LymeNet Flash: Testing w/infants or postnatal

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Posted by KC:michigan (Member # 4045) on :

I KNOW pregnancy is a sensitive topic- so please just advice/suggestions. I've read most of the pregnancy informational posts in the archives

I am already pregnant (due mid-late Nov), I did my research and with my LLMD approval am pregnant (am on 'safe' antibiotics) with TWINS

One ? is when/how did you test your children after they were born??

MY LLMD says he will test them AFTER 6 mon- since my antibodies will still be in their systems after birth and could result in a false positive (much like HIV could do the same).

This is contrary to what I have read- to test placental tissues and babies immediately after they are born.

Anyone else test/heard of the most accuarte way to test them? My high risk OB/perineonatologist is open to other suggestions.

Another ? is anyone have twins!! ;] These will be our first children and we are a little surprised!!

Last ? is for those who have had children- did your sympt get worse/ better while pregnant or after pregnancy??

Thanks!

Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :

Yes, I have read about early testing too. But have also heard of cases where the early testing was negative, even tho symptoms developed later and the testing was also positive later. Don't think you can put complete faith in testing (at any time).

Posted by Lisianthus (Member # 6631) on :

Hi Kc,

From what I was told they often test the placenta after birth.

My question: Is your LLMD going to wait for them to have a positive test before he treats them? I would probably be alittle more proactive in their treatment especially if you have LD during the pregnacy.

I also have twins, they are identical boys. They are 18 years old now. They also have Lyme.

It was very tough when they were little. But just try to take it easy. It is going to be more difficult for you having LD and being extremely tired. Try to get some help from your family if you can.

My advise:

Don't worry about keeping your house clean, its not that important!

Sleep when they sleep! Your probably not going to nurse them because of LD. So you can try to feed them at the same time, and sleep at the same time.

Just relax and enjoy them, they are a gift.

You can email me if you have any other questions.

Take care,
Lisi

[This message has been edited by Lisianthus (edited 21 July 2005).]

Posted by KC:michigan (Member # 4045) on :

We THINK they are fraternal girls

I am taking oral amox as a preventative- I was sypt free for awhile prior to getting pregnant.

He will test/treat only if positive...he says (peri agrees) that too many early anbx can do a lot of damage if given too often too early.

So far so good with Lyme staying quite- I hope it stays that way for a long time!!!

My mother will come for awhile in the beginning and my In-laws live locally so it will be nice to have extra hands.

How long did you carry your boys- I hope to get to 36-37 weeks but I have other health concerns ontop of (thankfully) quite lyme.

Posted by slcd (Member # 5708) on :

First of all - Congratulations!!!!!

As to the rest. I'm in kind of the same situtation as you. I'm not pregnant yet, but I have been given the go ahead by my LLMD. They told me the same thing. They will take me off of antibiotics for the first trimester and then put me on amox & zith for the second two trimesters.

As to how to test the children, I was told that their advice was to test them only if they are symptomatic. The tests are not accurate enough and they think that I would just stress. (I was told the child could even have the anitbodies from me, but never be active.)

And as to how you feel during pregnancy, they told me most women feel great during the pregnancy, but there is a risk of relapse about 3 months after delivery.

All of this is really just guesswork, though, as they don't really have concrete facts on much with lyme and pregnancy.

I would say just enjoy it, enjoy your twins, and hope for the best. Don't stress yourself out too much, cause we all know about stress and lyme . . .

Posted by ICEiam (Member # 7519) on :

Firstly CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Children are truly a blessing!!! Thank God for your LLMD and thank God you have been treated for Lyme.

The chances of your babies being neg are much higher since you are doing the preventative treatment.

By the time my daughter got pregnant she had had undiagnosed Lyme for 10 years. Her pregnancy was the pregnancy from hell. She was so sick ALL the time.

When my granddaughter was born we didn't think she was going to live. She looked like an old raisin and she never did cry.

Thankfully she was OK. Her body temp was low so they put her on my daughter's chest skin to skin for quite some time. She was just a little "peanut" she only weighed 5 lbs 9 oz.

The doctor mentioned that my daughter had a very unusually small placenta. It seem the baby lost weight the last few weeks of pregnancy as her OB/GYN said she was over 7lbs at the last visit before she went to the hospital.

Lyme???? who knows? I have never been able to find anything on this. She scored high on the apgar test. My daughter tried to nurse her.

Wish she wouldn't have. She never got enough milk and the baby woudln't nurse much anyway. She woudln't drink much period. She would turn her head and gag when we tried to feed her. Very odd for a newborn.

We tried EVERY single formula on the market. She would finally eat out of being starved and then would do the projectile thing.

She had fevers for no reason, we would take her to the duck and he would say looks like an ear infection, here's some zythromax (hehehe, he was treating her for Lyme and didn't even know it)

She was on Zythromax about every other month the 1st year of her life. For one thing or another. during this time she would get really strange rashes that the ducks had no clue about.

Had we known then, what we know now maybe things would have been different. We are blessed to have this little girl. she was THE perfect baby, NEVER cried. Turned 11 months old and an alien moved in.

She has never been the same since. She was "offically" diagnosed with Lyme the end of March and started treatment in May with Dr. H. He is having us take her to see Dr. J. in Ct in Sept. They will take care of her together.

Daughter was diagnosed in March as well and has had a rough go of it as most of you know. She started her 400mg of Zith again last night. Will see how that goes. Her head still hurts and so does everything else.

Oh, and yes, she did a MAJOR crash after she gave birth, but remember she was NOT diagnosed yet nor on any type of treatment.

My advice, just watch the babies for anything out of the ordinary. Rashes, fever, appetite things like that.

Good luck and don't worry, you are doing things the right way. I wish we would have known what we know now.

HUGS