Tag Archives: Essential

Essential Reads: Lithium and Breastfeeding

Lithium is an important treatment option for women with bipolar disorder.  Because women with bipolar disorder are at high risk for relapse during the postpartum period, we typically recommend that women continue treatment with lithium throughout the postpartum period.  While this intervention clearly decreases risk for postpartum psychiatric illness, the use of lithium while breastfeeding… Read More »

Essential Reads: Atypical Antipsychotics and Breastfeeding

Despite the increasing use of the newer “atypical” or second-generation antipsychotic agents to treat a spectrum of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, PTSD and other anxiety disorders, we have relatively little data on the use of these newer atypical agents in breastfeeding women.   All medications taken by the mother are excreted into… Read More »

Essential Reads: Innovative Methods for Addressing Substance Abuse During Pregnancy

Essential Reads: Innovative Methods for Addressing Substance Abuse During Pregnancy While the use of alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy is falling, the use of cannabis and opioids is increasing.  The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists now recommends universal screening for substance use to be carried out at the first prenatal visit with a validated… Read More »

Essential Reads: How to Screen for Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Postpartum Women?

When obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) occurs during the postpartum period, women may experience typical OCD symptoms related to contamination and cleaning, catastrophic thoughts and checking, or symmetry and ordering.  However, many women with postpartum OCD, as well as those with other postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, have intrusive, ego-dystonic thoughts of harming the infant.  These intrusive… Read More »