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Reader Stories: How I Decided Whether to Have Children

By , About.com Guide

Updated December 17, 2010

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If you have bipolar disorder, you may have worried about becoming a parent, whether your fer was based on passing a mental illness to a child, concerns about being able to care for children during episodes, or how you'd handle medications during pregnancy. Did having bipolar disorder influence your decision whether or not to have children? If so, what issues influenced you? Share your story, or read how others made the decision to help you make yours.

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Weigh the issues carefully

I had always said I didn't want children because I feared I would be a terrible mother. My own mother never wanted to have me examined, she felt that I just needed to try harder to focus and control …More

It's God's Will

When I found out that I was going to have a baby, I was fine with it. Strangely enough I didn't get sick enough to take meds until after I had my twins. I remember long ago in my teen years going and…More

Glad to have her sons

I am glad I wasn't given the chance to decide if I wanted to have children because of the Bipolar Disorder. I would have chosen not to especially since my life has been tumultuous. My children went t…More

My Decision About Whether to Have Children

There were so many things which factored into my decision, some of which I only realize on a daily basis. After diagnosis I was told that it would be "morally" wrong for me to have kids even though I…More

We Welcomed Our Children

We already had one child on the way, and it was too late to decide not to have a child. And we decided we didn't want that child to be an only child, so we made the choice to have a second child. I d…More

Bipolar and Glad I Have My Children!

My decision was - could I love them no matter what? Could I take care of them? Could I trust God to help me and them? Well, I am glad I didn't have to worry about the answers. Doctors told me I could…More

How I Made My Decision About Having Children

Because of my husband's reservations and the fact that I needed to find a pdoc close to home, I transferred to one fresh out of school, my age and very nonjudgmental. She told me that it was wrong fo…More

I made the decision not to have children because of my bipolar disorder

I actually was pregnant at one time. It was an unexpected pregnancy that, and I know this may sound harsh or even mean, but I miscarried and I was glad that it happened. Not that I didn't want childr…More

I made the right decision when I had a child

I used a supposed-contraceptive cream and followed the directions on the tube. But it did not work. I wanted to have an abortion. When the man once asked me if a guy got me pregnant, when would I do?…More

I still want children but ...

12 years ago I became a middle school teacher so that is pretty much instant birth control right there.Joking aside, I am a lesbian and would have had to gone the extra mile to get a child. I also ha…More

I'm glad I had my child

I did not know when I was 21 years old that I have a mood disorder.I love children very much and I did not think twice. But as soon I had him, I knew I could not have anymore. The labor pains, anxiet…More

Loving my child made a huge difference to me

I had a very supportive mother, which made me feel that I really wanted to make another human being as happy as possible, specially a child of mine. Once my son was born, his existence miraculously P…More

Bipolar disorder makes my son's life difficult

I did not know it the time that bipolar disorder was an issue, although I did know I had depression and anxiety problems. I was determined to be a mother, but I cannot say with all honesty that I wou…More

I struggled with the choice to continue or stop medications

I reached a point in my life where I decided that I could let BP define me as a person and limit my experiences or I could accept that there is no such thing as a perfect parent and proceed with the …More

My daughter inherited bipolar disorder

My daughter made her decision after talking with her psychiatrist, and based on her history, it's more feasible to keep taking her meds, rather than risk suicide. Hormones also play into this, during…More

Bipolar Disorder and Having Children - Still Undecided

I have a child from a previous marriage. However, my current husband doesn't have any children, so this is why I want to have a child with him. I am kind of scared and torn about being off my meds wh…More

I chose not to have children

Having the feeling of being "off" for so many years, seeing my father deteriorate before early onset Alzheimer's (and having to take care of him - which led to a 2 year funk following his death) and …More

My Husband's Bipolar Disorder and the Choice About Children

We considered the genetic chances of a child being bipolar with a therapist. We were told that there was an 80% chance of passing along the bipolar disorder. My husband stated that he knows how he fe…More

I had my children before I know I had bipolar disorder - but I'm glad I had them

It was an amazingly difficult time as I had no idea what was going on with me. I was not aware of a serious problem until I was well into the pregnancy. Had I known I would have to be in the hospital…More

Did I Do the Right Thing?

I always wanted children. He really didn't. He is one of seven children and no one else in the family other than his mother had a mental disorder so I thought our chances of having a child with any p…More

I'm a Parent Who Has Bipolar Disorder

As I had no idea when I fell pregnant the first time, there was no decision making. When I became pregnant the second time, despite the terrible trauma, I was positive about a better outcome even tho…More

I'm glad I had my daughters

I had children before diagnosis. But had I been diagnosed before having children I would still have wanted to have children. People with other severe "physical" illnesses which are also genetic in na…More

I knew that not having children was best for me

From my teens, I knew something was "off" about me. I also had two behaviorally-erratic parents and I thought, "What if I'm really just like them?"Later, in my twenties, I struggled with moods and be…More

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