subject: Managing Lupus And Pregnancy [print this page] In the past most women who had lupus were advised by their doctor to forgo getting pregnant due to the potential risks and complications. However, today many such women undergo successful pregnancies and have completely healthy children. If you have lupus and are considering getting pregnant it is important to follow the appropriate preparations.
First, you want to ensure that your lupus is well balance for at least six months or longer. Because lupus damages one's kidneys, and since being pregnant puts even more stress on the kidneys, balancing the condition is essential in order to have a healthy pregnancy. Otherwise, it could lead to complications during the pregnancy and even cause termination.
Second, if you are considering having a baby you will need to find an obstetrician who has experience with high-risk pregnancies. In order to find such an obstetrician, you should consult your doctor or contact the closes university hospital. Additionally, you can contact the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and request a list of experienced obstetricians practicing in your area.
Once you have found a good obstetrician, you must determine with him or her which medications you should start taking and review which medications you should stop taking. Since some drugs can indeed harm your baby and complicate a pregnancy, you doctor will either have you stop taking certain medications or switch them to ensure you and your baby's safety. Certain drugs that should not being administered during pregnancy are, among others, cyclophosphamide, leftunomide, mofetil and warfin. Speak to your obstetrician for a complete list of prohibited medications.
During pregnancy it is essential to have regular prenatal examinations, especially those with lupus. These examinations will enable the doctor to determine if there are any lupus related complications and treat them early or prevent them from causing even greater potential harm. One such complication that women with lupus sometimes experience are flares. Flare are exacerbations which can be painful. These can occur especially during the first months of pregnancy. If you do experience flares they can easily be treated with small doses of coticosteriods.
Another complication, though more serious than flares, is high blood pressure, which can substantially increase the chances of experiencing preeclampsia. This disorder, in which there is a unexpected increase in blood pressure and/or protein in the urine, must immediately be treated. Unfortunately, women with lupus, in addition to those who have high blood pressure and who smoke, are more susceptible to this condition.
An additional risk factor is premature labor, meaning that the baby is delivered before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Women with lupus have higher risk of this than those without it. Also, those with active lupus have a higher risk of having a miscarriage. In fact, research has shown that one in five pregnancies of women with lupus unfortunately end in a miscarriage. To decrease the changes of both preterm labor and miscarriage, it is essential to visit your obstetrician even before you become pregnant. This will allow him or her to address potential complications and will hopefully decrease the chances of any of the complications stated above.
