Ianankatie Posted March 20, 2006 Report Share Posted March 20, 2006 Hi allI'm comming up to 8 weeks pregnant and having to make decisions about the care I will recieve for the next 7 months. I am getting really worried as the doctors that I speak to all go for one extreem or another. They either want me to go natural all of the way, as if I was perfectly healthy, or high risk spending the final trimester in hospital ending with a c/section under general anaethetic. I don't like the sound of either of these options and was hoping that if I could gather some info from you guys (who probably know a lot more about it than any of my docs) then things may go a little better!! I really hope you can take a minute to complete this poll. I know there have been A LOT of posts about pregnancy but hopefully this will make it clear and I can show the results to my doc!Thank you everyone in advance!!!Love Katie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bttrflyamby1981 Posted March 20, 2006 Report Share Posted March 20, 2006 Hope I can HelpI think my POTS started before my second child, but didn't know that's what it was at the time.The worst symptoms came at the end of my pregnancy, but if I drank enough water I did okAny complication I had I don't feel was POTS related at all.The only thing that POTS might have affected was the fact that I lost alot of bloodand I didn't want a blood transfusion. I was ok on the blood levels so they said it was up to me.If I had known that I would have been better off with the transfusion I would have reconcidered.But then again if they knew I had POTS I might have been more aware of the risks.Every person is different and you should do what feels right to you. It's your body and your baby the choice is yours. Go with your heart.Have they considered you trying vag. with a poss. c-section if it becomes too much for you and the baby?I was given that choice before they found out I had a narrow birth canal(sorry for my spelling).It doesn't hurt to ask if you think that's what you want to do.Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labas_2u@shaw.ca Posted March 20, 2006 Report Share Posted March 20, 2006 Hi Katie!My first pregnancy was totally uneventful! Totally natural delivery with no drugs or intervention.My second however was a twin pregnancy so needless to say that it is automatically a higher risk pregnancy from the get-go. My major problem was with BP and tacycardia which, with rest and taking it as easy as I could (with a two year old running around ) I still managed to get to the third trimester ok. Then I developed pre-eclampsia. I was admitted to the hospital for the duration of the pregnancy, still no medications but total and I mean TOTAL bedrest. The first baby (a girl) was delivered normally but she KICKED her brother (second baby) into a breech postion which complicated things quite a bit. An internal rotation (ow ow ow) was done because it was too late for a c-section. I did have bleeding complications after the delivery ( a seperate issue) as I also have a bleeding disorder. There was the doctor who delivered the babies, a pediatricain, an anaestesiologist and three nurses in the delivery room along with my husband. Talk about crowded! I'm lucky they had enough room for me. I'm sure there are other people on this forum that can be more informative (as my children are older now)and they're experiences would be more up-to-date than mine. In my own opinion, I would start out with the more natural way but stay VERY closely monitored and be prepared for medical intervention or a longer hospital stay if you have to or want to (especially if you're worried). I believe a more natural way is better if everything goes well but remember to think of the baby and don't be stubborn if the docs or you are not comfortable in how the pregnancy is progressing.All the best Katie!Maggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Sawicki Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 I wasn't treated as high risk, but I had my son before I had POTS symptoms.Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
splecu Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 Hi Katie-My POTS symptoms developed 4 months after my 2nd son was born. I just delivered my 3rd son in January! The pregnancy was ok for the most part, up until my 8th month. I started having passing out spells Thanksgiving Day and had 9 more by Christmas. I felt really rough those last couple of months with lots of POTS symptoms.I was treated as high risk and saw a perinatal specialist the whole time. I was doing pretty good after delivery because I was lying down and resting most of the time (that is, when the baby was sleeping!) Once I was good and recovered and started to resume normal activity around the house, I started having passing out spells again and my symptoms kicked back in. I don't think any doctors really know what to do during pregnancy because for the most part, they don't understand POTS... especially the OBGYN's. They have NO IDEA what POTS is or how it affects us.They chose the c-section route for me so that they could control it from the beginning and so that the delivery would be short. They didn't want to risk me going into labor on my own as they didn't know how it would affect my body and heart rate / blood pressure. It worked well as it was over quickly and the anesthesiologist was very up to speed on my condition and he kept a close eye on everything during the whole procedure. Fortunately I had no issues during delivery that needed any attention.I guess we're all different with our symptoms and how we feel but this was the way that worked best for me and we have our 3rd healthy baby boy!Good Luck!!!!!!!!!Susie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianankatie Posted March 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 Thanks everyone, all of this information is a great help! I am seeing my Neurologist tomorrow so hopefully will know more about what to expect then but this is really going to help me to convince my doctors not to panic and let me do what I know my body wants!Katie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calypso Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 I have postpartum-onset POTS, so I also didn't have heart rate issues until AFTER the delivery. I did have preeclampsia, and my daughter was born with intrauterine growth restriction and was low birth weight despite being just two weeks early. Please be aware of the signs and symptoms of preeclampsia; there is no written documented evidence that POTS increases your risk for preeclampsia, but at least a half-dozen women who visit this site had it. Good prenatal care is the best tool to monitor for preeclampsia, and there's really nothing you can do to prevent it.I should also say many here have had babies and no problems at all, while others have struggled with severe nausea and fatigue. But most have had normal pregnancies, from what I've read through others' posts on this topic. I would do a search on this topic on the forum, because it's been discussed many, many times.Good luck,Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSM3KIDZ Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 I also didn't have Pots before my 3 deliveries so my only advise is follow your gut. Mommy knows bestDayna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoGiuliana Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 I had a lot of symptoms during the mid-2nd thro the end of pregnancy. I was one of those seemingly unlucky ones who get worse with POTS during pregnancy. My POTS symptoms were so mild prior to pregnancy, that I had never been diagnosed. Thinking back I have had symptoms since my early 20's. I developed high bp in the final days of my pregnancy. My daughter was born 2 days late at 10 lbs 2 oz and was healthy--despite her size, she exhibited no blood sugar problems (nor did I have a sugar problem during the pregnancy). I had abruption during labor--who knows why--her size, fibroids, blood pressure--probably all played a role. Not sure that POTS did. I elected to have a blood transfusion after having an emergency c-section under general anesthesia, but was quite sick with POTS until my daughter was 6 months old. I think you will find that everyone's experience is unique. POTS does not seem to complicate pregnancy outcome, although some women with POTS can feel quite sick during pregnancy. As Amy says, there is no evidence of a link between preeclampsia and POTS, but one wonders if there might be.Many women with POTS have had natural deliveries and no complications. I do think that POTS can be so variable that it may not be possible for your doctor to make a decision about whether a natural birth should be attempted until closer to your delivery.I agree with Amy--try to do a search--this topic has been discussed numerous times over the years!Katherine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Be Still Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 A thought to consider:?The National Institutes of Health has reported that during the 1990?s there has been a 33% increase in what is often called toxemia, pre-eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, or PIH. This is a life threatening condition where the mother can go into seizures and the baby can die. Dr. Tom Brewer tells us many of these cases are metabolic in nature resulting in metabolic toxemia of late pregnancy. In these cases nutrition is the key to prevention. Good nutrition the last trimester of pregnancy is critical to both the mother and baby?s health.?Dr. Brewer?s pregnancy nutrition plan can be found on many sites, or in his book. One site is: http://www.blueribbonbaby.org/ifyouarepreg...roduction.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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