Pregnancy Questions

Ok so short backstory to all my questions...went into remission December 2012, got married that following fall, waited a few years before trying to grow our family. Tried everything we could (without medical intervention) and I finally was sent to a specialist doctor who was LLMD and dealt with high risk pregnancy. He ran some tests and didn't think that the lyme had done anything on that front and that as far as he could tell there was no reason I shouldn't be able to get pregnant. Fast forward to last August when its confirmed I'm having a mild relapse. Started back on various combos of abx and herbs. Things seem to be looking good and I'm hopeful that maybe I'll be back in remission (hopefully for good this time) by my birthday (April).

However, I have so many questions and doubts about any possible future pregnancies. My LLMD has always said (even when I was in remission) that I should take meds during any pregnancy to help minimize the risk of passing it on. My OBGYN says that she is good with whatever my LLMD says on that front and that they will work together to make sure it will be as safe as possible. HOWEVER the "llmd" pregnancy specialist doc says I don't need to take anything.

1. If you have been pregnant would you recommend taking meds and / or herbs?
2. I've been thinking of taking some long term herb(s) after I go into remission to help minimize the chance of another relapse. What would you take?
3. Has anyone else had issues getting pregnant that might correlate with lyme? I'm worried it may have been something I took back before I was correctly diagnosed, because we all have had those moments where the doctor just suggests something and you are willing to try just about anything to get help. I've been looking back over my old notes and nothing jumps out, but that is one of the niggling fears in the back of my brain.
4.I know there are some things like sending the cord off to be tested, but is there anything else you need to do post birth?

Basically I just want to talk about this without dealing with my family...and by family I mean my mother-in-law who is desperate to have a grandchild that lives close (my nephew is 4ish hours away). When I relapsed my mom and her were talking and she 'of course' had to say something to my mom about future grandkids. My mom made some comment along the lines of with her health that might not be a good thing and it could pass on to the kid. I try to have weekly lunches with my MIL and she took that opportunity to corner me and tearfully demand if she was going to ever get grandkids!!!! I was able to thankfully pacify her with a 'we will just have to see'. So as you can see...drama. I've decided that I really don't want to try but maybe another year before we start looking more into surrogates. So all this worrying may be for nothing. Regardless of all of that I still want to take some kind of herbal rout to keep my remission going strong, but just in case I also want it to be safe on the off chance I do get pregnant.

Anyhooo.....thanks for letting me get that off my chest. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

BookWyrm,

You definitely don't want to hear my story....but let me know if you want to know.

Thank you for the posts. I think I'm just putting myself into a tailspin with all the what ifs. I think the thing that keeps circling in my mind is that before I was correctly diagnosed and treated I had reached the point where the docs didn't see me living much longer, that they would do their best to make me comfortable. So I grieved my death and the loss of all the things I wouldn't have a chance of getting (finishing college, get married, have kids). But then I got the right doc the right treatment and with remission came so many possibilities I thought would never be in my grasp. So I got my degree, got married, got a house. And now it feels like I might need to grieve the chance of having my own kids. I'm a big supporter of adoption and surrogates, but this just makes me feel like I've failed somehow....and on top of that feeling of having that hope snatched away is the guilt I feel for the part of me that never wants to get pregnant. The relapse makes the risk all the more real and all the higher. Even setting aside the risk to myself, how can I even risk passing this on? Thanks again for listening to my rant. It's such a relief to shine a little light and perspective on things.

Girlie said...

Antibiotic treatment for Pregnant mothers:
Amoxil 1000mg every 8 hours
Ceftin 500 mg every 12 hours
Omnicef 300 mg-600mg twice daily
Mepron 750mg twice daily
Zithromax 500mg twice daily

Goodness, that's a lot. Might be hard to manage with pregnancy nausea.

You definitely have not failed! Best wishes whatever you choose to do.

Dahlias said...

Girlie said...

Antibiotic treatment for Pregnant mothers:
Amoxil 1000mg every 8 hours
Ceftin 500 mg every 12 hours
Omnicef 300 mg-600mg twice daily
Mepron 750mg twice daily
Zithromax 500mg twice daily

Dahlias said...
Goodness, that's a lot. Might be hard to manage with pregnancy nausea.

