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Trying to Get Pregnant? Check Your Prescriptions First

Guest Post • Sep 03, 2019

If you’re trying to get pregnant, there are a number of things you should do first. For months leading up to your pregnancy, you should pay close attention to how you are eating. A healthy diet can help ensure you are fertile and have healthy eggs to utilize. You may want to avoid alcohol if you are actively trying. You can keep up with your exercise routine. Once you find out you’re pregnant, you can check with your doctor to find out if you should scale back on the amount of activity you’re doing. Another important thing to take note of is whether or not your current prescriptions are safe to take when pregnant.

Adderall

Adderall is a medication that is often used for treating a condition like ADHD or ADD. It can also be used for narcolepsy. Because of the effects that this medication has, going off Adderall suddenly can be very dangerous. You could experience a flare-up of symptoms, or you could experience seizures as well. If you remain on your medication, Adderall has shown a risk of birth defects in infants. It is between you and your doctor whether or not it’s safe to stop your medication to get pregnant.


SSRIs

SSRIs are used to treat depression. A 2016 study confirmed findings that birth defects occur two to three times more frequently among babies born to women who took certain types of SSRI medications early in their pregnancy. If you suffer from severe depression, some safer alternative depression medications include holistic options and behavioral therapy. You want to be careful with any medications that are going to cross the blood-brain barrier and anything that will cross the placental barrier.

Heart Medications

If you have a heart condition, you’ll need to work closely with your doctor while trying to conceive. Some heart medications carry a risk of birth defects, but you may not be able to stop them. Beta-blockers are tied to low birth weight in children whose mother took them during pregnancy.


Even if you plan on going off your medications when you’re pregnant, you may need to start this process ahead of time. There could be withdrawals to consider. This process could be dangerous to take on if you’re in the middle of trying to conceive. Always speak to a trusted medical professional if you’re unsure what to do. Stopping your medications outright could be dangerous to your health if you’re not careful.


Here’s another article we think you’ll like: Coping With a Premature Birth


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