Lupus and pregnancy is always quite risky thing. In case of scleroderma the things are pretty similar to lupus. If you have localized scleroderma you might have no problem at all. On the other hand systemic scleroderma is similar to what is experienced with lupus, especially the smaller growth of the baby. I have been diagnosed only after having my first child and when I got pregnant with my second child, doctors were not happy at all about it. And scleroderma diagnose came even after that.
The first thing is to be aware of your medication. Some of them are very dangerous and you are not supposed to get pregnant event 6 months after stopping of using them. Such medication is Trexan. Luckily that time I wasn't using them. The rest should be taken into account be doctors. Most of the time they try to get rid of them for the time of pregnancy and breastfeeding. I wasn't lucky in that case. I needed to continue with all my medication, especially corticosteroids in lower dose. Another problem is that pregnancy brings additional stress on your kidneys. Typically women have trouble with high blood pressure, which can lead into preeclampsia. Of course in my case I had opposite problem. Most of the time I have too low blood pressure.
If you once get pregnant you are under risk of loosing the pregnancy in very early stage. I was told that most of the time symptoms of lupus improves. I have to tell that in both pregnancies my symptoms got really better until the week 30. In both pregnancies that was turning point when everything went upside down. At least for the second one I knew already why. In first pregnancy I got also trouble with kidney which was having trouble to work. But luckily it recovered. I was in hospital for two weeks. Which was quite stressing because doctors were deciding whether to make c-section or not. Luckily they have risked it and I could deliver healthy baby girl in the correct time. In the second time I got terrible back pains and contractions in very early time and I was put into risk pregnancy with high risk of premature birth. I didn't understand anything about it and I wasn't looking for any information to get even bigger stress.
What was really difficult to handle the pain and generally not able to get any painkiller. Nothing worked and I was in end to fight with the pain. I had the chance to take strong painkiller but I didn't want to risk the baby's health and development. The second baby was having trouble with the growth but luckily everything went ok in the end again. I was very lucky. I had a perfect care quite often so I wasn't scared at all. We had to undergo few checking of her heart (EKG) and blood tests, which wasn't pleasant experience, but having a healthy baby was a real gift. I cannot even describe it correctly how happy I was and I am.
Nowadays with all the proper monitoring and appropriate therapy most scleroderma and lupus patients have a successful pregnancy in the end. Anyway, Pregnancy and Lupus or Scleroderma is like Poker game. And it is up to you whether you play or not. I wouldn't risk it anymore.
Have a nice day!!
Keeping Positive
 |
| Pregnancy and Lupus or Scleroderma is like Poker game |
The first thing is to be aware of your medication. Some of them are very dangerous and you are not supposed to get pregnant event 6 months after stopping of using them. Such medication is Trexan. Luckily that time I wasn't using them. The rest should be taken into account be doctors. Most of the time they try to get rid of them for the time of pregnancy and breastfeeding. I wasn't lucky in that case. I needed to continue with all my medication, especially corticosteroids in lower dose. Another problem is that pregnancy brings additional stress on your kidneys. Typically women have trouble with high blood pressure, which can lead into preeclampsia. Of course in my case I had opposite problem. Most of the time I have too low blood pressure.
If you once get pregnant you are under risk of loosing the pregnancy in very early stage. I was told that most of the time symptoms of lupus improves. I have to tell that in both pregnancies my symptoms got really better until the week 30. In both pregnancies that was turning point when everything went upside down. At least for the second one I knew already why. In first pregnancy I got also trouble with kidney which was having trouble to work. But luckily it recovered. I was in hospital for two weeks. Which was quite stressing because doctors were deciding whether to make c-section or not. Luckily they have risked it and I could deliver healthy baby girl in the correct time. In the second time I got terrible back pains and contractions in very early time and I was put into risk pregnancy with high risk of premature birth. I didn't understand anything about it and I wasn't looking for any information to get even bigger stress.
What was really difficult to handle the pain and generally not able to get any painkiller. Nothing worked and I was in end to fight with the pain. I had the chance to take strong painkiller but I didn't want to risk the baby's health and development. The second baby was having trouble with the growth but luckily everything went ok in the end again. I was very lucky. I had a perfect care quite often so I wasn't scared at all. We had to undergo few checking of her heart (EKG) and blood tests, which wasn't pleasant experience, but having a healthy baby was a real gift. I cannot even describe it correctly how happy I was and I am.
Nowadays with all the proper monitoring and appropriate therapy most scleroderma and lupus patients have a successful pregnancy in the end. Anyway, Pregnancy and Lupus or Scleroderma is like Poker game. And it is up to you whether you play or not. I wouldn't risk it anymore.
Have a nice day!!
Keeping Positive
Comments
Post a Comment