You definitely have not failed! Best wishes whatever you choose to do.

I'm thinking those are the ones that are safe while pregnant? I doubt if it's the protocol - all of them to be taken?

Some people believe this illness is curable, but many do not. People feel better and achieve remission, yes, but that may have more to do with a strong and balanced system, and not with eradication of the microbes. These "stealth" microbes can be dormant for decades but still come out with stress to the system - a bad virus, pregnancy and labor, the stress of a newborn - many things that could weaken your system enough to trigger a relapse. Now that I have Lyme, I never will have another biological child, much though I might yearn for one, not just for the concern of passing it to the child but also out of concern for myself relapsing and not being able to care for the human being I made. If I am fortunate enough to achieve remission one day, then I would undoubtedly adopt one of the millions of children growing up without families.

I want to encourage you to process further what you say about feeling like not having a biological child is a failure. Feelings aren't right or wrong, and I do understand what you mean, but it makes me very sad that you have internalized this ableist and sexist perspective about your body and your personal worth. Perhaps exploring this further with a therapist could be helpful. Your body has healed from a devastating illness! it is anything but a failure!

Your MIL's behavior toward you was wildly inappropriate. Your reproductive capabilities are distantly secondary to your value as a family member and human being, and you (preferably your partner) need to set strict boundaries with her about what sorts of ableist and dehumanizing comments are acceptable. Your health absolutely should come first, and I'm so sorry that she implied otherwise.

If you do decide to pursue pregnancy, then please consider working with an LLMD who is well-versed in herbs and pregnancy. Taking pharmaceutical antibiotics during pregnancy is far less safe than appropriate herbal therapy. I would recommend a consultation through RawlsMD.com about herbs during pregnancy.

All the very best to you and your family, however you decide that family will look!

Sara (POTS, Lyme, HPA axis dysfunction, ME....)

saraeli said...


If you do decide to pursue pregnancy, then please consider working with an LLMD who is well-versed in herbs and pregnancy. Taking pharmaceutical antibiotics during pregnancy is far less safe than appropriate herbal therapy. I would recommend a consultation through RawlsMD.com about herbs during pregnancy.
Sara (POTS, Lyme, HPA axis dysfunction, ME....)

I wouldn’t take the chance with herbals. They’re not safe if the baby gets lyme.
The studies show that the abx do increase the chances of a healthy baby being born.

cappuccinocurls said...
I’d like to have a kid myself and I absolutely would take the abx.
Dr Horowitz addresses this in his books and his pregnancy protocol is an easy google search. I 100% would trust his advice after his countless studies.

Agreed - And the lyme Literate pediatric Dr Jones certainly knows what he is talking about...

Saraeli- thanks for the post. Stress is diffently one of the big triggers that caused my relapse. I think being in the midst of "shark week" has just made me a little more emotional about this topic than I normally am. I do want to clarify my feeling like a failure- its not based on the whole women should find their worth in homemaking and having children while being the picture of perfection. My hobbies include blacksmithing, hunting, and anything else outdoors so I've never put a lot of stock into very traditional gender roles (though I also do enjoy cooking and my few years modeling gave me a love of high heels). I think it stems more from how fertile the rest of my family is-i.e. my grandmother had a tilted uterus, endometrioses and one ovary removed and yet she had 7 kids, my mom and several cousins have similar stories and even some aunts/cousins that had children very late in life (not planned). So it has always been something I thought would be easy. Thankfully my husband has been very understanding and supportive with all of this and he firmly supports and encourages me to put my health first. He would love to have a house full of kids but he would rather not have any than risk anything happening to me. I'm so grateful to have him by my side during all of this -- we were just friends during my first fight with lyme so he has seen how bad things can get and better understands the risks.

I just want to thank all of yall again for listening to my rant. It really helps to just talk it out with others in the same boat. I also agree with Nora1986-no matter what happens it will be done with doctor support. Today though I'm feeling hopeful and no matter what the future holds I'll be thankful for the adventure.