I'm now in my 28 week of pregnancy and all seems pretty OK. I had a slight scare at about 25 weeks but nothing since then. I get sonograms every month and our baby girl is doing fine and charms the techs every time!

My blood levels on the amox and augmentin are in the "fair" range I'm told which is OK for now.

Unfortunately, my LLMD office had to cancel my last appt with them that I had planned before the birth and I couldn't get a day that could fit into our crazy packed schedule between the holidays and the childbirth classes that would be reasonable and healthy for me. It is so easy for me to overdo things at this point and then on come the contractions... I can't travel 270 miles to see the LLMD on a whim right now!

I asked them to send me the testing kit for the birth and any info along with that for my nurse-midwives to use and they said they would.

Can someone who gave birth while having Lyme tell me what your LLMD told you about it? Any advice they gave that might not know? I'm not going to be breastfeeding because of the risks of transmission... but I know some women with Lyme DO breastfeed. What are the thoughts behind that??

I don't even know what meds I will be switching to after the birth... I am NOT continuing this massive dose abx every six hours with a new baby to care for... I will be a zombie. I might have to go to a more local LLMD or just doctor myself for a while.

If anyone would like to see our baby's ultrasound photos, go to: http://fbody.kicks-ass.net:8000/~heckyeah/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=Ultrasound-Photos

First, Congratulations!!!! I have a five year old girl, and a fourteen month old boy. With my fourteen month old, I was on IM shots of Rocephin, and didn't breastfeed. I knew someone with lyme who did her abx during the pregancy, the baby was neg., but chose to breastfeed, and the baby ended up with lyme. I just don't think it's worth it. I've treated two children for Lyme, and breastfed one, and trust me, it's not worth it.

As for abx after birth, you're right- you are so exhausted,that the last thing you have time to think about is your treatment. I went off all abx for the first 6 weeks, but ended up having a huge flare later on. Maybe a low dose abx? Your hormones are so messed up after the birth that I think it's impossible not to flare a little bit. That lack of sleep doesn't help, either!

If you'd like to email me privatey, feel free to!

[email protected]

It sounds like you are doing everything right and you are in the bests of hands. The pictures are very neat, thank you for posting them.
Keep us posted.

I just wanted to say congratulations!

Millions of us were raised on formula (in my case goat milk) and are just as fine.

Sorry I haven't been over on PregLyme recently - school is crazy for me right now! But I did want to respond here in case I didn't make it over to PregLyme tonight...

One thing about the MDL newborn kit... Let your OB/nurse-midwives look it over ahead of time. There are several different samples that need to be taken - a couple of them right after the birth. I told my OB about the kit and he was fine with doing it, but it took a while after the birth to get everything in the right vial. Also, I would fill out the paperwork and think about where you can leave the shipment for FedEx pickup beforehand as well.

As for breastfeeding, I really wrestled with my decision. I was symptom-free when I delivered, but then was hit hard a couple of weeks after delivery. At that point, we were already successfully BF (breastfeeding).

That being said, I decided to BF because of the major reduced risks of EVERYTHING else - diabetes, cancer, asthma, SIDS, allergies, infections, etc. There also has been a proven reduction in certain cancers for the mother who breastfeeds. There are countless benefits for me and my baby. Yes, many people have been raised successfully on formula. But it has been proven time and time again that breastmilk is the very best thing for our babies.

I do not think, however, that everyone should breastfeed, such as those with HIV/AIDS. Yes, Lyme spirochetes have been found in breastmilk. I don't think that there is proven, published studies on human transmission, however.

This certainly is a personal choice, and I don't condemn anyone for not BF or BF. I know that not everyone agrees with me/would do the same. I wish that there was more concrete evidence on this issue, for either side.

Best wishes to you... I am so excited for you! A baby is such a blessing! :-)

Shelly

I must simply relay that my daughter just finished two years of treatment for Lyme and co-infections as a result of six weeks exposure to my breastmilk after my EM rash when she was ten months old.

