Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group pregnancy

i am 27yrs old, i want to start thinking about becoming pregnant. i am currently on methotrexate and i know that i will have to go off meds completely. i was curious if anybody who has been pregnant with as can tell me how their health held up during and after the pregnancy.

Sorry... I have no experience with pregancy You will have to wait for someone more qualified to come along (and different gender).

But will bid you a Welcome to Kickas! Hope you like it here and stick around.

Take care,

Tim

If you get up one more time than you fall, you will make it through - Chinese Proverb

I have a dx from my GP, but not the rheumy - He said I had many things, then decided not to treat me anymore!....... anyhow, my daughter is now 7months.
The pregnancy was 'ok', and most of my 'complaints' died down a bit. I didnt have my usual morning stiffness, and lower back pain - only 'normal' pregnancy back pain (that was bearable!)
The worst bit on me was my ribs & upper mid thoracic area, and I had problems with both SI's, leading me to have physio all the time. I didnt take any meds, and came off them 3 months before trying to conceive. Lucky old me caught pregnant first time.

The day after the birth, I was in agony. Like my whole body had been hit by a truck. This lasted for about 2 weeks, then it eased off, and left me feeling like I had flu.
I have an older child, and didnt have any problems during/after pregnancy except 'unstable SI's'.

7 months on, I am experiencing that old 'lower' back pain again, painful ribs/thoracic, shoulder pain & stiffness etc; but the good bit is I can relieve things with my meds!

Hope my story doesnt sound too bad. I dont want to put you off in any way. Most people do find their pain lessens (like me), or it can disappear altogether.


Sadie

hi there!
i've got 3 kids...had no problems with my 10 yr old. when i had my 4 year old i went full blown with spondy monster about 6 wks post partum. ortho immeditely knew something was wrong. shipped me to rheumy who dx me in about 3 visits. with my son, who is now 15 mos old, it was much harder. i developed problems with my pelvis, due to the AS but luckily that went away. the good thing is they were so worth it my little bugs in a rug. i just wish i were healthier to spend more time with them than now, but we do our best and enjoy life.

you can feel free to pm me anytime if you have any questions. i was pain free about 6 wks with my son before it hit me again. during pregnancy though it was a non stop flare. my ob/gyn said either you go into remission or you dont. he said each person is different. so that's a good thing.

take care!



Adios!
Buggie

I've just come looking for advice from women with AS who have had a 'normal' vaginal birth. I'm nearly 34 weeks pregnant and I'm suddenly starting to doubt if I'll be able to cope.

My mum keeps scaring me with the story of my birth (her 4th child!) when she dislocated 2 vertebrae and suffered for weeks. She even tried to make me promise I wouldn't get pregnant again!

I'm 34 and my lower spine has been completely ankylosed for a few years now. Will my rigid lower back affect my ability to give birth? Is it possible to dislocate vertebrae when they're fused together? The rest of my spine and neck have some serious calcification happening too. The rheumy I saw a few weeks ago was totally useless and neither my obstetrician nor my GP seem to have any advice to give either.

Some friends have tried to persuade me to choose an elective caesarian, because they fear I will be an invalid after the birth and won't be able to look after the baby.

I don't know what to think of this or who to go to for advice.

Oh yeah, the AS went into remission the first few months of the pregnancy (which was soooo good), but has come back with a vengeance and mainly affects my neck and shoulders, especially at night. And my tail bone has been hurting throughout my pregnancy.

Help!

hi there!
wish i could offer some advice on natural birth. you might want to post in women's forum. i had 3 c/s's. with the as though i was glad the last one was scheduled. i dont need more damage to my spine.

feel free to pm me if you would like!



Adios!
Buggie

Thanks Buggie. I have been trying to find info/stories on the internet and could't find anything. If there is a high likelihood that I will need a caesarian or that a natural birth would cause too much damage, I'd rather be prepared for it in advance instead of just wait and see...

Lin

Here are a few links about AS and pregnancy,

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=16694

http://yourmedicalsource.com/library/ankylosingspondylitis/AS_faq.html

Brent

Sandy

Hi! I thought I'd jump in here since I gave birth naturally to 3 very large babies before I knew I had AS. My overall pain decreased like Sadie's except for the rib pain and some SI pain. The SI pain was the worst during delivery, but luckily that part doesn't last forever. Since I didn't know what disease I had, I didn't get much help until a few years after the last birth. Now I would recommend asking your doctor/midwife what they think of the possibility of a natural birth based on your individual anatomy (which is not the same as your mother's).

Welcome! I'd be happy to discuss this more if you want to PM. Good luck to both of you!



Ann

Hiya,

I had a normal delivery. I opted for an active labour, walking around, and adopting any position I found comfy. I gave birth kneeling on the bed which was great, as it took all the pressure of my lower back, and of course gravity helped!

The worst thing was the labour pain, which was strictly felt in my lower back. Most people say they feel it all the way round the tummy as well...
Anyhow, I got by using a TENS and eventually had a shot of pethidine.

I had discussed pregancy with my rheumy before , and he said it poses no problems thru delivery, only whilst carrying ie pelvic disorders, and 'more' back pain. However, He did advise me against another baby, and ultimatley said "its your decision, you either want to be pain, or you dont"! Nice eh?!

Take care


Sadie
x