Bipolar and Trying to Concieve

I have been AWOL for several months and for good reason. Life has gotten a bit busy for me. We bought a house, moved, and I have a new niece and a nephew on the way. Months ago my husband and I made the decision to try to have a child. For many people who are medication for Bipolar Disorder this means discontinuing treatment until after the baby is born. I have a double whammy. I also have an infertility disorder. So what did we do to prepare for all of this change? Well, we came up with a plan. Here is what we did:

1.) spoke with Family Doctor, treating Psychiatrist, Therapist and an OB/GYN to see if it was safe for me to conceive. This included blood work, a physical and setting up appointments every week with my therapist and every two weeks with my Psychiatrist as I went off of all medications.

2.) We held a family and close friends support meeting. We explained Bipolar Disorder in detail, explained why I needed to be medicated and that going off of medications would be dangerous. We asked for support; phone calls, hanging out with me, encouragement, visits. Checking in with me on hard days to see if I was doing what I said I would do and if I wasn't calling my husband.

3.) Dedicated myself to a daily email to everyone on the "support team" with my mood, sleep patterns, weather I showered and have eaten all of my meals, weather I napped during the day, my appointments and who I corresponded with throughout the day.

4.) Signed a Medical Power of Attorney and a Durable Power of Attorney over to my husband to expire upon successfully being treated with medications either after the birth of our baby or when/if we decide we are finished trying.

5.) Went off of my medications over the course of 8 weeks.

6.) Had IUD removed and sent to OB?GYN for consultation.



I have only missed one day of a journal Entry as I call them (my daily email to my support team) Since February. The next post will be a few of my journal entries for you to read and see what it is like to go off of medications and to be off of medications for the purposes of conceiving.