Anxiety medication while pregnant

I’m looking for anyone who has started anxiety medication (or antidepressants) while pregnant. I’ve taken meds in the past at times of great transition in my life when I was hit with bouts of intense anxiety. I have been off them for nearly 5 years.

This is my second pregnancy and with my first child I experienced intense anxiety at the end of my pregnancy that seemed to come out of nowhere. I attributed it at the time to several life changes that were happening (obviously I was having my 1st baby, but I was also going to stay home with baby so I was giving up my job, and my dad was declining quickly with Alzheimer’s). I also attributed my struggle for the first 9 or so months of my daughter’s life to all of those life changes - I didn’t enjoy my first year as a stay at home mom very much, even though I’d dreamt of that for much of my adult life. It was difficult, I was lonely and I was depressed (and of course depression doesn’t help you meet people, which doesn’t help with loneliness). Eventually things started to feel better.

I am due with my 2nd child soon, about 20 months after giving birth to my daughter. Anxiety hit like a ton of bricks about two weeks ago and hasn’t gone away. I literally stay up at night worrying about things that are wrong with my house, about the different ways my family could go bankrupt, about having failed my family, about everyone else having life together except me, etc. I feel very lonely in this intense, inexplicable anxiety. And of course this time nothing has changed - I am not about to leave my job, nothing has changed with family or friends. There’s nothing to attribute this anxiety to other than the end of my pregnancy and hormones (honestly, I’m not even actively nervous about when baby #2 comes, just everything else in life).

So...this time I don’t want to try to be a hero. This time I want to do what’s best for my family - my husband, daughter, and my son who will arrive shortly. Having a mom that has decided to avoid medication at all costs because of what I can only explain as pride will not help my children. (I am planning on seeking counseling as well - I want to be proactive and put more supports in place than I think I need before baby is born, and dial the support back if I’m doing well - I was always told to get support on a sunny day so it’s there on a rainy day). I’ll be talking to my OBGYN about it at my appointment this week.

So, I’m looking for support. Anyone else on meds during pregnancy? Has it affected your pregnancy positively (or negatively)? Are you glad you made that choice?

I’d love some company in this :)

Thank you!