Pregnancy and Parenting

[ajoy918]

Ladies,

I am 23 and I was recenly Diagnosed. Since my diagnosis I have been thinking about my future, mainly having children. Have any of you have children after being diagnosed. Whats it like. I heard you have to plan your pregnancy because you have to be off the meds for 3 months to have a healthy child and to prevent miscarrying. Is this true? Another thing I am concerned with is Breastfeeding. Im scared because they say during the pregnancy the MS symptoms stop and then after you have the baby it is important that you get back on your meds asap. Why? are the syptoms way worse. Can someone please give me some insight or some hope or excitement of having a child while dealing with this disease?

[tati]

Hello joy im tati im 24 i have 3 kids i was diagnosed when i was 20 i had one last child at 23 and I breast feed my baby the first 3 months not cause anything went wrong jus my personal option but everything is going to be great don't worry yes it is important to have ur med you should feed your baby the first three months see if u can be with out meds 3 months talk with ur neurologist see what he thinks another thing let the doctors know you have that cause they don't give u epidural i don't know if i spelled it right lol but yea they can't touch ur spine theres other methods of pain relief when giving birth but don't worry ur self u will be good i have not been on any meds for 4 years but im now going to start LDN well make the choice thats best for ur peace of mind... Good Luck and God Bless!

[ajoy918]

Whoa!!!! No epidural!! And what LDN? and how long were u on ur meds before you got off. My doctor said i am going to be on them for possible the rest of my life. How did you get off your meds, who how and what makes that decision? Sorry for all the questions but this is exciting to know

[svrbrownsuga]

same boat ajoy

Hey ladies!

Ajoy I'm concerned about the same thing. how will pregnancy go? how long were mother's off their meds and I'm also curious to know did they have any relapses during pregnancy? were expecting mothers with MS placed on bed rest?

[granma45]

Hello joy im tati im 24 i have 3 kids i was diagnosed when i was 20 i had one last child at 23 and I breast feed my baby the first 3 months not cause anything went wrong jus my personal option but everything is going to be great don't worry yes it is important to have ur med you should feed your baby the first three months see if u can be with out meds 3 months talk with ur neurologist see what he thinks another thing let the doctors know you have that cause they don't give u epidural i don't know if i spelled it right lol but yea they can't touch ur spine theres other methods of pain relief when giving birth but don't worry ur self u will be good i have not been on any meds for 4 years but im now going to start LDN well make the choice thats best for ur peace of mind... Good Luck and God Bless!

Why did they have u wait so long before putting you on medication..my daughter 22 nad newly diagnosed.

[granma45]

why no meds

Hi Tati why so long before starting on meds. when you first got diagnosed. My daughter is 22 and just go the diagnosis we go for her first Consult. with Dr. tomorrow I thought when u got dx. you started meds right away..?

[SNOOPY]

Hello ajoy.

I was diagnosed at the age of 24 and had 2 children after the diagnosis.

My situation was/is different than yours...I do not and have never used the Disease Modifying Drugs (DMDs) so there was never any issues about going off of them.

It is recommended you stop using DMDs when getting pregnant and restart after.

Exacerbations (relapses, attacks, flare-ups) can happen even during pregnancy, they can also happen post-partum. We have had or do have members who did experience exacerbations during pregnancy and/or postpartum.

Not everyone will have an exacerbation during or after pregnancy....I did not. My MS was quite uneventful during pregnancy and post-partum with both children.

I did have an exacerbation when they were 2 & 4. It wasn't easy but we all managed. Since my exacerbations tend to effect my mobility I made a game out of not being able to keep up with them. They loved being able to win "races" with mom.

I am heat intolerant so I found places and things to do that were fun and inside during the day and we would do outside stuff in the cool of the morning or evening.

Life with newborns, infants, toddlers, pre schoolers, ect. is challenging...with or without health problems.

My children are now 18 & 20, I have never had any regrets.

[lorib]

Hi! My daughter will be 2 next month (yay!). She is my only child and I had her after diagnosis. I didn't know I was pregnant and wasn't trying to conceive. So I was on Beta until about my 5th week. That is really scary so follow the recommendations to stop meds for about 3 months before trying to become pregnant. She's fine though, my ob said if there was a problem with the embryo I would have had a miscarriage.

Some women do have relapses during pregnancy which makes treating the relapse a little harder. Luckily I was mostly pregnant during the winter and I had no problems.

