posted
I've had chronic lyme for about 7 years and have been on and off with my symptoms, treated back and forth for years with antibiotics. For the last year I have been doing Rifing (which worked wonders!) and was taking some herbal remedies such as cat's claw and andographis.
My husband and I want to start a family. Does anyone know anything about pregnancy with chronic lyme? I know I will have to stop all treatments. Can the fetus get it? Would I be putting an unborn child to risk of infection or birth defects or worse? There seems to be little if any research on the topic.
Has anyone out there gotten pregnant having lyme and have a story they can tell me? Thanks!
Posts: 2 | From morris county | Registered: Jul 2010
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Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
The fetus can get Lyme from the mother. It doesn't happen in all cases, but it happens enough (probably about 50% of the time when the mother is not on antibiotics, which is a high transmission rate) that if you think you have Lyme in your body still, I would be on antibiotics while pregnant.
Most LLMD's say it is okay to get pregnant if you are on antibiotics throughout the entire pregnancy. Most of them also say to wait until you are feeling pretty good though. It is good to get coinfections like babesia and bartonella, viruses, and mycoplasma under control before trying for a baby. Being on antibiotics is the best thing you can do to prevent transmission. You may want to start them before trying to get pregnant, because herxing while pregnant is not a good thing, supposedly.
During pregnancy, you'll want to be on something like Moxatag, which is extended release Amoxicillin. That is for the Lyme. Some people add Zithromax, which would help protect (maybe) against babesia and bartonella being transmitted, and it also fights mycoplasma. And the Zith is double protection against Lyme. The most important thing you want to prevent transmitting is Lyme. Some LLMD's believe that the baby could fight off babesia or bartonella if they do not get Lyme from you.
Breastfeeding, if done, should be done only while the mother is on an antibiotic that crosses into breastmilk that is also baby-safe. I think Moxatag would probably work.
There have been a few members here that have had healthy babies. I have only heard of one or two babies testing positive when the mother was on antiboitics throughout the pregnancy. But it does happen. If you treat the child early in life, treatment is most successful, so you should get the child tested at birth.
I think Clongen is the lab that will test the cord blood. You'll have to find someone to talk to, for the procedure on that....or call Clongen.
You'll definitely want to know ahead of time that you have a doctor (like and LLMD) that's willing to prescribe you meds throughout the pregnancy.
There was a study done that is "published" in the Lyme Times Children's Edition that was done on women with Lyme who took antibiotics during pregnancy, and in that study, 0 babies were born with Lyme.
You can pick up the magazine here (it's a special edition):
It is a really hard issue to think about....I have weighed the pluses and minuses, and decided that when I feel I am ready health-wise, we will likely try to have children, and I'll be on antibiotics the whole time. I have had "chronic" Lyme for about 9 years. Not fully better yet. It is a slow road.
But healthy babies are born, even when the Mom is not completely healthy.....though it's not an ideal situation....and there are risks. You need to be ready for the 1% (my estimation) or so chance that your baby will test positive at birth despite you being on antibiotics for the entire pregnancy. Then you need to be ready to treat, etc.
Good luck! Feel free to private message me with any questions or for support.
Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
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posted
Im 3 month pregnant now and on the treatment,my llmd told me some women did't know they have lyme and their baby are fine but some get from the mother so it depends.
You have to stay on the treatment during pregnancy since you know you have lyme.
By the way,what's rifing?
Posts: 158 | From pittsburgh | Registered: Aug 2009
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posted
My kids have congenital lyme. I had no idea I had lyme. I wonder though, about a statement like, "0 babies were born with lyme". Babies born to a mom with active, untreated lyme (no abx during pregnancy), that baby is born with chronic lyme, and likely not positive on a lyme test.
Do you remember, Hoosiers, if that Lyme Times talks about how they tested?
I, personally, would assume that your baby will have lyme or co-infections, but, as I mentioned in another thread. Knowledge is power. My kids started treating at ages 12 and 4. I wish I had known.
Posts: 564 | From Tick Hell | Registered: Oct 2008
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