Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Pregnancy

I am a married woman who is contemplating becoming pregnant. Both my 50-year-old mother and my 29-year-old sister have suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder for several years. They are both under psychiatric care, take antidepressants and attend support groups for obsessive-compulsive behavior. Will I also develop obsessive-compulsive disorder once I've become pregnant?

Since two members of your family suffer from this disorder, your anxiety is quite legitimate and you are wise to seek advice. Doctors don't know the exact role of heredity in obsessive compulsive disorder; therefore, it's not possible to predict the chances that this disorder will affect you, although your risk of developing OCD is higher than someone whose relatives do not suffer from it. Although the question of whether you'll develop this condition in your lifetime remains open, we can say with some confidence that your risk of developing this disorder for the first time during pregnancy is not very high. Your family history is no reason to choose against pregnancy.

It would be a good idea for you and your husband to arrange a meeting to discuss your family history and concerns with your family doctor. Before pregnancy, it's always wise to be sure that those close to you and those involved in your medical care have a full picture of any possible risks. Should some problem develop, your doctor will have all the information to make the right diagnosis quickly. You might also want to request that you and your husband be referred for a consultation with a psychiatrist, you can clarify the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, reassure you as to your small chance of developing the problem during pregnancy, and then see you again during your pregnancy if this seems called for.