I breastfed for 2 months and then started back on my meds after that. I had a relapse when she was almost 1, which was unrelated to the pregnancy.

There is no reason a normal, healthy woman with MS can't have a baby. You just need to make sure you like your neurologist and your ob. My ob actually dealt with most of my questions about MS and pregnancy but in most cases it isn't an issue.

I had an epidural with my daughter. I'm not sure the issue with that, but the doctors I had thought it would be okay and for me it was.

The only hard thing is raising the kids during a relapse. Last summer I had to change my daughter's diapers with one hand which was tough and she has so much energy and I have none, but that's what dad is for! Good luck!

[ajoy918]

Very insightful i appreciate all of you sharing your stories im feeling a little bit better!!

[Texas Lady]

I was diagnosed 1 year after my only child was born. During the pregnancy itself, I had no MS related issues. I breastfed for 9 months with no MS symptoms of which I was aware. (I am 35, if that is useful at all.) About 1 month after I stopped breastfeeding, I had a relapse that led to a pretty speedy diagnosis.

Pregnancy is very brief, in the scheme of things, and is almost irrelevant when considering having children. (Unless, of course, pregnancy would be life-threatening or extremely dangerous to mother or child.) Being a mother lasts a very long time. I know that many posts on this site are very positive, glossing over the harsh realities of everyday living as a mother with MS. It is very hard to be sitting on the sidelines while other parents are running around with their children, and you are telling your child that you can't. They will miss out on things that other children experience as a completely normal part of everyday childhood. That is the reality. If you feel that you are okay with being satisfied with the things that you can do, great! I am not.

One other consideration that is vital to think about with absolute thoroughness is your support system. Your partner must understand what parenting will mean for him. My husband has to pick up the slack far too often. I have had two minor (a little bit of tingling and numbness) relapses since Ava was born two years ago. I am on Rebif. I go to the gym. I am fairly healthy with no disability at all. However, I get extremely tired. Sometimes, out of the blue, I feel like I don't have the strength to lift a glass of water. My husband works very hard all day then comes home to take over for me because I'm DONE. We are fortunate to have family nearby who will take Ava for the day, or come over at a moment's notice to take her off my hands if I am overcome with fatigue. So, please, be sure to have everyone who could be affected sit down and talk honestly about what this will mean for them.

All that being said, I love my daughter. I will fight with every last ounce of my being to give her all that I can of myself. But I know I could not do this without the people around me. I realize that this decision is unique for everyone, but I wanted you to hear a not so rosy side to consider. Best wishes to you, and good luck whatever your decision may be.

Remember, plan for the worst but hope for the best.

[aopi76]

I'm thinking about having a third child. One huge benefit to being on Copaxone for me, was that my neurologist said it was safe for pregnancy.

-Leslie

[LauraZ417]

Hey Ladies...
The descision to have kids is a tough one. I am 28 years old with 2 kids. I was diagnosed with RRMS right after i had my first son at age 20. I decided that I wanted to have 1 more. I was off meds for 6 months before i got pregnant because my MS was basically "mild". I was told that you are at higher risk of having a relapse in the first 6 months after giving birth, but everyone is different. I was ok during my pregnacy, but decided to go on meds right after delivery. I was also able to have an epidural. Your Ob will discuss the risks with you. It worked out for me.

Like Texas Lady said it is so important to have a good support system surrounding you. I hoped this helped you, good luck on what ever you decide!

[jaq]

I just saw this thread and thought I'd contribute. I was diagnosed with RRMS when I was 27 and had the same worries. I met my husband when I was 30, we were married when I was 33, and I had our son when I was 35. I stopped my Copaxone the same day I stopped taking my birth control. I had no problems during pregnancy, I had an epidural (my neuro had me call him the day of my c-section so he could talk to the anesthesiologist), I breastfed for 4 months, then started back on my meds. I did have a relapse around the 4th month which left me with a limp and weaker left side. We don't really have a support system nearby (most of our family lives in other states). I stay at home with our son, and my husband does have to do a bit more when I can't, but neither he nor I would change anything. True, I can't do all the physical things with my son (running and such) but his dad can and nothing replaces the love and support he gets from me. He knows nothing about MS - he just loves his mom. Make the decision that is best for you! Anyone who chooses to share your life will understand there may be times they need to do more. LOL That is true throughout life - MS or no MS!! By the way I'm now 37, pregnant with our second child, and my husband and I are thrilled. Good luck!!