After experiencing two heartbreaking miscarriages, I'm currently 29 weeks pregnant. Perhaps the reason for my miscarriages has nothing to do with my Chronic Lyme, though I am suspicious my babies might have been affected by it; I wasn't aware I had Lyme at the time. With this pregnancy, I am on abx treatment, and have been now for about 8 months (only 2 of which were non-pregnant months).
My LLMD has recently increased my medication because I was feeling badly/worse (I had been taking Zithromax, now I'm taking Omnicef in addition). He did this because he was concerned that if I was feeling worse, then chances of Lyme getting to my baby were higher, and so we need to hit my body harder. *sigh* Still feeling worse! My main complaint is joint pain, especially in my hands/wrists, hips, knees and feet. I do agree with abx treatment during pregnancy in order to decrease the likelihood of the disease being transferred to Baby.
I hope with all my heart that Baby: 1) Makes it into this world, and 2) Tests negative for Lyme. If they test positive through iGenex lab, my LLMD suggests against breastfeeding. I figure there are pros/cons to this. If you had a similar situation (pregnant during Lyme treatment), what did you do for your babies? Breastfeed/bottle-feed? Why did you choose that route? If you could go back, would you do the same?
I could also use some general advise and support in preparing for labor. I used to be extremely active when I was younger, but as I got older and more sick, I stopped exercising. Daily activities like cleaning or grocery shopping were now exhausting me, and I felt I had no energy to put toward exercise, minus yoga occasionally. Now with the Baby almost here, I am trying my best to increase my exercise routine. I'm seeing Physical Therapy for my hip and knee pain, and just started an arthritis swimming class that's twice a week. I feel good about doing these things, but am still nervous about labor in general. On one hand, I figure I'm used to pain, how bad can it be? On the other, I know very well how hard it could be... and knowing my current boundaries (i.e. unable to stand for more than a minute without severe discomfort and pain; shortness of breath going up stairs)... I'm scared to boot. I plan to go to a birth center vs. hospital, with a team of midwives. I'm unable to afford a doula, but have a very supportive husband. Again, if you are in a similar health situation as me, how did labor go for you? Did you have a successful vaginal birth? Did you give birth at a hospital, birth center or home? Did you feel empowered or helpless?
-------------------- :: Chronic Lyme Disease >7 years :: :: Co-infections: Babesia, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, Bartonella (?) :: Posts: 17 | From Wisconsin | Registered: May 2014
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Congratulations! Your courage & determination - and good stuff about learning what can help is good. (Obviously, I lost my word skills on that last sentence.)
While I have no direct experience with all this, I do know one thing that can make many aspects much worse if it's absent.
MAGNESIUM - is this a major support supplement of yours? Hope so. If not, it may help a lot with the joint pain you describe. It could be due to build up of toxins in the body.
And, magnesium is so very vital in pregnancy and helpful to avoid some of the toxemia that can come with it.
If you could find a LL ND to help guide you, that would be wonderful. The links below are not specific to pregnancy / delivery yet may have mentions. You can search beyond for the pregnancy / deliver applications.
If every member of your delivery team needs to know about magnesium. And an IV of magnesium should be at the ready, just in case . . . and if given beforehand, could really help in many ways.
Of course, though, best if guided by a ND or holistically minded MD who knows all about this - and the specifics of your body.
posted
I was pregnant with my second child who is now 4 while i was sick and didn't know it. They had me diagnosed with fibro.
I had a midwife group as well with both my babies but had them in a hospital. I didn't have any drugs as planned, so it was hard on my body but that's the way i wanted it. They did give me a bag of IV abx during labor because they thought i was strep B positive so that along with the stress labor puts on your body is what did me in.
I went down hill from there. I did breastfeed for 8 months. That's when i found out what was really wrong with me. I brought my son to a LLMD and she said breastfeeding was probably the best thing i could have done for him because he was getting all my antibodies. If i had to do it all over, knowing what i know now i would have chosen not to breastfeed. That's if i knew i had Lyme and company.
