During pregnancy, expectant couples work hard to do all they can to assure the expectant mom lives a healthy lifestyle in order to assure a safe pregnancy. There is no question that cutting down or eliminating unhealthy habits like smoking and drinking are a must to assure you deliver a healthy and happy baby at the end of the three trimesters of pregnancy. Sometimes these lifestyle adjustments are difficult. But most expectant parents are willing to sacrifice to give their unborn infant all the advantages possible to develop properly while in the womb.

This desire to eliminate anything from the mom’s system that might compromise the fetus can become complicated if the expectant mother is already on anxiety medication. When these medications are essential for controlling bipolar syndrome, schizophrenia, or other dangerous psychiatric conditions, going off of those medications is not just a change of lifestyle. To stop taking those medications represents a serious departure from essential medications that assure that the expectant mom can be functional on a day-to-day basis.

Studies have revealed that there are some anxiety medications that could represent a serious threat to the health of the unborn child. The potential damages that could be done to the unborn baby are frightening and serious. Some documented results of using anxiety medications during pregnancy include birth defects in the infant. In some cases, the pregnancy could be aborted because of these drugs. Few parents would put their unborn child in that kind of danger.

This is a serious concern for a couple who is ready to have children. The first step to address this concern is to consult with the mother’s physician before you attempt to become pregnant so the doctor can be involved in helping that expectant mom adjust her medications during the conception and pregnancy. Most established anxiety medications have been studied extensively so the potential risk of continued use of that drug during pregnancy is well known.

If the anxiety medication that you have been using has a history of posing a health risk to your unborn child, in many cases, your doctor can prescribe a replacement medication that is safe to use during pregnancy. However, your doctor should be involved in the process of selecting that drug. You should be under his or her constant care during the pregnancy so the doctor can monitor the health of the mother and the child through the pregnancy term.

By being careful and using every medical resource available, you can deliver a healthy and happy baby while allowing the expectant mom to use substitute coping mechanisms for anxiety until the pregnancy is over. This is smart management of your health and of that precious child that will bring so much joy to your home in nine months.

http://www.epigee.org/mental_health/meds_pregnancy.html

http://www.ehow.com/about_5073084_taking-anxiety-medication-time-conception.html