I was infected last year, June 2005 to be exact and I am now symptom free. I was diagnosed and treated very early and I feel that after seeing my LLMD, we have things under control. Now my question, how long would you wait before trying to concieve a child. I have been symptom free for about five months and like I said I was in the very early stages of Lyme when treated.
I have read a few very strong opinions on this board about having children after Lyme and I am curious about your opinions. I certainly do not want to infect my baby but I would like to have more children.
Would that be a selfish thing to do, knowing that there is a small chance that I could pass this horrible disease along. I guess I do not have a good understanding of whether or not you are every completely cured.
So my thought process is to wait another year and make sure that my symptoms do not creep back up. But is that even a reasonable amount of time. If you are still with me, thanks for reading and I appreciate any advice that you can offer.
Thanks, Corinne
Posts: 17 | From Northern California | Registered: Jul 2005
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I may be the wrong person to answer this question, as I am in the camp of folks who have decided that the risk of pregnancy (for me and the child) is just far, far too great - (I'm super late-stage lyme, so in a different boat than you...)
But preliminary evidence shows that if you are on safe antibiotics throughout the pregnancy, and it is monitored, the chances are that you will have a healthy baby. I, personally, would be a bit worried about the effects of the abx on the fetus, but most docs agree that there are safe choices. Also, realize that pregnancy and the stress of a newborn may be enough to trigger a relapse for you. Not only is there a risk of relapse for you or lyme for the baby, there is also a risk that the baby may develop autism or have other birth defects. The studies on this stuff are really unclear, and much more research needs to be done. (Disclaimer : I'm not a doctor or a lyme researcher -- just a layperson who has done a lot of reading.)
This is a really, really personal choice. If you feel that your life would be the poorer for not having more kids, then I'd say talk to your LLMD about it, and make an informed choice.
good luck!
-------------------- "Looks like freedom but it feels like death.. It's something in between, I guess"
Leonard Cohen, from the song "Closing Time" Posts: 822 | From California | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
Thanks for your honest answers, I am really trying to make the best decision possible. I would be very curious to read about the possibilites of birth defects and/or autism. Could you perhaps point me in that direction?
Sometimes, I feel like even though I am feeling 100% better, this disease has taken so much from me and my family.
I know I am far better off than a lot of people and I am thankful for that.
I appreciate your help! Corinne
Posts: 17 | From Northern California | Registered: Jul 2005
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Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
Hey Little c...
Good to see folks who care about the unborn and who are concerned about a child's future. Good for you!
You said...
"how long would you wait before trying to concieve a child?"
Personally, I am having trouble dealing with the three dogs I am babysitting. HA! However.. I did comment that if I would have been babysitting a CHILD rather than 3 big dogs... I'd at least know what to do!
And if I were watching kids now ... I am pretty sure they wouldn't being chewing up my house plants, making me get up and down every 2 minutes to let them in and out the door, or running wild across the fields chasing rabbits when I let them go out to do their business at midnight!
As for the question..
I am one of the ones who thinks the unborn should have the biggest vote when a decission like this is being made... and this concern should override all other personal wishes.
I do know that as we learn more about Lyme, we are sometimes better able to medically care for women who accidently or purposely get pregnant when actively infected with Lyme.
Luckily, we are also a tiny bit better prepared to care for their children, who are more often than not, infected when they are born. Since we are on the cutting edges into the science of Lyme, Bartonella and other coinfections... no one has the right answers for all situations.. but we are able to adress the situation and problems when they occur.
Knowing more at this point doesn't change the outcomes in all cases and children will still suffer in many cases.. but it helps to have a few docs who are addressing the current situation and doing their best with helping the ones who are suffering... after the fact.
Since no one can say for sure if we are completely clear of the infection after treatment.. we can only guess... it is basically a crap shoot.
I do feel if a person seriously studies the facts and ALL of the information available, has a good LLMD caring for them and the unborn baby BEFORE conception.. has good care during pregnancy and after the baby is born... catches the Lyme early and is symptom free for a reasonable amount of time.. the chances of having better outcomes do exist.
But no promises.
Guess what I am trying to say is NO ONE has the right to tell you what to do.
This is a decission YOU must make after learning all you can and putting the welfare of the unborn first and foremost.
And I see you are on the right track by wanting to learn.. questioning the possibilities... and most of all... caring.
