The risks for women with bipolar disorder

o postpartum psychosis occurs in 25% or 1 in 4 births after

o Postnatal depression follows another 25%

o therefore about 50% or 1 in 2 women with bipolar stay well after

o having a baby and about 50% are likely to have an episode of illness

o 2 groups of women are at even higher risk:

o those who have had a postpartum episode before and

o those with close relative who has suffered a postpartum psychosis

What is Postpartum Psychosis?o Can include manic or depressive symptoms or very often a mixture of

botho symptoms include:o rapid changes in moodo restlessness and agitationo inability to sleepo unusual behaviour, losing your inhibitionso feeling anxious, irritable, suspicious or paranoido delusions – odd thoughts or beliefs that are unlikely to be trueo hallucinations – seeing, hearing or feeling things that aren’t really there

Symptoms usually start within days of the birth, whereaspostnatal depression may start up to 6 months followingthe birth

6

BBC Radio 4 Documentary:

‘Unravelling Eve’

Unravelling Eve is a Radio 4 documentary about a project funded by the Wellcome Trust which explores postpartum psychosis with Prof. Ian Jones and others, including a group of women who have experienced the illness and who talk openly about their journey back to recovery.

Listen on the APP site Home pagewww.app-network.org

What are the causes of these postpartum episodes of illness?

Why research is important

Causes of Postpartum Psychosis

Unclear: we don’t know why bipolar disorder is so associated with postpartum psychosis, though we know there is a genetic componentwe know there are ‘triggers’ for the illness

o Likely that the massive changes in hormone levels that occur after birth are a significant reason

o the sleep disturbance that inevitably comes with a new baby o the fact that many women stop or change medication to

breastfeed

Bipolar disorder, Pregnancy and Childbirth Having a baby is a major event in the life of any woman. For those with bipolar disorder (manic depression) there are a number of additional issues. Women with bipolar disorder and their families have many questions but can find it difficult to get the answers they need. There are many questions including: Will having a baby mean I will become ill?Will my children develop bipolar disorder?What effects will the medication I am taking have on my baby? In this leaflet we will pose and attempt to answer some of the more common questions asked by women with bipolar disorder considering having a baby. Each woman’s experience and circumstances are unique. It is not possible to give answers that will apply to every woman – rather we will raise some of the important issues and emphasise the importance of discussing them with both professionals involved in your care and with key people in your life like your partner and family.

First of all, despite the important issues discussed in this leaflet, we do not want to give the impression that women with bipolar disorder should avoid having children. Many such women are very glad that they have had a family and make excellent mothers.Indeed the majority of women with bipolar disorder thinking of starting a family, when presented with all the relevant information,make the decision to try for a baby.

What should I do if I am thinking of trying for a baby? Ideally, it is best to discuss your thoughts about getting pregnant with your GP and psychiatric team before trying for a baby.Some psychiatrists and other mental health workers have a special interest in psychiatric illness and childbirth (sometimescalled Perinatal Psychiatry). In the UK there are a number of excellent Perinatal Mental Health teams but unfortunately most areas are not covered.

o Accurate up to date informationo Personal stories of recoveryo Online forum for peer supporto Videos, podcasts, signposting

o Information on latest research and services

www.app-network.org

Run by researchers and women recovered from Postpartum Psychosis

PP is rare but not that rare

• Around 1400 cases occur each year in the UK• An average size maternity unit would see 8-10

cases of rapid onset psychosis following childbirth in a year

• Episodes of severe mental illness such as mania or psychosis follow 1-2 in 1000 deliveries

APP’s aims:

o To raise awareness of the condition among health professionals and the general public

o To provide up to date information to women who have experienced PP and their families

o To support those women and families via our online forum and peer support programmes

o To facilitate research into all aspects of PP

www.bipolaruk.org.uk020 7931 6480

twitter.com/bipolarukfacebook.com/

bipolaruk

twitter.com/ActionOnPPwww.facebook.com/

ActionOnPP

www.app-network.org

020 33229900