MD Nan Nelson Treatment of Perinatal Mood Disorders

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In medical school, we were taught First, Do No Harm. While studying in obstetrics, we were basically told, Do not interfere with the natural process of pregnancy and delivery so that nature could run its course. Let the obstetrician add medication because they know the most. In the world of defensive medicine, why would you add medication during pregnancy? The malpractice insurance for ob-gyns is astronomical. Women have been delivering babies since the beginning of time, and itll all turn out okay. As an intern, I was terrified of killing someone. I would check and recheck my work to make sure that I did not harm someone. So the noninterference of medication use during pregnancy and postpartum made sense to me.