I think you hit the nail on the head in most instances from everything that I have read on this board. It's funny, although I did not post much, because in most cases if I did a search on anything that I was experiencing, I found a wealth of information here. I do however feel as if I "know" some of you and I look forward to hearing about you all getting better!
I felt so very helpless this past year and I know it would be ten times worse if it happens to my child because of me. I have enough guilt to last me a lifetime, I do not need to pour any more on.
So I am taking it day by day and hoping that I make the best decision. I was on antibiotics with my first child throughout my pregnancy due to Group B Strep and she is a thriving 4 year old.
Thanks again for your post! Corinne
Posts: 17 | From Northern California | Registered: Jul 2005
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Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
Me tinks you've got what it takes to make a fine and caring mother.
Hugs to your little one.. and most of all.. happiness to you and yours.
I am in the same boat except I don't have any children at all yet. I turn 40 in two weeks so the pressure is on. I put it off for various reasons (getting married later, moving, etc...etc...) and now I've been diagnosed with Lyme. I'm living in Melbourne and not having any luck finding an LLMD to help with any of this. My current doctor sat me down and told me to just go ahead and get pregnant and "just" go on amoxicillin if I get pregnant.
I thought it couldn't be so simple. Lyme is too devious. And he has admittedly told me before that he has no experience with Lyme. So, I'm still hesitating.
Br. B's guidelines say that if you stay on Amoxicillin during the pregnancy, that there should be no problem....
But I'm still hesitating.
My husband is "pressuring" me too but I would be devastated if I had a child with a serious health problem and knew that he/she got it from me!
So, this is probably not helping you at all. I suppose I'm just walking myself through my thoughts.
Anyway, what have you found out? I'm just really beginning my research at a deeper level so I'd gladly take any reading suggestions you can offer.
Thank you, Cyndi in Melbourne
Posts: 3 | From Melbourne, Australia | Registered: Sep 2006
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lymewreck36
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4395
posted
I've had four children and been infected during all of that unknowingly. I was diagnosed when my youngest was three years old.
My first child fared very well, and my symptoms were well under control at that time and my health the strongest in my adult life.
After her birth, I started to go downhill, but could not figure out what was wrong with me.
My second daughter was born with severe night terrors and separation anxiety. AS she grew, the nightmares became so horrifying, she spent the night in our bed very regularly. She described problems with anxiety from as early as kindergarten, calling it a "scrunchy feeling in her stomach." By the way, she was bitten while we lived in CT, and her neuro problems grew rapidly.
After the second birth, I was still undiagnosed with lyme, but told I had fibromyalgia. I had to leave my job because of the pain and fatigue.
Much to my surprise, we found out we were pregnant, but at 20 weeks gestation, we found I had no amniotic fluid. It turned out the baby had multicystic kidneys. We carried her to 35 weeks gestation, and she died in delivery.
Years later after knowing I had lyme, I read that a fetus infected with lyme could have complications such as cystic kidneys!
STill not knowing I had lyme, we tried for our fourth child. My health was faring very well at the time, other than a little sleep medicine, I was feeling pretty strong.
The pregancy was hell, as all four of them were, but I was given a beautiful baby girl. She is bright and loving, and so easy to take care of, much easier than the other two.
She was bitten in CT because her daddy let her jump in the leaves. I never found a tick on her, but two weeks after playing in the leaves, she became acutely ill, and hers is another story of lyme disease.
So, from my experience, I have noted that when my symptomology was doing the best, and I felt the strongest going into it, the baby did very well.
If you are feeling very well, and you use amoxicillan as a preventative measure, there's a good chance it will be o.k.
I wish you the best with this very difficult decision.
Hoping you are able to experience the joy of another child.
Mary
Posts: 1032 | From North Carolina | Registered: Aug 2003
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lymewreck36
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4395
posted
I've had four children and been infected during all of that unknowingly. I was diagnosed when my youngest was three years old.
My first child fared very well, and my symptoms were well under control at that time and my health the strongest in my adult life.
After her birth, I started to go downhill, but could not figure out what was wrong with me.
My second daughter was born with severe night terrors and separation anxiety. AS she grew, the nightmares became so horrifying, she spent the night in our bed very regularly. She described problems with anxiety from as early as kindergarten, calling it a "scrunchy feeling in her stomach." By the way, she was bitten while we lived in CT, and her neuro problems grew rapidly.