Bb was found in the breastmilk, and she was after two months PCR positive and with symptoms (after having been a very healthy child from birth to ten months.)

It is my strong feeling that pregnancy and birth may well stir up or exacerbate remaining infection in you, and with the propensity for Bb to rapidly replicate..it only takes a couple of healthy spirochetes to get through.

Your abx and immune system will not be able to fight Lyme exposure in the baby outside the body as well as it does INSIDE the body.

My best advise would be to consult Doc J on your case. He has the most experience, and has documented case study.

I would trust his advise in this entirely.

All the very best, and congratulations again!!

That baby is beautiful!!

Mo

I've done a lot of reading up on the research behind breastmilk and formula feeding and the supposed open and shut "research" that people use to say that breastmilk prevents all sorts of disorders actually isn't! The studies show correlations only which surprised me. Formula is also not some sort of toxic soup like I thought it was.

My mother was part of La Leche League back in the 70s and breastfeeding has always been viewed by me as totally normal and the best thing to do if you can do it. I still believe that. But, it is better not to give an infection and use other methods to increase immunity. That is my opinion anyway.

After taking meds every six hours on the dot (8am, 2pm, 8pm, 2am) for the past 7 months to prevent this baby from getting sick the last thing I'm going to do is risk giving it to her via breastmilk. What a waste! Maybe if I were less infected then it would be less of a risk.

skrwolf... thanks so much for the info! I hadn't thought of any of that. I will definitely give the test kit to them beforehand and make sure my birth plan is clear about what needs to be done with the kit.

Mo... thanks for sharing that story about your daughter! I'm sorry to hear that she got sick. By sharing your story I'm sure you will prevent other babies from the same thing.

When it comes down to it, I don't need concrete research telling me that I'm still infected with Lyme so why would I need concrete research to tell me that my breastmilk is risky? Anecdotal evidence and common sense is enough for me. It's not worth the risk I feel.

Thanks for all the congrats!

I am a big supporter of breastfeeding because of all of the positive benefits physically for both mom and baby - I nursed all three of my kids. Two of my kids have lyme and I worried myself silly until they were seen by Dr. J - the don't have congenital lyme but we are unsure if they got it from my breastmilk, since my 'supply' dried up years ago.....

I would wholeheartedly endorse breastfeeding in any situation where the mother has no risk of passing anything on to her baby. It's just safer that way.

Just a question... How can you tell whether or not they have congenital Lyme? Thanks!

La Leche in the 70's? Whoa. That was viewed as very much a fringe group.

I dont think everyone who belonged was so "radical" but there were some vocal people of that group who were advocating breastfeeding 5--10 years.

quote:

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Originally posted by Kara Tyson:
La Leche in the 70's? Whoa. That was viewed as very much a fringe group.
I dont think everyone who belonged was so "radical" but there were some vocal people of that group who were advocating breastfeeding 5--10 years.

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Like any group I guess there are definitely those who go to the far end of everything. I and all four of my brothers were breastfed but I think just until age 6 months or so. I definitely don't remember breastfeeding so I know it wasn't seven. LOL! Seven years old is pretty crazy old to breastfeed in my opinion and I think the die-hard BFers would agree too with that one.

Some women breastfeed until the age of 2 from what I've read online now. Would I do that if I could? Dunno. I think once a kid is old enough to ASK for the breast that it might be too old. But, maybe I'm just closed-minded.

I'm very lucky that my Mom is not so fringe that she has a problem with me not being able to breastfeed. She has seen close up how ill this disease has made me and how it almost killed me so she really knows how I want to avoid exposing my child to this disease as much as I can. She does feel sad for me that I won't have the experience (as I do too) but this disease has taken so many things from us as a couple (we both have Lyme) that we're just so happy to at least to be able to have a child at all. I hope she will run rings around us and wear us out! :-)

Cootiegirl... how does the doc know if the child has congenital or typical lyme infection?

Jen

I think it was just that that extreme was more vocal than the others.