Mental illness & contraception

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Malka8

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Not catholic but want to convert.

This is the problem:
  • the medications I take because of my severe bipolar II cause heartmutilations early in pregnancy
  • I can’t quit from one day to another (it would make me very sick physicly) if I get pregnant
  • I would most likely become depressed (big risk for suicide)
  • the stress of having a little baby (with little sleep and more) would probably make me depressed/hypomanic
  • my husband doesn’t trust NFP and says the stress around it would ruin our marrige
  • I’m barely functional now and can’t handle work so I would not be capable of taking care of a baby
Since a pregnancy would be disasterous for both me and the child I feel that using condoms are resonable. But I’m pretty sure the church are against it no matter what the circumstances are. Does anybody know?
 
I’m sorry to hear about your health situation. That makes the answer hard:

CCC 2399: “The regulation of births represents one of the aspects of responsible fatherhood and motherhood. Legitimate intentions on the part of the spouses do not justify recourse to morally unacceptable means (for example, direct sterilization or contraception).”

I know your husband doesn’t trust NFP, but there are lots of scientific studies that show it is equally (if not more) effective than artificial birth control.
 
Malka8 said:
Not catholic but want to convert.

This is the problem:
  • the medications I take because of my severe bipolar II cause heartmutilations early in pregnancy
  • I can’t quit from one day to another (it would make me very sick physicly) if I get pregnant
  • I would most likely become depressed (big risk for suicide)
  • the stress of having a little baby (with little sleep and more) would probably make me depressed/hypomanic
  • my husband doesn’t trust NFP and says the stress around it would ruin our marrige
  • I’m barely functional now and can’t handle work so I would not be capable of taking care of a baby
Since a pregnancy would be disasterous for both me and the child I feel that using condoms are resonable. But I’m pretty sure the church are against it no matter what the circumstances are. Does anybody know?
Click to expand...
Is your husband Catholic? or becoming Catholic?
 
I suggest you contact the National Catholic BioEthics Center and request a consultation/ advisement with respect to your situation. Some questions are more complicated than others; you raise very difficult issues. I doubt most of the people here would have the background and expertise to properly advise you and your husband. Perhaps I am wrong (maybe there is someone here with an advanced medical and bioethical background), but I think you need specialized counsel. I would not know what to tell you personally.
 
Please consult with a priest. My wife suffers from bipolar disorder and I know she would have to stop her medications if she were to become pregnant, which could be disastrous. She suffered a major depression episode due to post-partum depression when our son was born.

We don’t use contraception, but we have discussed this at length. Although I would love to have another child, I have seen what it could do to my wife and the thought of her suffering like that again greatly troubles me (as well as the risk of suicide).

I feel for you. I will be praying for you and your husband.
 
If your husband insists on wearing a condom, it is not a sin for you to have sex with him.
 
3_Dog_Night said:
I suggest you contact the National Catholic BioEthics Center and request a consultation/ advisement with respect to your situation. Some questions are more complicated than others; you raise very difficult issues. I doubt most of the people here would have the background and expertise to properly advise you and your husband. Perhaps I am wrong (maybe there is someone here with an advanced medical and bioethical background), but I think you need specialized counsel. I would not know what to tell you personally.
Click to expand...
This is excellent advise This group, along with your regular confessor is the proper place to seek help and counseling. You will get many misleading answers here.
Be assured of our prayers.
 
LundyLund said:
I’m sorry to hear about your health situation. That makes the answer hard:

CCC 2399: “The regulation of births represents one of the aspects of responsible fatherhood and motherhood. Legitimate intentions on the part of the spouses do not justify recourse to morally unacceptable means (for example, direct sterilization or contraception).”

I know your husband doesn’t trust NFP, but there are lots of scientific studies that show it is equally (if not more) effective than artificial birth control.
Click to expand...
There are also devices that can do the NFP work for you.
lady-comp.com/

These increase the accuracy of NFP to the same level as some contraception. (If used correctly).
 
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