After the second birth, I was still undiagnosed with lyme, but told I had fibromyalgia. I had to leave my job because of the pain and fatigue.
Much to my surprise, we found out we were pregnant, but at 20 weeks gestation, we found I had no amniotic fluid. It turned out the baby had multicystic kidneys. We carried her to 35 weeks gestation, and she died in delivery.
Years later after knowing I had lyme, I read that a fetus infected with lyme could have complications such as cystic kidneys!
STill not knowing I had lyme, we tried for our fourth child. My health was faring very well at the time, other than a little sleep medicine, I was feeling pretty strong.
The pregancy was hell, as all four of them were, but I was given a beautiful baby girl. She is bright and loving, and so easy to take care of, much easier than the other two.
She was bitten in CT because her daddy let her jump in the leaves. I never found a tick on her, but two weeks after playing in the leaves, she became acutely ill, and hers is another story of lyme disease.
So, from my experience, I have noted that when my symptomology was doing the best, and I felt the strongest going into it, the baby did very well.
If you are feeling very well, and you use amoxicillan as a preventative measure, there's a good chance it will be o.k.
I wish you the best with this very difficult decision.
Hoping you are able to experience the joy of another child.
Mary
Posts: 1032 | From North Carolina | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
This is one of the most difficult decisions for a woman impacted by Lyme disease. This is something that requires a deep contemplation about what all scenarios might look like and then picking the one that feels best. I think you have many things going for you in terms of the fact that you were treated early and are doing well. What have been your LLMD's recommendations? How does your partner feel? Whatever choice you make just move forward with it full throttle - don't let doubt creep in. When we let doubt creep in to our lives it doesn't allow us to live fully. Having a child is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life and when there are other factors such as health for the self and the baby it makes it more important that you really weigh all the facts (or as many as we have available). Do you have a therapist or someone you can speak with who is objective- who will help you clarify for yourself your thoughts. This might be helpful as family and friends can many times put their subjective experience in the picture and this makes it more difficult to decide what is best for ourselves. Best, Focus
Posts: 55 | From Mamaroneck, New york | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
The topic of having a baby came in a right time for me. Just recently I overcame 12 years long horrible LD with every symptom there is.
I'm 43 years old, my body decided to go into a menopause at 34. But 4 month ago, while taking a natural supplement FrequenSea (as I posted the whole story earlier), I started my period again and all my tests are back to normal. My OB-GYN have never seen anything as this before.
I'm extremly great with kids and spent countless nights crying as I though I'll never be able to experience real motherhood.
I did tons of reseach and came to the same point as in the above posts. I don't want to harm my baby and live with another quilt.
I couldn't tolerate any abx in any dose. So taking abx as a preventative measure can't happen to me. Can someone tell me if they went through pregnancy without abx and their result?
I'm intending to continue with marine phytoplankton supplement FrequenSea. My girl friend used it during her preqnancy (after 2 miscaridges). She had no problems this time and now is having a healthy baby girl, who sleeps and eats like pre-programmed, letting her mom rest a lot. My girl friend still used the doudle dose of the product and will so till she stops breast feeding and will be able to add this product to her baby's formula.
I would be pleased to read your input. I know that the last decision will be mine, but I believe in power of knowledge.
Thank you, Petra
Posts: 89 | From Vail, Colorado | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
I haven't even thought that far ahead! What an eye opening topic.
My 17 yr old daughter has only been to the llmd once, and we are still waiting on test results.
I guess that explains why the llmd said "you will beat this and go on to get married and have children." Right now we're just worried about graduating high school!
I do have a friend who has crone's disease among other things. She said in order to have a child her doctor said she should stay home- during the pregnancy and after. She quit her job and took great care of herself. I know it's not the same exact thing, just pointing out the relationship between stress and other illnesses and how pregnancy can be successful without added stress.
I have a 4 yr old also. If I had lyme, she would be enough to raise my stress level to the severe relapse level! My 17 yr old dd has only been ill since Jan. I can't imagine her taking care of a baby with her health like this. She can hardly watch my 4 yr old because she sleeps so much! Glad her llmd is so optimistic!
Hope the answer to your prayer is revealed quickly! God bless!
MommaK
Posts: 242 | From Mississippi | Registered: Oct 2006
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