TMS and Pregnancy
Pregnancy and the months after delivery represent a high-risk period for a woman’s mental health. Hormonal changes, stress and lack of sleep are factors that can trigger a depressive episode. Depression during pregnancy is associated with maternal death, obstetric complications and lasting developmental effects on children. In our clinic, treating depression during pregnancy is a top priority.
Expectant mothers may be wary of side effects of medications, and at times medications on their own might not be enough to treat severe symptoms. Fortunately, Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a FDA-approved, fast-acting, and non-invasive treatment for severe depression that is safe in pregnancy. TMS uses magnetic pulses to target the areas of the brain associated with depression and does not require medications. There are no effects on the developing infant with TMS. Within 6 weeks of treatment, women experience relief from their depression, and these results continue once a course of TMS is completed. We are excited to be able to offer TMS to our patients at three of our clinic sites. Please contact us if you are interested in a consultation with one of our physicians.
Check out MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health for their latest article on TMS.
https://womensmentalhealth.
At the NeuroScience & TMS Treatment Center, we have several treatment options we can use, beyond common medications and therapy, to aggressively treat you for brain diseases. Learn more about our treatments and services on our Comprehensive Behavioral Health Page.
Blog Post Authors
Eveleigh Wagner, MD
Board Certified Psychiatrist, Brentwood Location
Doctor Wagner’s professional interests include helping patients with treatment-resistant depression and anxiety disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and using interventional treatments to help treatment-resistant patients (TMS and Esketamine). Learn more about Dr. Wagner.
Michelle Cochran, MD, DFAPA
Founder & Chief Medical Officer • Medical Director, Nashville Locations
Dr. Cochran has been living and working in the Nashville area for over 25 years. She supervises the skilled Nurse Practitioners who work in our clinics. She has been offering TMS services since 2011 and lectures and consults nationally and internationally about TMS. She is Board Certified and is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Learn more about Dr. Cochran.
Jonathan Becker, DO
Medical Director, Brentwood Locations
Dr. Becker is a native of Tennessee, born in Memphis. He completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees in Developmental Psychology at Tulane University in New Orleans before attending Des Moines University for Medical School. He completed his psychiatry residency program at Vanderbilt University and served as a faculty member there for 7 years before transitioning to our office. While at Vanderbilt, Dr. Becker served as the medical director of the neuromodulation service from 2017-2020. Dr. Becker has also published many psychiatric articles. Learn more about Dr. Becker.