So I had my appointment with the Psychiatrist on Tuesday.
I feel it went very well. Not only did the guy not make me feel small and patronised, but he was also supportive of my decision to conceive a child.
I have been given the go ahead to stay on the medication (at the current dosage) I am on throughout the pregnancy. There may be some tweaking of the dose towards the end of the pregnancy and immediately after delivery.
He also wants my pregnancy to be closely monitored throughout, but especially in the first trimester when any congenital defects may present themselves. He did say that the Pristiq is considered safe, but he couldn't totally say that there won't be any side effects on the baby. Combined with my own research, the advice I have been given from a expert in medicine interaction, I feel fairly safe to continue taking the Pristiq.
He also said that I should be aware that I may experience high blood pressure later in pregnancy.
The psychiatrist also wants to treat the pregnancy as high-risk and I would need to be under the care of an OB/GYN, which I would have been anyway.
So immediately after my appointment with the psychiatrist, I made a phone call to my local gp's office and I made an appointment to get the implanon rod out! Next Tuesday it will occur! Yay!
Finally I feel like I am moving ahead with my trying to conceive journey!
Cheers!
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
A month full of Appointments!
So I have booked all the appointments I can possibly book at the moment.
Psychiatrist - 7th October
GP - 20th October
OB/GYN - 31st October.
And an appointment yet to be made (depends on what the psych says) to get the rod taken out of my arm.
So hopefully we'll be well on our way to trying to conceive by the end of next month!
Psychiatrist - 7th October
GP - 20th October
OB/GYN - 31st October.
And an appointment yet to be made (depends on what the psych says) to get the rod taken out of my arm.
So hopefully we'll be well on our way to trying to conceive by the end of next month!
Monday, September 22, 2014
My Doctor's Appointment
Howdy!
So I had my doctor's appointment today. Things didn't go according to my plans unfortunately.
Once again my GP is refusing to take my implanon out until after I see another doctor - a psychiatrist this time. He wants a second opinion about my medications and what I should take during pregnancy.
So now there is more waiting involved. I don't know when I'll get in to see this particular doctor. To make things worse, I hate this guy. He makes me feel so uncomfortable, patronised and small. So I'm not looking forward to this appointment.
Some good news though, my pre-pregnancy bloods all came back normal, except for my Vitamin D, which is too low, so I now need to take a supplement. Best of all, my fasting insulin levels have come back the best they have ever been and in the normal range, so I am assuming I am no longer insulin resistant!
I also got my referral to my OB/GYN. So I will make that appointment tomorrow.
So that's where I'm at for the moment.
Peace Out!
xx
So I had my doctor's appointment today. Things didn't go according to my plans unfortunately.
Once again my GP is refusing to take my implanon out until after I see another doctor - a psychiatrist this time. He wants a second opinion about my medications and what I should take during pregnancy.
So now there is more waiting involved. I don't know when I'll get in to see this particular doctor. To make things worse, I hate this guy. He makes me feel so uncomfortable, patronised and small. So I'm not looking forward to this appointment.
Some good news though, my pre-pregnancy bloods all came back normal, except for my Vitamin D, which is too low, so I now need to take a supplement. Best of all, my fasting insulin levels have come back the best they have ever been and in the normal range, so I am assuming I am no longer insulin resistant!
I also got my referral to my OB/GYN. So I will make that appointment tomorrow.
So that's where I'm at for the moment.
Peace Out!
xx
Sunday, September 21, 2014
An Interesting Development.
Hi everyone.
Just thought I would quickly update you all on a few things that have happened in the last week.
So on Thursday just gone, I had my fortnightly appointment with my mental health worker - Anne.
I had told Anne at a previous appointment that I wanted to conceive again. She is really supportive. We discussed the need to change my medication and the fact that I would need to stay medicated throughout the pregnancy for my own safety. I am currently on the antidepressant Pristiq and I let her know that I was planning on going onto Zoloft as it is considered safe for use during pregnancy.
