How did RA affect your family planning? | Arthritis Information

 

So we have one son (my miracle boy) because I was on nothing but
prednisone, had all sorts of complications, and then had a c-section.

I am wondering about more bio. kids in our future and just would love to
hear how you all are approaching the idea of having kids, or have
approached that idea.

Did RA stop you? Did you forge ahead anyway? Did your doctor
recommend you did or didn't?

I have 4 kids but was fortunate.  RA didn't rear it's ugly head til I had the last one.  I had symptoms after the 3rd one but didn't know what they were at that point.  During my 4th pregnancy though, I felt great.  All the pain and other symptoms went away.  Only to return worse after she was born. 

I am sorry I am not much help.  I know there are others on this board that want to have more though and will be able to answer some of your questions. 

I am also curious to know more about this issue.
I got RA when I was pregnant, and thankfully pred worked it's magic
during pregnancy and while I was breastfeeding.
But now I often wonder what it will be like when we have a second child.
Yes, we will definitely forge ahead but not for a while yet... we'll wait until
my daughter is at least 2 (she has only just turned one).
It sounds like Laura went into remission during your fourth pregnancy, so
I hope that happens to me!
I have 2 children from my first marriage.  Had them both way before I had RA.  I was 37 when I married my second husband.  He had no children from his first marriage.  We talked about having a child together and I asked my doctor what she thought.  She said she didn't see a problem with it.  Said I'd have to go off of the mtx (can't remember what she said about the plaquenil and those were the two main medications I was taking at the time) and I would use prednisone during the pregnancy.  My husband and I talked some more about it and he decided that it really wasn't all that important to him to have his own child and that the two children I had were enough.  I have to say I was kinda happy about that.  I had my children fairly young and it's nice that now that I'm 45, my children are pretty much on their own at 23 (almost 24) and 25.  My son (25) is married and we're just waiting now for my daughter to do the same

I always like to warn people that are young and still considering having children to be cautious of MTX if you plan to have children. It's rare; but it's been know to cause premature menopause. I'm proof positive that it can happen. I went into menopause at age 32 after being on MTX of a year. No one ever mentioned anything to me about the possiblitly when I started MTX. Truth be told it would not have mattered; but it still would have been nice if I had been warned. Of course they won't swear it was the MTX, they say that RA itself can cause this; but I'm thinking it was the MTX.

Definately give these medications serious consideration if you are considering children. My best advice would be to have the children you want as soon as possible. As RA progresses it makes it more difficult to carry a child......as well as care for small children.

My RA started during my 1st pregnanacy, but I wasn't dx'd until DD was 2, went on sulfasalazine. When we wanted another child, I had to get off it. I'd gotten pg so quickly with the 1st, I was stunned when I wasn't getting pg and the RA was getting worse. In hind sight DH was never home during the critical window, for 6 MONTHS, he was always out of town on those few critical hours. The RA was really bad, but then the Exxon Valdez went aground and he was stuck on shore all salmon season and I got pg in the middle of July. This time the RA went away, but I had a terrible flare after she was born and went on MTX. A year later I had an unplanned pregnancy and was on MTX the 1st month, lost the baby in the 3rd month. I should have known I was PG because the RA went away immediately, but I hadn't given my body a chance to clear the MTX anyway.

You should maybe see a high risk OB/GYN and make sure you have all your ducks in a row. I love being a mom, I can understand your wanting another. My girls are 20 and 17 and although I wasn't the same kind of mother their friends had because of the RA, I think they would say they had a happy childhood. Thankfully, we could afford for me to stay at home.
Deidre

Having RA has played a part in our family planning.  We were about ready to start trying for kids in 1998 when I flared up really bad and went on mtx.  We put off trying until I was better and I went off mtx for 3 months before we started trying.  During the time we were trying to get pregnant, I just took NSAIDS and I did okay for the most part.  I had a lot a infertility issues so it took almost 2 years to finally achive pregnancy.  As soon as it was confirmed, I went off NSAIDS and only took tylonel for my arthritis during my pregnancy. 

After my twins were born, I went back on NSAIDS while breast feeding.  After they were just over a year old, my RA got really bad again.  So, I finished weaning them and started on Enbrel.

At this point, I would not even consider another child because the last couple of years I have been so sick with RA and fibromyalgia that I have almost had to quite working.  I just don't think I would have enough energy and ability to go through the infancy stage again.  But, we had original planned on two children and we got them all at once so we were lucky.

Thank you all for sharing your stories w/us.

I love that many of you are at a more mature life stage than me. It helps
to read how things can work out.

I'm 36 now and thinking about one more.

Take care you all-
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