I'm so sorry about your miscarriage's. Best of luck with the rest of your pregnancy.
Posts: 908 | From Albany | Registered: Nov 2008
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- What about reaching to a lyme support group near you for some practical support suggestions - maybe someone would know someone with energy and the understanding of what lyme involves in terms of your energy, etc.
For help with errands, in home chores, etc. it would be so good that anyone who might offer to help you out (as sounds like you may not be able to afford to pay yet still seek out any possible volunteers) . . .
well, it would be good if they have an understanding of lyme. Most people have no clue and might expect grand things of you, your brain and your body.
The very best of luck. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Thanks for your suggestions. My LLMD (who is trained in herbal and integrative medicine and works closely with a ND) has me on Standard Process' Magnesium Lactate. I take 3 capsules (210 mg) before bed along with calcium citrate/malate (300 mg). Originally, I think he put me on magnesium to help with muscle spasms.
Do you know what kind of effects I should look for to know that the magnesium is helping? Currently, I don't think my spasms are as bad. But there are many other issues of course.
As far as support - yes, I totally agree. I should look into local support... we actually just relocated about 2 months ago, so we're away from family and friends though we do have a couple of friends here as well.
-------------------- :: Chronic Lyme Disease >7 years :: :: Co-infections: Babesia, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, Bartonella (?) :: Posts: 17 | From Wisconsin | Registered: May 2014
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Thanks for commenting. I'm sorry to hear about your misdiagnosis during such a critical time in your life. ICK about the IV during labor, I can't imagine... Still, it is encouraging to hear you made it through labor without other drugs, as you desired. That brings me hope
To clarify: When you had your son seen by an LLMD at 8 months, did the doctor think only he had Lyme, but not you? And is that why you would choose to not breastfeed if you had to do it over (because you now know that you had it all along) Just want to make sure I'm understanding you.
Also, does your son still have Lyme/symptoms?
Thanks!
-------------------- :: Chronic Lyme Disease >7 years :: :: Co-infections: Babesia, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, Bartonella (?) :: Posts: 17 | From Wisconsin | Registered: May 2014
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lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
I wasnt able to read all above
I had undx lyme while pregnant with my fourth child. I probably had lyme while prenant with thurd child as well. They were 16 months apart
I only nursed third child a few months cuz i wanted to get pregnant again. I nursed the fourth child for 3 yrs
Both kids ended up getting treated for lyme but their lyme experience was very different
The last child who had nursed for 3 yrs was physically weaker than the others...needed a lot more sleep, didbt do well in pe classes, had a lot of belly pain and refused to wear anything on waist for years...no testing could figure it out...even endoscopy to stomach
At ten years old she was unable to get up for school. School thought it was "behavioral" cuz docs could not find anything wrong
I remember she also had tenper tantrums much longer than normal-til she was 8,9,
She was a straught A student except for pe and i knew she loved school
That is when i went against what everyone said, took her to Llmd got pos igenex and she was on tx 2 yrs...at the end detox and probiotucs etc
Her pos test made me go to thus doc and that isgow i found out i had lyme after 15 yrs of tryig to get dx
What is impt for yoy to know is after our struggles she went on to grad college, get married, get her doctorate and is teachiing at college level now
She does still have mild residual problems that i think are from lyme
If i knew i was preg and had lyme i would tx like you are with llmd
I also thought dr j wou l d tx a mom so baby could nurse safely...but i havent kept up withthat
And i dont know about treating unfants
Her brother was treated for a year when he was three from.what we thoght was a tuck bite-his feet hurt so much he coudnt walk and they treated hi.til his elisa went neg
At that time they txed her for 3 weeks just cuz he was sick and had pos test...she didnt test pos til i found llmd when she was teb
So...it is nit irreversible. ..but work with a really good lmd or cinsylt with dr jones. Good luck
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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LisaK
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 41384
posted
I got tick with lyme rash (lyme) when I was pregnant with my 3rd child. midwives didn't treat it correctly and I got very sick after delivery. that was 16 yrs ago.
my son, (neither of us dx at that time) was born healthy. we were both tested about a yr ago- he by an alternative dr with biomeridian testing, and I with iGeneX. I tested +, he was neg for lyme, but + for RMSF, which the dr said WAS lyme. I want to get him iGeneX, but trying to save up for that and
for the other 2 kids i have plus hubby.
