Psychiatric Medications & Pregnancy

Decisions about psychiatric medications during your pregnancy and breastfeeding may feel overwhelming. You may be planning to become pregnancy, currently pregnant or postpartum and breastfeeding, and wondering what’s best for you and your baby. 

Our Reproductive Psychiatry experts are here to help. Your health and the health of your baby are our first concern. It’s important to seek help from mental health professionals who specialize in reproductive mental health and can provide you with the best advice based on the latest medical research. Our Reproductive Psychiatry team is committed to help you throughout your reproductive journey, even up to one year after baby is born. 

What to expect during your first visit

Our goal is to keep mental health disorders under the best possible control while balancing any risks of medication use during pregnancy and lactation. Your first visit will include a full mental health evaluation with one of our Reproductive Psychiatry specialists. We will ask you to fill out some forms, discuss any previous diagnoses and review treatment options. We will discuss any risks of medication use during your pregnancy and breastfeeding while balancing possible risks of untreated mental illness. Your first appointment will last around an hour.  We welcome a supportive family member to attend the visits with you.

Why you should choose Nebraska Medicine 

Every woman’s goals and needs are unique during her reproductive years. We find that women are frequently given incorrect messages about medications. In order to make the best choices for you and your baby, our team of doctors work closely with you to consider all treatment options. We can help you meet your personal treatment goals and develop a plan that meets your needs while balancing the risks and benefits of medication use. 

Throughout your pregnancy and postpartum, we can continue to see you for visits to manage your medications, or, if you prefer, set up one-time consultation to provide you and your referring doctor with treatment recommendations. Either way, don’t leave these decisions to chance. We are here to help keep you and your baby healthy every step of the way. We are pleased to offer telehealth visits for initial and follow-up visits so you can attend visits from the comfort of your own home.

The Nebraska Medicine Reproductive Psychiatry specialists are regional experts in using psychiatric medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding. With the rapid increase in medical research over the last 20 years, our team is regularly involved in continuing education, keeping current with the latest research through regular meetings and national conference participation.