Neuro and OB appts tuesday

[opie74]

I have appointments with both on Tuesday.  We have got to devise the plan for postpartum.  I am so not ready to think about that.  I am wondering if I should even bother with the steroids or IVIG.  Mayby I should just see what happens?

[opie74]

The thing that makes me wonder is: although I have not been breastfeeding, I have had milk since jan 2006, and I was Dx after that.  I definately have the prolactin hormone, so I doubt the study a little.  I bottle fed the other two (reason given above) and they are fine.  I actually told my Dr. to keep the boob-nazzi's away from my room!  :-)

Ashley, you MIL sounds like she wants that best for the baby, maby she will see you side of things. After 10 years of leeking boobs, when my milk dried up after the birth of the second child, the thought of making it start agin gives me the same reaction she had, just for the opposite reson.  The final decision is yours.  Think about this too:  The exhaustion of the postpartum preiod compounded with the flush from the steroids and the MS exhaustion...would you not love the husband to take his share of those middle of the night feedings?  The help that Rich gave me was the only salvation from complete meltdown.  In the end, you have got to do what you feel is the right thing.  The pum and dump sounds like a good idea (I probably should not, but it could not hurt the average lady).
  

I will dig in my stash of MS journals and see if I can find the article.  I think it was in the MSQR.

[ashleyPT]

That's exactly what I was telling my mom - that it was only one study and it takes a lot more than that to convince doctors to change their practice. It was just the first I had heard of that concept and they had pretty dramatic numbers. I'm going to try to find the article you were talking about.

My mother in law is great, but today when I said I probably won't be able to breastfeed so I can go back on meds, I think her brain started bleeding.  She completely shut down and stopped talking to me.  I said, well I'd rather be able to see the baby, or walk to the baby, or hold the baby than breastfeed the baby. She didn't even respond to me.

Thanks also for the info Kat, that's one way to trick the system.

[torikat32]

hi my sister just gave birth last month and she has ms so she has been doing the pump and dump method and is back on her avonox because she said that the longer you breastfeed it may keep a relapse from coming back so she pumps and dumps

Kat

[opie74]

I did read that.  My Neuro says that is the first study that had that reslut.  That he had a mother that isnisted on breastfeeding and lost her ability to walk.  Not sure, I mean, the conventional wisdom for many years has been to get on meds and not breast feed.

I don't really have that option because  I also have apetuitary adnoma that causes production of breast milk even when I am not pregnant or postpartum.  A specalist many years ago told me not to try it. He said that if my prolactin level gets up to where it needs to be to nurish an infant, it may never go back down.  I spent an untold fortune on meds trying to get it to dry up when I was in college and gradschool.

In the same issue of that journal (name excapes me) they were also suggesting how much more effectibve IVIG was than steroids.  I wish that I could find it.....

[ashleyPT]

Did you see this article from last summer??

Exclusive Breastfeeding and the Risk of Postpartum Relapses in Women With Multiple Sclerosis. In the August 2009 Archives of Neurology.

Here's a link to the article, but overall it says that most women go right back on their MS meds, but breastfeeding for 2 months decreases relapse from 86% to 35%

http://www.projectsinknowledge.com/neurology/multiple-sclerosis_II/Exclusive-Breastfeeding-Risk-Postpartum-Relapses-Women-with-Multiple-Sclerosis_content.cfm?jn=1923.10

[opie74]

I got the lecture from the neuro: "we will send you home with the Betaseron."

I am 31 weeks. How about you?

[ashleyPT]

Good to know - It's still early for me, so I haven't even had the bug discussion with my neurologist yet, I'm just getting the "Go on meds as soon as you can" lecture from my PT.

[opie74]

The first trimester, I was living in fear of a mkassive relapse.  Now, not so much.  I have been reading alot.  It seams as though the steroids actually will not help prevent one but the IVIG does a better job.  Not sure if the insurance will cover the IVIG.  .........

[ashleyPT]

I want to be pumped full of steroids afterward - super relapse makes me more anxious than anything else involved with pregnancy.