Anyway fast forward to last Thursday and Anne tells me that she has a colleague that is very knowledgeable in medicine interactions and that she would call him on my behalf and inquire with him about the other medications I am and whether they are safe for use during pregnancy.
So Anne calls me on Friday after speaking with her colleague and she lets me know that according to him, Pristiq is as safe as Zoloft during pregnancy. He also recommended that I stay on the Pristiq and just reduce the dosage in the last trimester. There is not as much data/research on it however.
I did a little research myself and found some interesting things. Both Zoloft and Pristiq are classified as a category C by the FDA. Both Pristiq and Zoloft have the same possible side effects on the newborn.
So, while I still have to discuss this all with my doctor, it looks as if I may not have to change medications, risking a possible downward spiral in my depression. And it also means trying to conceive is much closer!
And, I'm excited to announce, my long awaited doctors appointment is tomorrow!!! Hooray! So I will update again soon with all my news from that appointment!
Happy Times People!
Just thought I would quickly update you all on a few things that have happened in the last week.
So on Thursday just gone, I had my fortnightly appointment with my mental health worker - Anne.
I had told Anne at a previous appointment that I wanted to conceive again. She is really supportive. We discussed the need to change my medication and the fact that I would need to stay medicated throughout the pregnancy for my own safety. I am currently on the antidepressant Pristiq and I let her know that I was planning on going onto Zoloft as it is considered safe for use during pregnancy.
Anyway fast forward to last Thursday and Anne tells me that she has a colleague that is very knowledgeable in medicine interactions and that she would call him on my behalf and inquire with him about the other medications I am and whether they are safe for use during pregnancy.
So Anne calls me on Friday after speaking with her colleague and she lets me know that according to him, Pristiq is as safe as Zoloft during pregnancy. He also recommended that I stay on the Pristiq and just reduce the dosage in the last trimester. There is not as much data/research on it however.
I did a little research myself and found some interesting things. Both Zoloft and Pristiq are classified as a category C by the FDA. Both Pristiq and Zoloft have the same possible side effects on the newborn.
So, while I still have to discuss this all with my doctor, it looks as if I may not have to change medications, risking a possible downward spiral in my depression. And it also means trying to conceive is much closer!
And, I'm excited to announce, my long awaited doctors appointment is tomorrow!!! Hooray! So I will update again soon with all my news from that appointment!
Happy Times People!
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Sometimes Doctors Can Be Jerks!
Hi all!
I decided to get the whole trying to conceive ball rolling by making an appointment to get the contraceptive rod out of my arm.
I rang my normal clinic and was informed that not only do I have to make an appointment to get the rod out, but I also need to make a prior appointment to "talk" about getting the darn thing out.
As my regular GP was away on holidays, I decided I would speak to another doctor at the clinic rather than wait for my GP to return.
So the first appointment was last Friday (5th September). I walk in, sit down and explain that I want the rod out of my arm and that I plan on trying to conceive. The doctor then explained that I should get a variety of blood tests done first - a pre-pregnancy screening, making sure that I did not have any STI's, my blood group and a fasting insulin reading due to the fact that I had gestational diabetes with my last two children.
That was great. I was happy to comply. I saw it as another step towards being able to conceive.
And then he read my file.
His tune changed really fast.
He actually asked me if my husband knew I was at the appointment! And did my husband know that I was intending on getting the rod taken out of my arm? He actually implied that I was going behind my husband's back and that it was some kind of secret I was keeping from him! It was in his tone of voice and written all over his face. When he asked me this I was too shocked to say anything other than, "Yes my husband knows I am here."
The more I think about it, the angrier I become. How dare he imply that I am a conniving woman, set out to get pregnant against my husband's wishes. How bloody rude!
He also informed me that I would need to see my regular GP BEFORE making the second appointment to get the rod taken out. I should have just waited to see my GP from the start.
