William L. Toffler M.D.

have severe bipolar disorder and am unable to go off my medication if I become pregnant. How do medications for this disorder affect pregnancy, or should I even consider having children? The situation you describe is obviously anguishing for you.  I can well imagine that the advice doctors may have given you was based on their concern that any medicine you take for your bipolar disorder would cause birth defects or irreparable harm to a pregnancy.