*****FROM ABC NEWS MEDICAL UNIT*****
Hi bwildkh and thank you for your question. Here is an answer from Dost Ongur, M.D., Clinical Director, Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Program, McLean Hospital:
Pregnancy and breastfeeding pose many challenges for new mothers and their health professionals. There is no one medication that is "proven" safe for the mother and infants in breastfeeding women, but there are many with greater degrees of safety. The answer will lie in the person’s specific history, current symptoms etc. So, please talk to your mental health professional about which medication may be best for you. Pregnancy/postpartum are times when women with bipolar disorder may experience activation of their symptoms, so the worst choice is to not do anything at all, and find yourself in a worse spot if a new episode comes along.
NOTE: Top medical experts on treating bipolar disorder answer more questions like these on our OnCall+ Bipolar website: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/BipolarTreatment/.
*****FROM ABC NEWS MEDICAL UNIT*****