Sertraline and pregnancy - advice please

Hello everyone, I’m looking for a bit of advice as I’m feeling super unsure about whether or not to taper off my Sertraline.

To give some background, I’ve been taking Sertraline and regularly increasing the dose for the past 4ish years. A few weeks before I found out I was pregnant I had a very bad spike with my anxiety disorder, so it was agreed I would go up to 150mg. As soon as I found out I was pregnant I contacted my gp surgery to get advice, and I had a very lovely phone call with the pharmacist. She sent me a link to the Bumps website and talked me through every possible outcome, but she was very clear that Sertraline was so unlikely to harm the pregnancy or the baby that it was no problem for me to continue taking it as normal. We had a long conversation about how it was better for me to healthy mentally than to risk that for the sake of a minuscule possibility of a complication.

I left that call feeling very reassured and didn’t have any second thoughts about continuing to take the medication as usual. This was going very smooth until I was around 7 weeks pregnant, when I got a call from my GP to do a medication review, and she was the EXACT opposite.

The call started with her automatically assuming I was looking to lower the dose with the end result being to stop the medication, and when I told her I was confused as I’d had this long conversation with the pharmacist and was advised it would be best for be to keep taking it, the GP was very short with me and told me it depends whether I care more about myself or care more about the pregnancy. I was really made to feel like it was ridiculous for me to continue on the dose, and that there was no question I should be coming off it. I asked about the risks and what I’d been told previously, and was basically told again if I wanted to risk it she couldn’t stop me.

Since that phone call I’ve been VERY conflicted. On the one hand, I’m the best I’ve felt mentally in years. I’m having regular counselling alongside the medication and I’m in a very good place. I know I’m very very likely to struggle with postpartum depression, so I know chances are I’d just end up straight back on the medication regardless.

I’m now 9 weeks 3 days, I went to an early ultrasound and found a perfect gummy bear baby with a strong heartbeat, and I’m so so torn. I decided to try tapering myself off a few days ago, taking 100 rather than 150mg, and I have had the WORST headache since. Literally feels like my head is in a vice. I couldn’t take it anymore and took my regular dose a few hours ago, and now I’m feeling guilty as if I’m prioritising myself over the baby. The headache was making me so unwell I don’t think I could have coped with it for the weeks/months it would take to lower the doses.

Has anyone in this group had any experience with sertraline and pregnancy? I’m curious as to other people’s experience either staying on or coming off Sertraline, any advice would be appreciated!