Hi, i was just wondering if anyone else is dealing with lupus and a newborn? ( i suffered a placenta abruption during pregnancy). My baby is a good sleeper and I am receiving a fairly decent amount of sleep however when I wake up I feel worse than when I went to sleep. Also, emotionally it’s tricky to handle everything at the same time sometimes. Anyone have any advice on how to manage my energy levels?
Katy, I’m new to this board and my children are almost grown. But, I did want to congratulate you on the birth of your child and your journey as a parent. I can tell you from my experience in parenting with lupus, the best thing we can
Do is recognize our limitations and try to remian as healthy as possible. Just remember that an un-washed load of laundry or sink full of dishes is not nearly as important as having the energy to hold your baby. Good luck!
I had a 28 wk premie after 10 hrs of labor I only dilated 2 cm & the baby was having decelerations of his heart. I had a C/S. I didn't know I had Lupus at the time but felt awful when I got home. My baby was in the hospital for a mo so I did have some chance to recover from the C/S. When my son came home I ended up having to have nite nurses so I could sleep. I stayed out of work as long as I could. At first it was hard to get organized. I remember getting everything ready to go the night before work. The first yr was the worst, the baby needed a heart monitor. It took quite a while to feed him. It was like doing home care on my own baby. Everything works eventually. Don't stress yourself out. Keep a journal that helps. Good Luck
Hello, congratulations on the baby!!! Try some vitamin b12, that will boost your energy level, but don’t take them everyday, it my cause your system to get over active and make the Lupus crazy. Take them every 2 days with lots of water, remember every 2 days!!..Beverly L.
I am 31 weeks pregnant and worry about the same thing. My Lupus has been pretty active through out the pregnancy and doctors expect to take my baby via csection between 32 and 37 weeks. Caring for a premie and recovering from csection is scaring the crap out of me. Doctors have warned me that I won’t be able to care for my children after delivery. I wish the best for you! You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Thank you so much for your advice everyone, it’s so nice to have other people’s opinions and kindness. I had a c section and they only discovered the lupus after. It was tough to recover, some days have been dark but ive started to write down how i feel, it helps. im also hoping to try vitamins soon. Thanks again.
Congratulations on the birth of your baby!! Taking care of any newborn is a lot of work…but especially so if you are not feeling well.
OCGAL…your story sounds like mine. My water broke at 21 weeks. I was in the hosp until my daughter was born at 28 weeks. She was considered a "micro"preemie. She stayed in the hosp for 2 months and requires ALOT of services and early interventions. She was scarey…thank god she wasn’t my first but she is my last! She’s 13 now and perfectly healthy.
I had no idea at the time that anything was wrong with me. I’ve always wondered what would cause this to happen though. I’ve had 2 c-sections. My older daughter was complicated also but full term. Both times I didn’t dilate either past 2 cm.
May I ask how everyone's pregnancy went with having Lupus? I am nervous, my doctors always stress that I need to be off of my Cellcept and Lisinopril before I can even try to get pregnant. I am getting married next October and I've been thinking more and more about having a baby in my near future. It scares me the most because I've been on all these drugs for over 10 years now. I have Lupus Nephritis and the last thing I want to happen is to go back to where I was when I was first diagnosed. I was only 18 and it was the scariest time in my life!
Lupie84 I have had lupus, sjogren’s, raynauds etc… Since I was around the age of 7. At 13 my doctors said I should consider having my tubes tied. I refused and I have 3 wonderful boys. I stopped most of my meds during my pregnacies, relying on prednisone to get me through. The main thing to remember is make sure you are in remission when you get pregnant. Two of my pregnancies were amazing, I felt the best I ever had. In fact it was while I was pregnant with my first that I realized that not everyone woke up in pain everyday. My 3rd pregnancy I was flaring and she was stillborn at 32 weeks. My last was a huge surprise as I had been dealing with premature menopause (started at 32) and was told I couldn’t have anymore. I almost lost him too but they put me on meds and full bedrest and he’s now a very healthy 7 year old. I was on partial bed rest with all of my pregnancies, primarily because of growth concerns and potential heart block. If you really want children I strongly suggest you see a high risk OB before you get pregnant. They can evaluate your risk factors and give you the facts specific to your issues. Good luck and congrats on your engagement. It takes a strong man to marry a lupie. Hugs, A.
That's so true, it does take a strong man to marry a Lupie! :) Yes I plan to see a high risk OB before anything. I really am scared to see what will happen to my body being off of my meds, but I want nothing more than to try to have one of my own. It's also very frustrating that my friends do not understand the complications that could possibly happen in my pregnancy. They all have children and are lucky they did not have any major complications... But I live one day at a time and after I am married, I will start talking to high risk doctors. Thank you for your response!
My only biological son is 18 now and my lupus went into remission with that pregnancy. I felt great and looked great. My skin looked wonderful. A few days after I gave birth all hell broke loose with my body. I developed rashes all over my body and they itched like crazy. I was trying to breast feed and everytime I would try to feed him the itching got worse. I tried to not take drugs so I would try every itch cream and lotion possible. My breaking point was when I sat in a cool bathtub with my nightgown on and shower pouring over me. I was crying and scratching so much I was making myself bleed. I gave in and started formula and lived in a Benadryl haze for weeks and started back on my meds. My second child was adopted. Lol.
I have a 10m old, and got my first lupus symptoms when she was just 2 or 3 months old. I just do the best I can, and when I need to rest I let my husband know. It's not easy. If you want to talk, I'd be happy to. Also, there is a facebook group on lupus, pregnancy and motherhood. Perhaps that would be a helpful resource? It has been for me.