Yes I have depression. I've been diagnosed since I was 15. It's been a long, hard battle. But that does not mean that I am not a loving mother, that I am not capable of raising more children. Yes, the depression is something I have to consider when making such life changing decisions, but it doesn't define me as a person. It is not who I am. It's not who I will be. Even in my deepest, darkest days when I couldn't get out of bed, I have ALWAYS made sure my children were taken care of first, and when there was nobody else to take care of them, I took care of them. I had too. They have always come first. They always will.
I've made peace with my diagnosis.
It's a shame that people like this doctor can't see beyond my diagnosis.
Kaysie
xxx
I decided to get the whole trying to conceive ball rolling by making an appointment to get the contraceptive rod out of my arm.
I rang my normal clinic and was informed that not only do I have to make an appointment to get the rod out, but I also need to make a prior appointment to "talk" about getting the darn thing out.
As my regular GP was away on holidays, I decided I would speak to another doctor at the clinic rather than wait for my GP to return.
So the first appointment was last Friday (5th September). I walk in, sit down and explain that I want the rod out of my arm and that I plan on trying to conceive. The doctor then explained that I should get a variety of blood tests done first - a pre-pregnancy screening, making sure that I did not have any STI's, my blood group and a fasting insulin reading due to the fact that I had gestational diabetes with my last two children.
That was great. I was happy to comply. I saw it as another step towards being able to conceive.
And then he read my file.
His tune changed really fast.
He actually asked me if my husband knew I was at the appointment! And did my husband know that I was intending on getting the rod taken out of my arm? He actually implied that I was going behind my husband's back and that it was some kind of secret I was keeping from him! It was in his tone of voice and written all over his face. When he asked me this I was too shocked to say anything other than, "Yes my husband knows I am here."
The more I think about it, the angrier I become. How dare he imply that I am a conniving woman, set out to get pregnant against my husband's wishes. How bloody rude!
He also informed me that I would need to see my regular GP BEFORE making the second appointment to get the rod taken out. I should have just waited to see my GP from the start.
Yes I have depression. I've been diagnosed since I was 15. It's been a long, hard battle. But that does not mean that I am not a loving mother, that I am not capable of raising more children. Yes, the depression is something I have to consider when making such life changing decisions, but it doesn't define me as a person. It is not who I am. It's not who I will be. Even in my deepest, darkest days when I couldn't get out of bed, I have ALWAYS made sure my children were taken care of first, and when there was nobody else to take care of them, I took care of them. I had too. They have always come first. They always will.
I've made peace with my diagnosis.
It's a shame that people like this doctor can't see beyond my diagnosis.
Kaysie
xxx
A Formal Introduction.
So, by some miracle you've made it here to my new blog. And now you are wondering who the heck I am and what business do I have for writing a blog and taking up some of you precious time!
So let me tell you.
My name is Kaysie. I am 31 years old. I live in rural Victoria, Australia. I am married with 2 children. And I want a third baby. I DESPERATELY want a third baby. It's all I think about. It quite literally consumes most of my waking thoughts. I dream about having another baby. I see babies everywhere when I walk down the street. Facebook is full of newborn babies who make me the cluckiest woman alive. My oldest and dearest friend is pregnant. Babies everywhere!
But having a baby is not so simple for me. It's not just a matter of falling pregnant. There are things that I need to consider, things I need to change and things that need to be resolved before I can even begin trying to conceive.
Let me explain.
My biggest hurdle is my mental health. I have severe depression. And even though I have been fairly stable for most of this year, I am on medications that are not safe for pregnancy. This means I need to change my medications before I fall pregnant, which in turn means I need the support of my wonderful GP to change them. As great as he is, I feel he will be loathe to change anything due to the effectiveness of my current medication. It also means waiting weeks and weeks to get in and actually be able to see him as he is booked up for months in advanced. I do have an appointment on the 22nd of September, but that is still weeks away and I want to get the ball rolling now. Like, right now!
