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Anyone having babies after Lupus dx?

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Posted 5/22/2007 2:32 AM (GMT 0)
Just curious how many people have had children after being dx with Lupus?

What are the complications etc.?

Thanks for your input,

Carma

Nebraska

Posted 5/22/2007 4:02 AM (GMT 0)
I have not had any babies since I have known that I was sick. I do have a 13 year old but that was before any of this started for me. I have had 2 miscarriages but I don't know if its related since those were years before my symptoms started.

I think I have heard that Lupus women by just having Lupus puts you as an automatic high risk pregnancy and I think the risk of miscarriages are slightly higher. Doctors say that you should be flare free for a certain amount of time (I'm not sure the length of time) before you try to get pregnant. I think the more serious complications lie mostly with what problems you have with your Lupus. I know there is a higher risk of complications with women who have positive anti-Ro and/or anti-La antibodies which there is a possibility to pass these through the placenta. This poses a high risk for neonatal Lupus and congenetal (sp?) heart defects in your child. I know people that have Antiphosolipid Syndrome with their Lupus also have a higher risk of stroke during pregnancy and a very high risk for miscarriage.

I may not be exactly correct on that information, that is just what I remember reading but as you know the mind goes often. Best thing to do is talk with your rheumy and OB/GYN about the possible risks involved.

Take Care
Posted 5/22/2007 8:55 AM (GMT 0)
thats a really good question!! i am wondering that too..im only 20 and i really want to have children at some point! from what i have read and talked to my doctors about, women with lupus are a lot more likely to misscarry and it can be sometimes hard to initially get pregnant. my doctor has told me that when/if i do decide i want to have a child i need to be monitored very closely by my rheumy and obgyn and i need to be stable enough to be off most of my meds because there are many meds that could endanger the baby and childbearing process (coumadin etc.).

I did, however, meet a woman recently who had the same type of SLE as me (kidney involvement) and with the help of my doctor she ended up having twins!! She has the antiphospholipid antibodies as i do making her prone to clots but she took lovenox shots twice daily instead of coumadin and was able to carry her babies to term and they are all happy healthy now which gives me a lot of hope :)
Posted 5/22/2007 2:15 PM (GMT 0)
From what I understand, there are a lot of women with lupus who can have babies, but there are some whose cases are so severe that doctors tell them not to. I have heard the same things that Des told you about being high risk and that you would most likely be followed by several specialists. We've also talked on and off about miscarriages on the forum. I don't know if there are any studies about it, but it seems like a lot of us have had miscarriages, myself included. I had both of my children before I got really sick. My youngest was 2 when my symptoms got really bad. One thing I have heard is that women with lupus who do get pregnant usually feel pretty good during the pregnancy, better than usual, but then the hormonal changes after the birth can bring symptoms back or trigger a flare. I'm sure it's not that way for everyone, but I've read it happens to a lot of women.
Posted 5/22/2007 2:19 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there - My sister had 2 kids after her diagnosis - she was diagnosed when she was 20ish.  She had her kids when she was in her 30's.  She did suffer a couple of miscarriages though.  I think both pregnancies that went full term went ok though.

 

Posted 5/27/2007 10:09 PM (GMT 0)

I was diagnosised at age 16 and had a baby at age 29.  I had kidney involvement back then and was due to start prednisone treatement when the edema subsided.  I haven't had any flare-ups since then except for some skin rashes here and there.  I developed HELLP syndrome at 32 weeks (7 months) and the baby had to be born permature.   He is doing fine and I have recovered 100%.  There is no evidence that Lupus caused the pregnancy induced hypertension, but it didn't help!  I have been advised that there is no proof this will happen again, it may or may not.  I am 33 right now thinking about having another...it is a hard decision.

Louise M

Posted 5/28/2007 2:04 AM (GMT 0)
I do not have any baby myself, but my friend who has lupus has a baby after diagnosed. I was also told the same thing--need to be monitored closely by Rhumty and Gyno. It also depends on what medications you are taking and what are the conditions/phrases is your lupus @. People who have lupus can have baby, but they just need to first discuss with the rhumty and see if they are fit to bear children @ that stage of illness and need to be monitored closely.
Posted 6/18/2007 12:58 AM (GMT 0)
I had my first daughter before I was diagnosed @ 18. I had a miscarriage when I was 23. I had my second daugther @ 32 yrs old. The third pregnancy I was on bed rest from the 4th month until I delivered @ 8 month. Initially she was very small and stayed in the neo-natal intensive care unit for a week. She was anemic and had ecxema. Now she only has the ecxema and SHE IS DOING EXTREMELY WELL NOW. You would never guess that she was premature or had any of the health issues that she had in the beginning.
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