Pregnant on Prozac: The Essential Guide to Making the Best Decision for You and Your Baby

by Shoshana S. Bennett

Book Overview

Antidepressants today top the list of drugs prescribed to women. But what happens when you add pregnancy into the mix? Pregnant on Prozacis the first guide to separate the myths from the facts. Taking a pull-no-punches, prescriptive approach, it clearly spells out not only the possible risks of antidepressant use--whether it be Prozac, Wellbutrin, or any of the host of other drugs--by hopeful mothers but also the lesser-known yet...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0762749407
• ISBN13: 9780762749409
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Globe Pequot Press
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

So incredibly informative!

I just finished this book and feel like it's exactly what I've been looking for! I found all kinds of scary things online about SSRIs and pregnancy and quite honestly, had totally overwhelmed myself. Then I randomly came across Dr. Bennett's book in my search and bought it instantly. I had already made the incredibly difficult decision to continue taking anti-anxiety/anti-depressants while trying to get pregnant(and when eventually pregnant)but this book is what actually made me feel comfortable with my decision... it reassured me that by taking care of myself I will actually be taking care of my baby as well. I only wish some of my friends who suffered through pregnancy without their meds would have had this book too!

Provides Real Guidance

It is such a struggle to find good advice about taking antidepressant medications in pregnancy. This book really helped me make a thoughtful and confident decision. I suffered with debilitating postpartum anxiety after having my first baby, and it unexpectedly returned during my second pregnancy. I delayed treatment for weeks as I tried to find an alternative to taking medication, but nothing helped and I continued to suffer. I am so glad I read this book and found the answers I needed to make a good decision.

This book has helped me so much!!

I have been depressed on and off for years. I have been on prozac on and off as well. When deciding to become pregnant I decided with the help of my Dr. to go off. Within the first trimester I began feeling feelings of doubt, hopelessness, guilt, panic, and any negative emotion you could possibly not want. I was a complete mess. My Dr. recommended I get back on a small dose of prozac and I refused. Saying it can harm my baby and I can tough it out, and tried alternatives. I did all types of therapy. EMDR, talk therapy, art therapy, acupunture, hypnosis, I attended meditation seminars and went as far that I hired a buddist monk to teach me. Nothing could soothe this internal pain, which I also feared was effecting my baby. By the end of my second trimester I was miserable and didnt know what to do. I did all the research I could on the internet about the effects of SSRI and my baby and untreated depression and anxiety and the fetus. The internet is a wonderful tool but in these dark times when I was plagued with such profound fear and panic and needed help was not one of those times. All of the scary information out there put me into a complete tail spin and I felt lost. I came across Dr Shosh and her clear sky website and emailed if I could speak to her and sure enough, I did. I ordered her book and read everything there is to know, in an clear cut, matter of fact way. All fact based and trusted. I went on a small dose of prozac and am continuing my pregnancy, with lighter spirits. If it was not for this book I would still be surfing the web about reading misinformation about this, driving myself nuts about whether or not. I am a huge fan of Dr. Shosh because she suffers as well and knows first hand what it was like to suffer from anxiety and depression during her pregnancy. I am grateful to women who share their stories as she does to help women in need like myself, thank you.

A Godsend!

Dr. Shoshana Bennett's latest book, Pregnant on Prozac, is a godsend to any woman taking psychiatric medications and thinking about pregnancy, pregnant and currently taking medications or pregnant and considering medication. The book is brimming with the latest research on depression and other mood disorders during pregnancy and their effect on the mother and developing fetus. It includes detailed information about what is known about psychiatric medications during pregnancy, as well as possible alternative treatments. The resource section in the back is also incredible! Although it mainly speaks to depression during pregnancy, bipolar disorder is also covered thoroughly. This book is amazing!

Incredibly helpful

As someone who has been on an SSRI for 10 years and has been struggling with the issue of whether to get pregnant while on my antidepressent, this book was a godsend. I haven't found another book out there that so thoroughly addresses all the issues women in this position face. Best of all, Dr. Bennett anticipates the questions and fears many women have, and includes stories from her own patients that have struggled with this issue. Even if you are already under the care of a psychiatrist to monitor your medication, this book is well worth the money. Dr. Bennett includes non-medication options that my psychiatrist has never mentioned, but that are safe and certainly worth a shot. In all, I thought "Pregnant on Prozac" was incredibly informative, nonjudgemental, and compassionate.