So I bought three books that I have found to be awesome, and I thought I would share them with you so that you can look into them if you want to:
1. Pregnant on Prozac: The Essential Guide to Making the Best Decision For You and Your Baby, by Shoshana S. Bennett
This is a really great book about choosing to either use or not use meds while pregnant. It's extremely informative and makes me feel better about having to make the choice to go back on meds if need be.
2. (this one is my favorite) Rebuild From Depression: A Nutrient Guide Including Depression in Pregnancy and Postpartum, by Amanda Rose, Ph.D. and Annell Adams, M.D.
This book is awesome. Honestly, I can't say enough good things about it. The author pretty much starts out saying that you need to do what works. And if that's medication, then so be it, however she encourages the reader to figure out why you are depressed. There's also information about "breaking the cycle" of depression by fixing your own before or during your pregnancy and perhaps being able to avoid passing it on to your kid (like in cases where clinical depression "runs in the family" which mine definitely does). Whether or not there's truth to that I am unsure, but it sure couldn't hurt to try. The information she presents is very compelling.
3. A Natural Guide To Pregnancy and Postpartum Health, by Dean Raffelock, et al
I haven't gotten into this one as much because I have been so caught up in the others, and also because there doesn't seem to be as much information on the time before pregnancy.
4. Get It Done When You're Depressed, by Julie A. Fast and John D. Preston
I know this book sounds ridiculous. I know it does. I picked it up as a red dot special for a dollar at a used book store. I figured, why not? Here's the deal: it's AMAZING. Nothing to do with pregnancy at all, but so helpful for dealing with depression. I thought it was just going to be silly but it has been a really great resource for me. The author Julie Fast deals with depression and talks about how to, quite literally, live with your depression. She talks about the day to day life stuff and how to just get on with it even when you're depressed. I couldn't believe how many times I went through this book and said, "OMG! That's exactly how I feel!!!" This is NOT a "get over it" book. It's a true portrayal of how to acknowledge and accept your depression and keep working in spite of your feelings. I love this book.
So there you go. Happy reading!
