Rachel Posted July 25, 2005 Report Share Posted July 25, 2005 Several months ago I asked about miscarriages, POTS, etc. and shared that I had had several miscarriages myself and had never been able to have a baby. Well, I finally have good news - I am pregnant and have actually made it to my 6th month! I am due in November and am so excited! The pregnancy has been going well. I feel better than I did before I got pregnant - even in the first trimester whem many women have morning sickness. So the pregnancy seems to be going well. Is there anything I need to be aware of that is POTS related during labor, delivery and postpartum recovery? I've tried many times to get into the old posts on this topic, but haven't been able to get them to open for me. I would just like to be as informed as possible and know what labor and delivery and recovery is like for other POTSies. Any information you can give is greatly appreciated.Thanks,Rachel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aprilmarie52 Posted July 25, 2005 Report Share Posted July 25, 2005 I didnt have any problems with labor and delivery. Everything went very smoothly and my daughter was born without any problems. I hope that everything goes well for you. Do you know if it is a boy or a girl? Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Lake Posted July 25, 2005 Report Share Posted July 25, 2005 Congratulations!!! I am so happy that everything is going well for you. I cannot give you any advise on what to expect with your POTS and pregnancy. I developed POTS after my twins were born. I just want to send my best wishes to you and hopes that you continue feeling so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted July 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2005 Thanks! I don't know if it is a boy or girl yet. I'll be having an ultrasound next week, so hopefully I can find out!Rachel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted July 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2005 I have another question that I forgot to ask earlier. Did any of you have any medications with your labor and delivery? Pain meds, epidural, iv, etc? Just wondering if/how those things might effect POTS. A midwife told me that an epidural can lower your bp. And considering mine is already too low, I was thinking that an epidural probably would not be a good idea! It seems from my study that all natural is the best way to go with POTS, but I was just wondering what your experiences might have been one way or the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted July 25, 2005 Report Share Posted July 25, 2005 My niece gave birth 6 months ago and she did not have any medication. Everything went fine and her son is healthy.Ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunfish Posted July 26, 2005 Report Share Posted July 26, 2005 rachel-i don't have any L&D wisdom to add (as i've never been pregnant) but just wanted to say congrats & send wishes your way for a continued "feel good" pregnancy.:-)melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madwife Posted July 26, 2005 Report Share Posted July 26, 2005 Hi there! Congratulations!I am a midwife with POTS / VVS / CFS / Seizures.What your midwife told you in relation to an epidural is correct...the drug used has a vasodilatory effect which is obviously going to provide a negative effect for you. If the hospital were willing to provide an epidural for you and it does drop BP they can give you Ephedrine but this is likely to leave you feeling lousey. You should not experience any other problems with analgesia such as Entonox, Meptid, Pethedine.The only other thing that I would advise is to make sure that your midwife is aware you should not undergo prolonged pushing as this is likely to stimulate an attack.Wishing you the best of luck x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rita Posted July 26, 2005 Report Share Posted July 26, 2005 Congrats on your expected delivery!!!!!!!!!!!! I have had a baby recently and did really well through out delivery as well as through pregnancy. I only had trouble with my blood pressure the first trimester after that through the pregnancy it was like a whole new me again my blood pressure stayed under control on it,s own. I did have an epidurol ( may be spelled wrong please for give me ) as well as a strong does of antibiotics during delivery, however I was considered a possible high risk patient. Every thing went great though and now I have a wonderful and beautiful baby girl ( now 17 mnths old ). I did not start having more trouble with my blood pressure until I started to lose my pregnancy weight. Best wishes on what ever you decide ,bringing a new life in the world is a joy only a mother can understand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calypso Posted July 26, 2005 Report Share Posted July 26, 2005 Hi Rachel,I developed POTS just a few days after delivering my daughter, so I don't know how much my experience will apply to you. But I have had some form of autonomic sensitivity my whole life (panic attacks, fainting, low BP). I did have a huge blood pressure drop with my epidural. I had preeclampsia, and my BP -- which was normally well under 100/60 pre-pregnancy -- went up gradually starting at week 26 or so, finally peaking at week 37, when I was induced. I went from a high of 150/100 to 80/42 when I got the epidural. Then it went back up and hung around 130-140/85-95 in the two months postpartum. My daughter had intrauterine growth restriction as a result of the preeclampsia. She was quite small but healthy and is doing very well now. This is a more uncommon occurrence than preeclampsia, but just thought I would mention it, since my midwife failed to detect it until week 36. Also, several women here have had high BP at the end of their pregnancies, so just be on the lookout for that.It's obviously best to avoid drugs during labor, but it's also not good to be in horrible pain and not able to relax enough to advance your labor. You can have a few ideas of what you want to do, but it's very likely that your "birth plan" that the midwife/doc asks you to do will be nothing like your actual experience. I never planned on preeclampsia -- including the fact that it confined me to the bed due to having to have a fetal monitor, and I never thought I'd break down and get an epidural (until the back labor went on for 12-plus hours!). Just be flexible and know that whatever you decide that day will likely be just what you need.Hope everything goes smoothly for you, and feel free to ask any questions.Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.