study as a healthy subject for the past 2 years, so she's been pretty extensively examined!) -- so, from where I'm sitting, I wouldn't say you have to stop breastfeeding to go on zoloft unless otherwise instructed by your doctor.

And to that end, I highly recommend Barbara Byers. I think she's affiliated with Georgetown but I saw her in private practice in Falls Church. She was wonderful. I also recommend Catherine Crone, at Inova.

All the best to you, OP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, if you need help, get it. It's what's best for you and your family. I wouldn't recommend continuing with breastfeeding while you're taking medication, but your baby will be fine with the bottle.

And you are who exactly to make this recommendation? OP, talk to a psychiatrist who specializes in women's mental health.

+1

+2. Many, many studies have shown no effects.

Please provide sources.

Maybe breastfeeding makes you depressed- it sure depressed me. Felt 100% better after I quit (and dealt with a few days of major mood swings while weaning).

Anonymous wrote:I had untreated post-partum depression after my first baby and it made her first year hellish for me and not too great for either the baby or my husband. Started on Zoloft mid-way through pregnancy #2 and have stayed on for the past 6 years with short breaks to see how I'd manage without it (not well). Baby #2 was born big and healthy, no breathing problems or anything else. And I nursed him exclusively until he started on solids, and continued to nurse until age 2.

No negative effects on him whatsoever--he is now 5 years old, totally developmentally normal in all respects, a cheery and active little guy who has certainly been the beneficiary of a healthier, stable, and happy mother. I take 50 mg of Zoloft under the guidance of a good psychiatrist. My very experienced OB also oversaw many cases of both pregnant and nursing mothers on low dose SSRIs and could not cite a single case of any side effects or complications when I asked him (repeatedly) about it. Take care of yourself--it's like putting on your oxygen mask first and then assisting your child. The levels of SSRI in breastmilk are tiny, whereas the levels of antibodies and other measurable benefits you can give your baby by nursing are huge! You can definitely do both--my kids and I are proof.

Thanks for sharing this, PP. I breastfed my 15 month old until a year on Zoloft and it's nice to hear these types of anecdotes.

I had untreated post-partum depression after my first baby and it made her first year hellish for me and not too great for either the baby or my husband. Started on Zoloft mid-way through pregnancy #2 and have stayed on for the past 6 years with short breaks to see how I'd manage without it (not well). Baby #2 was born big and healthy, no breathing problems or anything else. And I nursed him exclusively until he started on solids, and continued to nurse until age 2.

No negative effects on him whatsoever--he is now 5 years old, totally developmentally normal in all respects, a cheery and active little guy who has certainly been the beneficiary of a healthier, stable, and happy mother. I take 50 mg of Zoloft under the guidance of a good psychiatrist. My very experienced OB also oversaw many cases of both pregnant and nursing mothers on low dose SSRIs and could not cite a single case of any side effects or complications when I asked him (repeatedly) about it. Take care of yourself--it's like putting on your oxygen mask first and then assisting your child. The levels of SSRI in breastmilk are tiny, whereas the levels of antibodies and other measurable benefits you can give your baby by nursing are huge! You can definitely do both--my kids and I are proof.

Another good web resource is http://www.womensmentalhealth.org/

It's run by Mass General and Harvard and has articles and blog posts about the research regarding, among other things, medication and pregnancy/breastfeeding.

Dr. Joan Liberman is very knowledgeable in this area.

I started taking Zoloft mid-way through my second pregnancy and am still on it; that baby is about 14 months old. I'm on a low dose--75mg--and was even lower, at 50, while pregnant and while breastfeeding. Some doctors/psychiatrists think that it's a sub-theraputic dose, as in it doesn't actually do much of anything at all below 100mg, but it's working for me. I'm also an attorney and have noticed absolutely no negative side affects in my work (the sleep deprivation is to blame for that and I could only imagine that depression and all of its side effects would have even more impact on my work).

While the name sounds a bit biased/inflammatory, infantrisk.com is a great resource for info on the possible side effects of medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Dr. Thomas Hale and Texas Tech University run it and even Kellymom.com heavily relies on and links to his research--and that site is super pro-breastfeeding/anti-lots of things, if you're not familiar with it. Very little Zoloft is passed through to breastmilk at any dose, which is why it's so commonly recommended for women who are nursing. Plus it's been around for a long time with very few adverse effects reported.

My second kid is wonderful; he nursed for about 8 months until dwindling supply and an ear infection did it in. But he's a happy, healthy, easy-going, charming, delightful baby. And it's been so much easier for me to enjoy him than it was with my first, when I think I had undiagnosed PPD that possibly never really went away.

For psychiatrists--I'll second the recommendation for GW and also for Dr. Megan Dankovich in Rockville.

Anonymous wrote:I don't mean to hijack, but could anyone share the name of a psychiatrist? Especially one that deals with women's issues? I am a NP. Thanks.

Susan Trachman (who I've seen mentioned here many times and I see myself) and Jennifer Santoro are out of the same office in Fairfax. Both have extensive experience in women's mental health.

Anonymous wrote:I don't mean to hijack, but could anyone share the name of a psychiatrist? Especially one that deals with women's issues? I am a NP. Thanks.

GW has a couple of psychiatrists who specialize in women's mental health: http://www.gwdocs.com/psychiatry/women's-mental-health. I saw Lisa Catapano and liked her a lot. Also, the Center for Maternal Wellness in Tenleytown has two psychologists who also specialize in maternal mental health issues and can refer you to a psychiatrist if needed: http://centerformaternalwellness.com/who-we-are/

I don't mean to hijack, but could anyone share the name of a psychiatrist? Especially one that deals with women's issues? I am a NP. Thanks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, if you need help, get it. It's what's best for you and your family. I wouldn't recommend continuing with breastfeeding while you're taking medication, but your baby will be fine with the bottle.

And you are who exactly to make this recommendation? OP, talk to a psychiatrist who specializes in women's mental health.

+1

+2. Many, many studies have shown no effects.

OP here. Thanks again for the feedback. I'm not introducing formula because my baby has MSPI (milk soy protein intolerance) and will not accept the amino acid formulas (and they taste SO gross). He's EXTREMELY sensitive and cannot even tolerate the broken down milk/soy formulas - he can only take Neocate, which he adamantly refuses. My pediatrician strongly suggested I continue to nurse him and I really trust his opinion. But once he's a year, I can introduce almond milk/rice milk etc. But he's a great eater and I expect him to be ready to wean right at a year.

Anyway, like I said, I will discuss with a doc - I started therapy with a psychiatrist 2 weeks ago to talk about my depression, but haven't broached medications. I was just wondering what people's experiences were. I was really happy to hear that not one person has had a bad experience with nursing their child on medication. Thank you so much, that's a huge relief.

I started Zoloft at 30 weeks pregnant with both kids. Breastfed for 9 months each. No problems. I was better with Zoloft which made a difference for everyone.

I agree with the PPs who say to switch to formula and then do whatever needed to get yourself feeling better.