Community Forum Archive

The Epilepsy Community Forums are closed, and the information is archived. The content in this section may not be current or apply to all situations. In addition, forum questions and responses include information and content that has been generated by epilepsy community members. This content is not moderated. The information on these pages should not be substituted for medical advice from a healthcare provider. Experiences with epilepsy can vary greatly on an individual basis. Please contact your doctor or medical team if you have any questions about your situation. For more information, learn about epilepsy or visit our resources section.

terrified to get pregnant

Sat, 09/19/2009 - 11:59

Hello,

My name is Linzy and I am 26 years old. I was diagnosed with Absence seizures when I was 23. I have been on a boat load of medications to control them and now I am on Lamictal which has done the best so far. I have been increased recently because of some breakthrough seizures. My husband and I have decided to have a baby and I am terrified for the health of the baby. My doctor told me that Lamictal can cause cleft lip, palate etc., to the fetus and that I cannot breast feed. I take 125mg of lamictal in the morning and at night. I have always dreamed of having children - healthy children. I would love my child no matter what but doesn't everyone want healthy children, free of defects? I have also always dreamed of breast feeding. I was pretty devastated when my doc told me that I wouldn't be able to breast feed my child. I want to be able to have that connection with my baby. I guess I am just hoping for some similar stories and to know that there are people out there who understand where I am coming from and how much of an impact seizures can put on your life even if they are just absence.

 UPDATE (May 5, 2011): I thought that I would update this thread :) I am happy to tell you all that I am the very proud mother of a happy, healthy and totally normal 9 month old son =) I got pregnant shortly after posting this thread and my whole pregnancy and delivery was completely normal, problem free and most important of all, seizure free!! Towards the end of my pregnancy I did accumulate too much amniotic fluid but it wasn't a worry at all and my water ended up just breaking on its own 2 days after my due date which kicked off 21 hours of labor and 2 hours of pushing, to which I welcomed a very healthy 7lb 14oz baby boy (with the help of the vacuum because he was coming down at an angle and was a bit stuck!). He was pretty jaundice for a while because he ended up getting some of my blood during delivery but that went away within 2 weeks. He does have an undescended teste which is fairly normal in boys anyway and has nothing to do with the lamictal. He already had the first surgery to fix that and is doing awesome. I haven't had any seizures since before I got pregnant which is really awesome since I was having them fairly often. And which is even more amazing seeing as my soon to be ex-husband wanted a divorce right before we found out I was pregnant and wanted one even faster once we found out I was pregnant a week later. I ended up having to move 9 hours away back to my hometown while I was terribly sick with morning sickness. To go through all of that stress and not have a seizure is pretty awesome I think! I was really scared about birth defects and such when I was ttc but now I know how small of a chance those things are especially with lamictal and in the future if I find someone else to spend the rest of my life with I will have no fears about having more children. Thank you all for your support and for sharing your stories! I wish you all the best of luck!

Comments

Re: terrified to get pregnant

Submitted by vigga60@hotmail.com on Sat, 2009-09-19 - 12:40

I can understand you, to be afraid of medicines, but I think is is not high in%, that things are not allright. .  I have 4 children, all very good and healthy, and I remember that the doctors said that  breastfeeding was alright.  And it was so.  Then I had Tegretol, and I had more medicine than you have.  I sometimes have thought that I was not careful to have 4 children.  But they are all good and clever people, and I have never been worried about them.  Therefore I am very greatful, and they are the best in my life.  I say good luck to you, and don´t be worried. I am sure it will also be the best in your life to be mother. 

I can understand you, to be afraid of medicines, but I think is is not high in%, that things are not allright. .  I have 4 children, all very good and healthy, and I remember that the doctors said that  breastfeeding was alright.  And it was so.  Then I had Tegretol, and I had more medicine than you have.  I sometimes have thought that I was not careful to have 4 children.  But they are all good and clever people, and I have never been worried about them.  Therefore I am very greatful, and they are the best in my life.  I say good luck to you, and don´t be worried. I am sure it will also be the best in your life to be mother. 

Re: terrified to get pregnant

Submitted by linzysmith323 on Sun, 2009-09-20 - 01:12
Thank you for the luck :) And congrats on your 4 children! Wow - you are an inspiration.

Re: terrified to get pregnant

Submitted by scaredycat on Sat, 2009-10-03 - 18:06

Like you, I am terrified to get pregnant. I am taking Topamax 400mg daily and have been seizure free for years. I am ready to start a family but when I talked to my family dr. about it he told me that I should change meds. That freaked me out, I have been doing so well on this one, the idea of having to try out another is scarey.

Also I have been researching the effects of AED's on baby's and that has been a big worry. But I am always inspired when I hear that someone else is finding out good news or is having healthy babies on AED's. Let me know if you hear something good :)

Like you, I am terrified to get pregnant. I am taking Topamax 400mg daily and have been seizure free for years. I am ready to start a family but when I talked to my family dr. about it he told me that I should change meds. That freaked me out, I have been doing so well on this one, the idea of having to try out another is scarey.

Also I have been researching the effects of AED's on baby's and that has been a big worry. But I am always inspired when I hear that someone else is finding out good news or is having healthy babies on AED's. Let me know if you hear something good :)

Sign Up for Emails

Stay up to date with the latest epilepsy news, stories from the community, and more.