Pregnancy and MS

I know this might be a dumb question, but everything I find contradicts.  Some say it is okay to get pregnant, others not.  Is it dangerous for me or the baby to get pregnant?  What effects does MS have on pregnant?  I know I am not diagnosed, but I would hate to put a future child in harm because of something I might have.  I do have one child, but that was before this possible diagnosis.  I am sorry for bothering you guys with so many questions, but my doctors won't answer them, and I only know one person with MS besides you guys.  I am not currently pregnant.

Also would it be dangerous to get pregnant while doctors are searching for answers?

  Tahiri
  Sorry again for being a bother.

[saraht79]

Hi tahiri!
I am 29 years old (of childbearing age, so to speak!) so I have had a lot of the same questions as you. Here is what I learned (and this is directly from my MS specialist). If you are diagnosed with MS and are on one of the MS medications, you have to go off that medication for at least three months prior to getting pregnant. Women with MS tend to do better (or the best they have ever done) while they are pregnant. They don't really know why this happens, but the theory is that whatever biological changes your body makes to accomodate the baby provides added protection to you as well (there is a more detailed explanation than this, but I am oversimplifying). There is no danger to the baby while you are pregnant (assuming you aren't on medications while you are pregnant). Unfortunately, once you give birth to the baby some women have the worst attacks ever. So, the real danger (as I understand) is after you give birth. I imagine that having the worst attack of your life AND having to deal with the needs of a newborn baby can be quite devastating. However, I have talked to many women with MS who had unremarkable pregnancies and no attacks after giving birth. So, it is a crapshoot. My neuro thinks that there is absolutely no reason NOT to get pregnant if that is what I choose. You just have to make an educated decision and make sure you have lots of support after the birth of the baby "just in case." Research as shown that there is a higher inicidence of MS among children born to mothers with MS but that percentage is extremely small ( i don't remember the exact number now but its like 1% or something...very, very small).  Hope that helps! And, I always say "I have ms. ms doesn't have me" Remember that. Whatever is going on with you, don't let it dictate how you live your life. If you want another child - go for it! You'll be ok.
Sarah

[Quixotic1]

Silly, Rabbit!  there are no dumb questions.  And Sarah is right.  Except I have found some things that add to her answer.

Basically, just talking about MS.  There is NO problem with having a pregnancy and no danger to the child with the mother having MS.  Sarah is right except the increase in risk of the child developing MS.  The risk goes from about (and I really mean ABOUT) 1 in 750 for the general population to a risk of "about" 1 in 50 with a parent with MS.

Now, as for the mother.  There is some data suggesting a lifetime benefit to having children with regard to the mother's course of MS being milder.  This appears to be subtle but, it refutes oder beliefs that it was bad for the mother.

My understanding, also simplified, is that the mother's immune system is suppressed during pregnancy.  This is known.  The reason for this is to help prevent the mother from rejecting the baby.  Half of the baby's tissue type and genes come from the father - so it is "foreign to the mother.  After delivery the mother's immune system gears back up to normal behavior.  This first 6 months is a time when the mother "can" have the first presentation or a relapse of MS.  It is not always a severe relapse, but it can be.

Sarah is also correct that a woman with MS would be prudent to consider that she may have interruptions in her ability to care for a baby afterwards.  It would be good to build in some "lee-way" in her schedule or extra help should she need it.  Personally, I think the couple would do well to keep the mother's MS in mind when they plan the number of children, but that is an intensely personally decision.  Women with MS and many here are handling lots of kids while having lots of symptoms.  They wouldn't trade a single child.  But, the knowledge beforehand might be useful.

As to the meds.  From the reading I have done, the Interferons (Avonex, Rebif and Betaseron) are dangerous to get pregnant on.  They harm the baby by being strong "abortifactants."  That is, they frequently cause miscarriages.  NOW, in the pregnancies that have continued to delivery "on or exposed" to Interferon, they have NOT seen birth defects.  So the harm is in losing the pregnancy.  I don't believe Copaxone has seen the tendency to cause miscarriages, but it carries the warning anyway.

I hope this helps.  Sarah, you were right on!

Quix

[Tahiri_Veila]

Thanks both for clearing this up.

[debral09]

Hey Tahiri,
I have MS and a beautiful 5 month old daughter!  Luckily at this point my symptoms have only been sensory ones.  I took having a baby into great concideration as I did not want to pass this horrible gene onto it.  I was diagnosed in mid 2005 and my husband and I were already talking about having a baby when this happened.  My neuro was great and she said that there was no prob with me having a baby.  And everything that Sarah and Quix said is the same that my neuro told me.  I was supposed to have an MRI done last year when I found out I was pregnant so that did not happen until this March.  The did find more lesions and my new neuro said that I needed to get back on my meds ASAP.  He said that at that point he would reccomend only breastfeeding for 3 months but since I was doing okay that I could go for 6 but no longer than that.  Well that was all said prior to me having the MRI and what they found.   So I was completely devestated that I had to stop breastfeeding sooner than expected!!!!  I have an appt with a new neuro in July thanks to Aura3!  I will unfortuantely or fortunately, however I chose to look at it, won't have to stick myself with a needle for a little longer.  
So I say to you, if you want to have a baby go for it!!  Just make sure that you have family and friend support there!  I have wonderful friends who keep bothering me to get back on my meds so I am around to be there for them and my daughter.
Want proof of a healthy baby?  Check out the pics I have posted and see my beautiful daughter!  Hope some of this helps and if you just need to talk let me know as I have just gone through what you are thinking of doing.
Take care,
debra

[Tahiri_Veila]

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