Things Your Gynecologist Wishes You Would Bring Up At Appointments

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More on your psychiatric care and pregnancy
Dr. Johnson says women also need to be aware of how certain psychiatric drugs can affect a growing fetus. Anything the mother takes is passed through the placenta to the fetus, and some drugs are dangerous to a growing baby, in some cases causing seizures. She also notes that psychosis can happen for pregnant women, even when they don’t have preexisting mental health issues, and become more likely when there are co-occurring psychiatric issues. Abruptly going off psychiatric medication can trigger that, and not only cause a pregnant woman to experience withdrawal symptoms but also cause her fetus to, as it was also getting the drug through the placenta.