Pregnancy and MS

[ttmont416]

Im 27 and before I got MS was thinking of having a baby before I was 30 but since I got MS I have been just trying to deal with how I am feeling on a daily basis. I cant complain, as long as I do my injections and dont over do it, I am ok. But if I over do it, or dont get enough rest or skip injections, I am in bed feeling like I cant move..

This makes me very nervous about possibly becoming pregnant. When I get a flare, I usually take 7 days of Medrol, which helps somewhat.

My question is:
Has anyone been pregnant with MS?

How do you handle being pregnant with MS?

My MD told me I would not be able to do my injections while Im pregnant, so how would I survive off my injections?

Im extremely worried about being constantly fatigued.

Would the baby have any effects from me having MS?

My MD also said my MS would get worse during my pregnancy because I cant have my medicine.

Any information would be helpful.. Thank you!!!!

[SNOOPY]

Has anyone been pregnant with MS?
Yes, twice.

How do you handle being pregnant with MS?
For me, it wasn't much different than someone without MS.

My MD told me I would not be able to do my injections while Im pregnant, so how would I survive off my injections?

Not being on the Disease Modifying Drug (DMD) of your choice will need to be considered in your decision to get pregnant or not. At the time of my pregnancies there were no DMDs.
Im extremely worried about being constantly fatigued.
Being fatigued is part of pregnancy and having children regardless if you have MS or not.


Would the baby have any effects from me having MS?
There is information that there is a genetic component
to MS, so it is possible that your child or their children may develop MS. This is something some are considering when deciding to have children or not.

My MD also said my MS would get worse during my pregnancy because I cant have my medicine.

It is possible to have a relapse during pregnancy or post-partum, not everyone does. Both my pregnancies and post-partum were uneventful MS wise.

Hope that helped and good luck on your decision about having or not having children

[Sequoia]

My MD also said my MS would get worse during my pregnancy because I cant have my medicine.

Most women experience a remission of MS symptoms during pregnancy. It's thought that since the mother's body is harboring an "alien" (the fetus), the immune system has to adjust so the baby won't be rejected (miscarried)...and that also benefits MS. Some women don't experience that, though.

However, there is often (but not always) a relapse after the baby is born. I know of some cases where the woman's doctor automatically prescribes a course of IVSM post-pregnancy.

I had my last 2 children (I have 5) after my MS began, had no problems with either pregnancy or birth, and had no relapse after either birth. My children are all adults now, ranging in age from 31 to 41, and are all healthy, wonderful human beings.

[LizzyPerez]

In the same boat, but go for it!

Hi TT :0)

I am in the same boat as you. I was recently diagnosed in my mid-20's and I have the same concerns. I am currently working and going to school, and am scared of the prospects of having difficulties off medicine and such, but I have been doing some research and while everyone is different there are some things that I found that have made me more comfortable with getting pregnant/having a baby.

1- They say that symptoms during pregnancy are surpressed, and that actually you can feel really good. For example, fatigue can be less obvious than when not pregnant. That's something that I look forward to because my fatigue is my worst symptom. They dont know why pregnancy supresses symptoms but it does. So while we wont be using our injections, we are less likely to have a relapse. Just be warned that they say that you can crash after giving birth, but that will vary from person to person, so we may not experience anything. I think its totally worth the risk.

2- People are able to manage their symptoms by avoiding and/or eating certain foods. This may help with preventing symptoms before, during, and after pregnancy while you are off the medication.

3- You can actually still get lower doses of some steroids while pregnant if you do have a relapse during pregnancy, and can also have steriod treatments after giving birth without fears of hurting the baby.


I hope that this was somewhat helpful! I would be interested in hearing how its going for you. I am going to start trying this fall, and will hopefully be stopping my injections soon. Good luck with everything!!!!!

Im 27 and before I got MS was thinking of having a baby before I was 30 but since I got MS I have been just trying to deal with how I am feeling on a daily basis. I cant complain, as long as I do my injections and dont over do it, I am ok. But if I over do it, or dont get enough rest or skip injections, I am in bed feeling like I cant move..

This makes me very nervous about possibly becoming pregnant. When I get a flare, I usually take 7 days of Medrol, which helps somewhat.

My question is:
Has anyone been pregnant with MS?

How do you handle being pregnant with MS?

My MD told me I would not be able to do my injections while Im pregnant, so how would I survive off my injections?

Im extremely worried about being constantly fatigued.

Would the baby have any effects from me having MS?

My MD also said my MS would get worse during my pregnancy because I cant have my medicine.

Any information would be helpful.. Thank you!!!!