Anja will discuss the treatment of women with bipolar disorder during pregnancy and in the postpartum period, which can be a major challenge. Decisions must be made about whether or not to take psychiatric medication while pregnant and after delivery, weighing the risks for the mother and the (unborn) child. In particular, the postpartum period is associated with an increased risk for the onset or exacerbation of bipolar disorder. Anja wiill discuss the making of a prevention plan with the woman and her partner, which gives them the tools and more certainty about how to manage this challenging period.
Anja Stevens is a psychiatrist from the Netherlands. She is a member of the Board of the Dutch Foundation for Bipolar Disorders, chapter of ISBD, and a member of the Board of the Dutch Knowledge Centre for Psychiatry and Pregnancy. Her interests are bipolar disorder in general and, in particular, bipolar disorder and pregnancy. Her current research focuses on the influence of sleep disturbance in the perinatal period on postpartum psychopathology. She wrote, together with Fleur Schreurs, a book on postpartum psychosis and translated, together with Bart Geerling, Sharon Bracken’s book ‘Eli, the bipolar bear’ to Dutch.