Bipolar affective disorder (formerly known as manic depression) is a condition that affects 1-2% of the population. It is a serious mental health condition, which is usually diagnosed by a psychiatrist or a multidisciplinary mental health team. There are different forms of bipolar. Some are more severe than others. Everyone’s experience of bipolar is different from that of other people. Typically, however, bipolar means you have significant changes in your mood over several weeks, which can significantly affect your day-to-day life.  People with bipolar will have episodes of:

• depression – feeling very low and lethargic
• mania – feeling very high and overactive (less severe mania is known as hypomania). Psychotic experiences can also be present during a manic episode.

Symptoms of bipolar depend on whether your mood is low or high. Unlike simple mood swings, each extreme episode of bipolar can last for several weeks (or even longer), and some people may not have a normal mood very often.  A new bipolar episode can be triggered by life events, stress, changes to routines and lack of sleep.  There is an increased risk of this kind of relapse during pregnancy and after giving birth.

You are more likely to develop a condition called postpartum psychosis if you have a diagnosis of bipolar. Postpartum psychosis can start immediately after childbirth.

If one of your close family members has a history of bipolar or postpartum psychosis and you have a history of mental health difficulties yourself, you may have a small but increased risk of postpartum psychosis (about 4%).

If you have any signs of postpartum psychosis, it is important that you get help immediately. Speak to your GP and arrange an emergency appointment, call NHS 24 on 111, contact your mental health team, or attend your local accident and emergency department.

If you have a history of bipolar, it is important to tell your healthcare professional, so that you can get information and advice about the risk of a relapse in pregnancy and after you give birth.

You may benefit from additional support from a specialist perinatal mental health service or other mental health professional.

Your healthcare professional will work with you and other professionals to develop a care plan to meet your needs.

If you have a close family member who has a history of bipolar, it is important that you tell your healthcare professional, so that you get information and advice about your own mental health during pregnancy and after you give birth.