Pots And Pregnancy

[JenJen]

I'm just entering my second trimester and starting to feel better, but i fainted nearly every day for the length of the first trimester. For all the POTS moms with kids, how did pregnancy effect your POTS?

p.s. any special considerations for safety of the baby? Tell me everything you know please.

[janiedelite]

If you're not seeing a high-risk OB/perinatologist, perhaps this would be a good idea with your frequent fainting? (Unless you're already seeing one )

[masumeh]

Congrats!

There were several previous posts, years old, on pregnancy and POTS experiences. As I recall, it affects people differently; some improve greatly while others are devistated and everything in between.

I am also pregnant at the moment, not far ahead of you (nearing month 5). It's my third pregnancy and hopefully second child. My daughter is now 8 years old. We knew that pregnancy would probably hit me hard, and since I had recovered from POTS, with only a few episodes of fainting a year compared to several a day years ago, we were not eager to test those waters. But it's happened, and my POTS was terrible during first trimester. Very depressing to relapse, but I just keep thinking: FIGHT IT! Tryin to stay positive and take it one day at a time. Thankfully, second trimester is MUCH better. I've been struggling to stay conditioned, and thankfully dizziness is subsiding. Blood pressure naturally drops, and heart rate increase is normal during pregnancy, so this makes it hard to tell how much is POTS, especially with some other medications for hyperemesis that I'm taking which create side effects of difficulty breathing, fainting, and seizures. I think for me, POTS exacerbates my nausea and fatigue. I just handle it by sleeping as much as I need to, putting myself first and letting someone step in with my domestic duties. When I get a little chance, energy-wise, I walk as much as I can, even just around the house, to stay conditioned. Staying hydrated is really, really important for both the pregnancy and battling POTS, so you might want to keep pushing electrolyte-high fluids. I also prepared myself for any possible complications by getting a high-risk OB/GYN, who insisted we create a team with a POTS-savy cardiologist and a hemotologist (hemotologist because I have liver function problems, not necessarily related to POTS but started at the same time). I give extra effort to avoiding triggers, and am careful to take my time standing up in phases, if I've been laying down a while. My OB/GYN in my second pregnancy warned me to "try to fall backwards" when I faint, if at all possible (not to fall on the baby). Falls are a miscarriage risk for any pregnant woman. My current OB/GYN recommended baby aspirin (in addition to my heavy-duty blood thinner, heparin shots) to improve blood flow to the baby. She stressed folic acid (at least 350mg/day) to counteract the heparin. That has to do with my thrombophelia more than POTS, I believe. But it's hard to tell if the one does or doesn't stem from the other.

I think generally having a "ready for anything" attitude is good, but try also to relax and enjoy your experience like other women. Stressing isn't a good idea. I try my best to be prepared but then forget that I have this problem and just enjoy my life. It's less stress for me that way, and I think that's best on my health anyhow.

Good luck!

Edited March 4, 2012 by corina