Soon to be new mom w/RA | Arthritis Information

 

I will be having my first child in early October, and have begun researching car seats and strollers and the like. I am finding buttons very hard to push, handles I can't move, strollers I can't fold, and more. I also have fears about not being able to take care of my child. Any adivise from parents would be wonderful.

Thanks

Gracious girl~I remember those days.

I was dx'ed 12 years ago after the birth of my daughter. It's not easy; but you can do it. Mine are now 16 and 12 and they have brought me so much happiness.

Once the baby is born there are treatments that can help you and you'll be able to manage the baby just fine. How long have you had RA? New to RA too?

We're glad you're here. Lots of Momma's here too!!

Welcome

Lovie38867.7121412037I have two little ones 1 and 2yrs old. it is hard at times that why you have a supportive husband. I had two c-sections and many complications. Try to get help from your freinds and family felax dont stress or get angry it makes it worse on you. You will do fine. Welcome..My RA started when my daughter was a teen - so I can't be much help here, other than to say there's not a lot anyone is going through that someone here hasn't been through before. This is a great place to ask questions - and to vent! Congratulations, and good luck. My RA started while I was pregnant with our oldest DD, she's 19 now, our 2nd DD is 16, I had to go off my RA medicene to protect her. I have mourned my inability to be a healthy mom to my girls, the RA has progressed slowly, but I never sat on the floor and played with them without a terrible struggle, my DH taught them how to skip, all the small things that a healthy person can do everyday. I really thought it would wreck their lives. They have started to burn me CD's of all the songs that they remember from when they were little and they say remember when we did this and we were listening to this song. They are the kindest, most generous teenagers I have ever met, everyone wonders what we did. I was really laid low for a couple of weeks in Jan., they'd come lay in bed with me and watch all our favorite movies, brought me meals, wished I'd feel better. Just give your child all the love you can, whatever you can do physically will be enough. I was a stay at home mom through all their elementary school years. My DH is 6'3" and kind of clumsy, I was so depressed when our oldest girl asked me to teach her how to skip and I couldn't, but I have a hilarious movie of him skipping down the beach holding her hand. There's usually something good in everything that happens.

Thanks to everyone who responded. Your support means a lot. I was diagnosed 10 years ago. A combination of naproxen and enbrel works fairly well for me most of the time. However, I am currently off meds except for a low dose of pred. because of the pregnancy, and I am not feeling the pregnancy remission bliss that so many talk about. I started to freak out a little bit when I began my baby register and realized just how hard some of those buttons are to push. Any product recs?

Thank you

It is amazing what mothers can do. We can do the impossible for our children. Don't worry. I have faith in the power of a mother's love to overcome any obstacle. Congratulations to you!!

I find that using a stick or screwdriver to push in the buttons on the car seats helps.

Some use small pliers like needle nose pliers to pull the tags off diapers.

Buying jar lid opener grippers will help with bottles, can be found at places like walmart or bed bath and beyond.

I feel like having 20 children myself, maybe i can be in remission most of my life if I do :)

I went almost 8 years with no arthritis pain after my daughter was born, maybe birth would put me back and fix me.

 

Hi Everyone,

I've had ra for the last 12 years. Thankfully for the past few yrs its really only affected my knees. I had an operation on one knee last Oct but it is only now I've fully recovered from the op, I have been left with a bad limp which is nothing really as I know it could be a whole lot worse... The situation at the moment is I will need to have knee replacement in both knees. I want to put this off for as long as possible (2-3 yrs) as i've just started back to work properly & you know yourselves its so hard trying to live as normal a life as possible when you are practically bedridden & finding it hard to do the simplest of tasks along with worrying about trying to survive on disability benefit. Anyway,  I'm on enbrel twice a wk at the moment. I stopped taking metrexthrate 9 mths ago as I want to start trying for a baby. I'm just unsure how safe it is to start trying for a baby while on enbrel. I really don't think I can go without the enbrel because that would leave me in a lot of pain & unable to work. Has anyone been in a similar situation??

Thanks Shanbr for the screwdriver and pliers suggestions. I have a jar opener and I couldn't live without it.

Maura, I choose to go without Enbrel although I did stay on it until I had a confirmed pregnancy. I was hoping to go into remission. I have to some extent, enough to be able to get by with just prednisone. Enbrel simply hasn't been around long enough to know for certain whether it is safe or not during pregnancy. Talk to your Rhuem about the potential benefits/risks.

Welcome Maura!

Hope to see more of you here.

welcome isismore and Maura!

The only thing that I can think of right now are the wider bottles like the Playtex nurser or Advent because they are easier to grip and remove the lids. Also with the second kiddo I had a battry powered swing so that I didnt have to wind up baby. It was alot easier. The products change constantly and what was on the market 6-10 years ago for my kids are all different now. You should try out as many things as you can either in the stores or if you have friends with babies. Good luck!

Breast feeding is a good idea if your not going to be on medicine. You won't have to worry about bottles. But you get less sleep. I would talk with your rhuematologist about all your fears Im sure they could give you some advice about somme things you could do. I have two in diapers and they are extremely active. So I think you will do fine. It might be a little hard with the loss of sleep and not being able to hold them a certain way. They do have things to hold them with like the snuggly that hold them close to your body and you dont have to do any thing besides put it on and put the baby in.
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