My mother-in-law is bi-polar & I suspect that our son (9) is too - our daughter (16) well it's hard to tell with teens. Both have extremely high iq's & this also has a major impact on moods/behaviours etc so that adds to the problems of diagnosis etc.

There are nearly always ways around problems re meds & being pregnant, I think the main issue really would be to make sure that your psychiatrist, your local dr & your obgyn all understood your bi-polar & meds & that they communicated with each other & with you & also that you did alot of research to check everything out yourself (which you sem to be doing).

Your sleep problems (another post) & dreams etc may well relate to stress re wanting a baby & fears on the subject. As to dealing with the issue if the child(ren) is bi-polar that really isn't an issue. Think about it, babies don't come with guarantees, they may or may not have problems regardless of the parents medical histories. They may have an accident & require treatment - you can not predict any of this so don't worry about the bi-polar possibility (in any case medical knowledge & treatment is improving constantly & your own knowledge would also aid in diagnosis, treatment & understanding etc!!).

Good luck & enjoy trying!!

I am bipolar and currently pregnant. I didn't plan it so it was crash course right off my meds. I was diagnosed bipolar after my second child when I was 30. The past 6 years on lithium have made such a difference in my life. I always hated taking my meds but I miss them now more than ever because I miss my sanity. The mood swings with prgnancy are hard with bipolar are even tougher. I have to be very concious of what I am doing. It is so easy to lose control, so I have to try that much harder. My memory is not so great, so I am all over the place right now, starting one thing, forgetting to finish another.
I have a great support system. That is what is getting me though this. Since lithium affects the baby's heart and heart disease runs in my family I cannot take the risk of taking lithium. I am in a little depression now but I know that through my suffering, my baby will be much better off. My sleep has gotten worse. I am exhauseted, although my mind races too much for me too sleep. Some days are great, some are real bad. I just take them one at a time. I know ultimately I will get though this. When the baby is born the whole experience will be behind me. I just wanted to share my feelings, not to scare you but so you can make a better decision.

Good luck