And because of my mental health I need to consider the ramifications of changing my meds to something that is safe for pregnancy, like Zoloft. What will I do if the new medications don't work? What then? Persevere until I'm pregnant and had the baby? How low am I prepared to go, how far down that black tunnel am I willing to go for a baby. And is it fair on my husband and children to do that? And what of the new baby? Is it fair on the baby to be born to a mother who is depressed? And how will I cope once the baby is born? I at least know that there are medications that work that I can turn to once I've had the baby, that is comforting.
The next hurdle to overcome is my infertility problems. It took two years to conceive my last baby - who happens to be 6 next month! I required intervention from an OB/GYN to conceive him. My problem is I don't feel like I have two years in me to conceive a baby. My oldest is already 9, my husband 41 and I just feel like if it took two more years to conceive, everyone would be too old.
My plan is to seek help from my OB/GYN as soon as possible. But for that to happen I need to get a referral when I see my doctor, who I don't see for another 2 weeks yet. It just feels so far away! I also need to get the Implanon contraceptive rod taken out which requires another appointment to the GP - which I can't make until after I've seen my GP. Everything just seems to hinge on this one appointment. It drives me crazy!
So, this blog is all about my journey through the trying to conceive stages and future pregnancy. I hope you'll stick around and following along with me. I have to tell you though, this blog is mostly for my own sake - writing it all down so that not only do I not forget this journey, but it gives me an outlet to get my emotions out so I don't bottle it up like I would normally do.
Kaysie
xxx
So let me tell you.
My name is Kaysie. I am 31 years old. I live in rural Victoria, Australia. I am married with 2 children. And I want a third baby. I DESPERATELY want a third baby. It's all I think about. It quite literally consumes most of my waking thoughts. I dream about having another baby. I see babies everywhere when I walk down the street. Facebook is full of newborn babies who make me the cluckiest woman alive. My oldest and dearest friend is pregnant. Babies everywhere!
But having a baby is not so simple for me. It's not just a matter of falling pregnant. There are things that I need to consider, things I need to change and things that need to be resolved before I can even begin trying to conceive.
Let me explain.
My biggest hurdle is my mental health. I have severe depression. And even though I have been fairly stable for most of this year, I am on medications that are not safe for pregnancy. This means I need to change my medications before I fall pregnant, which in turn means I need the support of my wonderful GP to change them. As great as he is, I feel he will be loathe to change anything due to the effectiveness of my current medication. It also means waiting weeks and weeks to get in and actually be able to see him as he is booked up for months in advanced. I do have an appointment on the 22nd of September, but that is still weeks away and I want to get the ball rolling now. Like, right now!
And because of my mental health I need to consider the ramifications of changing my meds to something that is safe for pregnancy, like Zoloft. What will I do if the new medications don't work? What then? Persevere until I'm pregnant and had the baby? How low am I prepared to go, how far down that black tunnel am I willing to go for a baby. And is it fair on my husband and children to do that? And what of the new baby? Is it fair on the baby to be born to a mother who is depressed? And how will I cope once the baby is born? I at least know that there are medications that work that I can turn to once I've had the baby, that is comforting.
The next hurdle to overcome is my infertility problems. It took two years to conceive my last baby - who happens to be 6 next month! I required intervention from an OB/GYN to conceive him. My problem is I don't feel like I have two years in me to conceive a baby. My oldest is already 9, my husband 41 and I just feel like if it took two more years to conceive, everyone would be too old.
My plan is to seek help from my OB/GYN as soon as possible. But for that to happen I need to get a referral when I see my doctor, who I don't see for another 2 weeks yet. It just feels so far away! I also need to get the Implanon contraceptive rod taken out which requires another appointment to the GP - which I can't make until after I've seen my GP. Everything just seems to hinge on this one appointment. It drives me crazy!
So, this blog is all about my journey through the trying to conceive stages and future pregnancy. I hope you'll stick around and following along with me. I have to tell you though, this blog is mostly for my own sake - writing it all down so that not only do I not forget this journey, but it gives me an outlet to get my emotions out so I don't bottle it up like I would normally do.
Kaysie
xxx
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