I really think I was pos for lyme way before I had any of my kids. son was 3rd . all 3 of our kids were dx with learning disabliillities including dyslexia, ADHD, and other things. All are also gifted in differnt ways!
I think the more damage with the first 2 was from vaccinations in early childhood.
I stopped vacinating my son after daughter #2 got funny after a booster.
so son has the least issues with learning.
also found that they had many food allergies, and I think that lyme had somehting to do with that for sure.
I breastfed them all for at least 2 years, and my son for 3+. He did not even eat other food for the first yr of his life!
I wsa dx iwth several tick diseases, and he was only dx with one which he could have gotten in the first 15 yrs of his life , right???? but , he did have sx early on , now that I look back.
he has bee treated and shows very good improvement in the last year.
I also would like to mention that I have almost always used and fed to all my kids as much 100% natural and /or organic foods whenever I could which was about 90% of the time.
I really think that helped.
also, they each had no sugar until they were past 2 yrs. or longer. except for the once or twince a yr treat like a lick of ice cream, etc. , birthday cake, etc.
I did have a tough preganacy with son, but I was much worse after. I dind't know I was sick and I was clueless about lyme.
my advice would be to prepare for yourself to possibly be hit with a wave of sx after birth. that means don't make plans . REST all the time. eat really good whole foods. avoid stress (possibly visitors too - ) and listed to your body.
see about gettin gextra help for yourself after the baby is born, for around the house- for at least 6 months.
this is long- I am so sorry!
I forgot about much of this until now. it is good or me to look back. there is so much . keep a journal if you can.
I rememebr the midsives werent' sure what to give me for the deer tick bite I got while pregnant, and they gave me something I should not have had for baby's sake, but he was born healthy.
I will be praying for you and your baby to be healthy as possible.
blessings!
-------------------- Be thankful in all things- even difficult times and sickness and trials - because there is something GOOD to be seen Posts: 3558 | From Eastern USA | Registered: Jul 2013
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posted
I tested positive through igenix when he was 8 months and had to stop breastfeeding because I was put on doxy. He didnt test positive but I believe he is having symptoms now at 4yrs old and ive started giving him argentyn23 and liposomal colostrum from sov labs.
If I had to go back and decide if I was to breastfeed I would choose not to because I know now that it can be passed through breastmilk. But maybe you could if you were on abx. I dont know the protocols for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Sorry you have to go through this right now. Its so hard.
Posts: 908 | From Albany | Registered: Nov 2008
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posted
I tested positive through igenix when he was 8 months and had to stop breastfeeding because I was put on doxy. He didnt test positive but I believe he is having symptoms now at 4yrs old and ive started giving him argentyn23 and liposomal colostrum from sov labs.
If I had to go back and decide if I was to breastfeed I would choose not to because I know now that it can be passed through breastmilk. But maybe you could if you were on abx. I dont know the protocols for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Sorry you have to go through this right now. Its so hard.
Posts: 908 | From Albany | Registered: Nov 2008
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- kmarie,
Glad to hear you say " My LLMD (who is trained in herbal and integrative medicine and works closely with a ND)" (end quote)
you asked what other effects magnesium might be helping.
Most specifically - and this is really important: toxemia. Especially in the 3rd term, toxemia can happen and be mild, moderate or very dangerous.
Pre-eclampsia is another term for it, although I don't know which is the newer, preferred term.
Magnesium is a major helper there and a real life saver regarding toxemia - and to prevent it from getting bad to begin with.
It also does work to calm muscle spasms as you mentioned -- and to reduce inflammation & pain.
More detail can be found for you at this time, with a cross search for pregnancy, of course (but I'm too tired to set that up). Basics are here:
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The
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