247: High-Risk Pregnancy, NICU, and their Impact on Living with Bipolar 1

Pregnancy and the postpartum bring multiple challenges. The difficulties can escalate to a much higher level when a mental illness is involved. The good news is that a new mom can survive and thrive with the right support and medication, but the journey to reach that point is not easy. Join us to learn more about one young mother’s journey to parenthood with Bipolar 1.  Emily Collins is a young millennial woman living with Bipolar 1. She shares what it’s like to navigate life as a mother and professional while dealing with mental illness. Emily gives us a glimpse into her experience with a high-risk pregnancy, an emergency C-section, and a premature infant who had to spend eight weeks in the NICU. In sharing her story, she helps us understand how she was able to cope and find healing over time despite the many challenges. She is married to her college sweetheart, and they have three children, ages 9, 6, and 4. A pre-kindergarten teacher by trade, Emily’s Instagram account, Lattes and Lithium, pulls back the curtain on what her life is like with bipolar disorder.  Show Highlights: What it means to have a bipolar disorder diagnosis (also called manic depression) How Emily first knew something was wrong and felt depression and went through anorexia at age 15 How bipolar disorder and hypomania began to take over Emily’s life during her college years How medication started calming Emily and helped her feel grounded and normal again How Emily’s care team of her husband, therapist, and psychiatrist help her stay grounded today Why it was a difficult decision to stay on her medication during her first pregnancy How her first two pregnancies and deliveries (2013 and 2016) went well with no problems or harmful side effects of Emily’s medication How things were very different with her third pregnancy in 2018 with two frightening bleeding episodes prior to 18 weeks After an ultrasound showed a subchorionic hematoma as the cause of bleeding, her pregnancy took a turn for the worst around 21 weeks with another heavy bleeding incident, total bed rest, and a minimal chance for her baby’s survival How unusual pain and more bleeding at 28 weeks sent Emily to the hospital, where the diagnosis was a partial placental abruption With more severe bleeding, an emergency C-section took place to deliver her son–who went directly to the NICU as a four-pounder in relatively good health How Emily’s hypomania manifested itself with an obsession about being at the NICU to be with her son Why Emily became involved with volunteering at the hospital, wrote articles, and secured an internship to advocate for premature babies—all as a result of her hypomania How Emily’s hypomania lasted for about a year and was followed by severe depression and psychosis for several months How her bipolar took her through alternating episodes of hypomania and severe depression for the next few years with several different medications and a stay at a treatment facility Why mothers of babies in the NICU usually experience forms of PTSD How Emily experienced paranoia as another symptom of bipolar disorder during her postpartum Why there is a sort of grieving process for the time when Emily struggled after her son’s birth What Emily wants people to understand about bipolar disorder and pregnancy/postpartum  Resources: Connect with Emily: Lattes and Lithium Visit www.postpartum.net for resources! Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.   Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!