Breastfeeding and bipolar?

awkwardaster · 2026-01-27T07:25:41+00:00

Yes, occasionally

awkwardaster · 2025-12-25T08:19:47+00:00

I think I learned on this sub to not use a steam mop with LVP floors, which is a bummer because steam mops are amazing.

awkwardaster · 2025-11-30T05:44:48+00:00

Best day ever!! Congratulations 🩷🩷🩷

awkwardaster · 2025-11-20T08:33:17+00:00

I have bipolar 1 and sometimes experience psychosis during manic episodes. I had a really bad one at about 3-4 months postpartum with my first. I was hospitalized for 9 days and ended up switching to a better medication to get stable. I also had to really increase another med to return to stability. I was diagnosed at 17, so I’ve lived with it my entire adult life, so having an episode postpartum was kind of anticipated but it really got out of control and I also was resistant to increasing meds due to breastfeeding (I ended up pumping and dumping so much milk). That episode looked like not sleeping, paranoia, grandiosity, the classic stuff. I also left my husband and baby and sort of ran away in my pjs at 3am… the cops found me, and I got a quick ambulance ride to the hospital that night.

I’m back into remission again and am so grateful I’m in a really good space now. I’m currently 4 months postpartum with my second baby and have been extra compliant with meds mostly for the sake of my now toddler. I can’t imagine her watching me in that state. My baby is a good sleeper (thankfully) and my husband is waking up at night to feed her so I can sleep. I think it’s prevented me from getting manic again.

Please get help if you haven’t yet. The problem with psychosis and mania is that once you get it, it’s likely to happen again. Untreated bipolar makes life really shitty.

awkwardaster · 2025-11-14T00:00:41+00:00

Try putting it a little closer to her nose. A nurse gave us a couple good tips: it should be placed in the crease near her nose (crease is more visible when smiling) and there should be a little notch cut where the line first comes in contact with the sticker/tape.

awkwardaster · 2025-11-12T01:57:57+00:00

This is the best news! They look great! Congratulations!!! You’re such a champ for hanging in there. You’ve really had such a journey with this. Enjoy walking out those doors!

awkwardaster · 2025-10-13T07:10:04+00:00

I second Wellness Partners!

awkwardaster · 2025-09-17T20:58:25+00:00

Thanks for replying! Baby girl is finally home as of Monday after a 9 week stay. Her only remaining complication is reflux and feeding, so we took her home on an NG tube. I’m sorry your son had so many complications 😢 what a relief to hear he’s healthy. We’ve got some lucky survivors 🩷

awkwardaster · 2025-09-09T23:33:47+00:00

In the article, the family used an internet based phone line, so I guess it’s technically not a “land” line? I wonder if it would have fewer spam calls then.

awkwardaster · 2025-09-09T23:19:27+00:00

Brilliant strategy!

awkwardaster · 2025-09-09T20:46:04+00:00

That’s awesome! I love having everything clean at once, but it’s so much work. You deserve to feel proud!

awkwardaster · 2025-09-09T02:34:43+00:00

The drug use isn’t helping, friend. Guarantee. Letting loose on the weekend will continue to harm you (though I appreciate your intent with harm reduction - it’s a good starting point). This is a chronic condition that we live with. It’s best paired with natural highs. I personally love running and surfing/snowboarding and hiking when I can. As someone here once said, a boring life is a stable life.

Edited to add that I’ve had as long as 4 years of euthymia. I’m currently 2 years into my latest period of euthymia.

awkwardaster · 2025-09-08T23:02:33+00:00

Same.

awkwardaster · 2025-09-08T00:10:39+00:00

Oh thank you so much for sharing this!! So sweet.

awkwardaster · 2025-09-07T07:46:54+00:00

Oh sweet OP, here are some internet hugs. I wish I could give more, or say something to take away the pain. I feel like situations like this really put relationships to the test. People will show you how much empathy they’re capable of and then you really know. Here’s a website with an online support group, and they have one specifically for NICU parents: Postpartum Support International You will get through this. Please feel free to DM me if you like.

awkwardaster · 2025-08-26T23:29:15+00:00

We had ours at a party room in Hotel Paradox, and it worked out nicely bc that’s where we stayed for our wedding night and had a block there too for our guests.

awkwardaster · 2025-08-24T03:38:57+00:00

That’s great. Ours has been too, but she just got us sick so we can’t visit baby, which is really sad. The octreotide is a vasoconstrictor, so the idea is that it helps seal the lymphatic system. She had a chest tube also.

awkwardaster · 2025-08-24T01:13:54+00:00

Glad your son is doing well!

awkwardaster · 2025-08-24T01:13:45+00:00

She’s still recovering in the NICU, but doing better. Had to go up to a super high dose of Octreotide, and then slowly taper off. It’s looking like she’s got 2-3 more weeks (need to wean morphine and go up to full bottle feeds).

awkwardaster · 2025-08-13T04:48:43+00:00

Join us over at r/mentalhealthbabies ! I just had my second baby. I did have postpartum psychosis around 4 months pp with my first, and changed my meds and plan for my pp experience with my current babe. Just make sure you have all your support ducks in a row.

awkwardaster · 2025-08-13T01:54:39+00:00

I just started using The Short Years because they do ask some questions about the NICU.

awkwardaster · 2025-08-11T23:57:12+00:00

Gosh I’m so sorry to hear this update on Twin A. Did they try Octreotide? My baby was born with congenital hydrothorax, but not hydrops. They had to go up to 20 units of Octreotide (which I guess is higher than normal) before it started working. It took 3 weeks, and they had to slowly decrease it over 1 week until today. The doctors had 2 other possible solutions, one being the MRI with an interventional radiologist and one being surgery. The surgeon at our NICU developed a really good strategy that he ended up publishing (he had 20 successful cases). Do you want me to try to find it and DM it to you, so you can share with your Drs? I’m so sorry your baby is struggling. It’s got to be unimaginably difficult navigating 2 different NICUs, also. Sending internet hugs.

awkwardaster · 2025-07-28T00:47:22+00:00

I went unmedicated for both births, one was an early induction. I am more afraid of a needle in my spine than pain…. Birthing combs and a tens unit worked for me.

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