katherinel

Pssst... San Diego. Don't tell anyone I told you.

Dr. Grubb told me it was the best place for people with POTS and sinus problems to live.

I've got to admit, that living in Colorado for the past three years has been hard. It is much harder for me to stay warm in cold weather than people who don't have POTS. Over the last week we have been going into negative temperatures every night. I've been spending a lot of time indoors, which can be hard. When it's all said it done, I think I did better in the warmer climates I've lived in in the past. I shiver a lot, but sleeping with a heating blanket helps somewhat. The hardest thing is when people tell me that if I just weighed more I would be fine and my toes and hands wouldn't get so cold...

Hi there!

I buy Thermotabs at the King Soopers/Kroger pharmacy. You always have to ask for them though because they keep them in the back. I pay $5 for 100 tablets, which have 452 mg of sodium in them. I think they are available at several grocery store pharmacies. Hope this helps!

I will be having a scheduled c-section in January. You CAN just ask to have one but your doctor will probably fully educate you on the recovery process. I have no idea about insurance and that hasn't even come up. I would assume having a condition like POTS can make it easy for the doctor to write it as a medical necessity. My OB and cardiologist kept going back and forth on what would be better for me. I have had a pretty smooth pregnancy. We all did our homework and put a lot of thought into the delivery. My OB told me he was going to leave it up to me. I could have a c-section or I could try labor and if it was too much then I could have a c-section. He did warn me that going into labor and then needing a c-section really takes a lot out of a patient and he also warned me on the necessary recovery after a c-section. I decided to have the c-section and everyone is on board and seems to prefer it since I will be more closely monitored in the operating room.

As for the water birth, that is an interesting thought since most POTS patients do well in water but I would wonder about pain management. And a typical hospital where you could be closely monitored may not have that as an option. Personally with POTS I would prefer to be in a hospital setting.

Wow, sounds like you have a great team of doctors to work with! That's neat that they discussed all the options with you and let you choose.

I am a little confused now about the whole water thing. It seems that warm/hot water can be hard for POTS people to tolerate due to vaso-dilation... so is it only water that is at a neutral temp or cold that is good for us? Do you know?

I know that some hospitals in the USA now having birthing pools (I think it's over 100). Being in a hospital setting might be good.

During my last pregnancy, I know that I had undiagnosed POTS. I was actually diagnosed a couple months after delivery.

I always had very easy labors. The last, however...not so much. Big baby with her head not positioned quite right and therefore causing difficulty with engagement. Simply put, her head would seem to go down, then pop right back up into the pelvis again. I did this at home for at least 24 hours. Only time I ever had back labor. Anyway, at some point, I decided to try getting into the bathtub as other people raved about the soothing effects of warm water during labor. DID NOT WORK. In fact, it felt far worse for me. I suppose the warm water contributed to vaso-dilation? Out of the water, during contractions, I think my blood pressure probably went up and then would plummet after each and every one. After awhile, I was in effect passing out between them due to this. Being in the warm water seemed to contribute to this. Ofcourse, I was also on my back in the bathtub....the worst position to labor in. Any other position feels better than laying down.

Very interesting story! That must have been rough to have been in labor for so long

You know, that is a good point about the vaso-dilation in warm water. I hadn't thought about that... I was only thinking about water from the aspects of it causing the labor process to be shorter and easier in some cases.

I had 2 vaginal births. One with an epidural and one without. My blood pressure held through both of them.

I've heard some people say that an epidural can really lower blood pressure. But I guess that wasn't true in your case... if I wind up having a vaginal birth I would probably pass on the epidural. Not necessarily because of the blood pressure issues, but more so because of the risks involved with it. I've already had one experience at a dentist with a shot gone wrong, and now I have a nerve on my face that goes in and out of numbness and is very annoying.

I had a baby 4 years ago and went through labor and delivery as naturally as possible. Just a few days ago I had a baby, but had to have a c-section (for reasons other than POTS). I'd be happy to share about my experiences with both. I can't do so at the moment, though. I'm still very tired and recovering, but I'll be back. If I forget to come back to this topic, please feel free to send me a personal message and remind me to do so.

Rachel

Hi Rachel!!! Congratulations on your new baby I would love to hear about your experiences someday when you are feeling better. I hope you have a quick recovery.

Hi All!

I am pretty new to the DINET Forums. But one of the reasons I joined is because I have fears about having children someday, and I would like to talk to other people who have POTS about it.

One of the things I have really thought about is delivering a baby by having a water birth. Dr. Grubb told me that swimming is one of the best exercises for people with POTS because of the effects of the water pressure on your body. It seems from what I have heard that water births are a lot less strenuous on the body than a regular birth.

I have also heard a number of people with POTS have had C-Sections. This would be preferable for me over a natural birth. I know my blood pressure really plummets when I am in pain, and I worry that I would start passing out with the contractions. But from what I understand you can't just ask for a C-Section...

Does anybody have any thoughts on this particular topic? I would love to hear it if you do.

I recently started getting tingles and prickles in my arms, usually whenever I get warm. It's been very annoying, and at times has woken me up in the middle of the night. I've heard that some people who have POTS take Lyrica for this, but I've never tried it.