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Epilepsy, pregnancy and giving birth
Mon, 01/21/2008 - 10:14Good morning,
I am very curious to hear the experience of women while they were pregnant, and during labor & birth of a child.
How did the pain, stress affect your epilepsy, and was it easy to manage seazures? I am trying to figure out how to deal with the actual birth process, and I am seriously considering a c-cection, where I would like to be under total anesteshia. I would love to go through the natural birth, no epidural or pain med, but I am worried that the pain of labor will give me seizures. Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.
By the way, I am not taking any meds for epilepsy, as my seizures are only about once a year...and I know the trigger, so I avoid doing things that I know could trigger the seizure.
Thank you all so much,
Sonja C.
Comments
Re: re:Epilepsy, pregnancy and giving birth
Submitted by sbrobin on Mon, 2008-06-23 - 01:08
Just wanted to update that my second son was born May 29! I had no seizures and no pain meds. God has blessed me with easy deliveries and my body starts working to deliver the baby early. I started dilating with braxton hicks contractions a month before my due date and was 4cm dilated for 2 weeks before he came. My active labor was just a little over 3 hours and my doula wasn't even sure we needed to go to the hospital yet. When we got there I was fully dilated, my OB broke my water, and 10 minutes later my son was born.
Listen to your body and talk about your options with your doctors. If you want a natural birth then go for it. Especially if your seizures aren't that frequent. Mine are, but are well controlled with meds.
-Sarah
Just wanted to update that my second son was born May 29! I had no seizures and no pain meds. God has blessed me with easy deliveries and my body starts working to deliver the baby early. I started dilating with braxton hicks contractions a month before my due date and was 4cm dilated for 2 weeks before he came. My active labor was just a little over 3 hours and my doula wasn't even sure we needed to go to the hospital yet. When we got there I was fully dilated, my OB broke my water, and 10 minutes later my son was born.
Listen to your body and talk about your options with your doctors. If you want a natural birth then go for it. Especially if your seizures aren't that frequent. Mine are, but are well controlled with meds.
-Sarah
re:Epilepsy, pregnancy and giving birth
Submitted by sbrobin on Thu, 2008-01-24 - 20:25
I'm pregnant with my second child while taking Keppra for JME. Keppra has controlled my seizures very well before and during pregnancy. My body definitely needs more sleep during pregnancy or I am more prone to jerks. As long as I get enough sleep and take my proper doses on time (same time morning and evening) then I am fine.
As for labor and delivery: I feel very strongly about having a natural birth. My OB was very supportive and I had a doula present to help with my first son's birth. It went very well with no pain meds, no seizures and was about 6 hours (lucky first timer). A few days after delivery and being very sleep deprived - my main trigger - I did have to call my neurologist and get my dosage upped from 2000mg to 3000mg a day. I stayed on that dose for about a year and worked back down to 2000mg a day and have been fine.
Discuss different options with both your neurologist and OB. Be sure to take extra folic acid and prenatals!
I'm pregnant with my second child while taking Keppra for JME. Keppra has controlled my seizures very well before and during pregnancy. My body definitely needs more sleep during pregnancy or I am more prone to jerks. As long as I get enough sleep and take my proper doses on time (same time morning and evening) then I am fine.
As for labor and delivery: I feel very strongly about having a natural birth. My OB was very supportive and I had a doula present to help with my first son's birth. It went very well with no pain meds, no seizures and was about 6 hours (lucky first timer). A few days after delivery and being very sleep deprived - my main trigger - I did have to call my neurologist and get my dosage upped from 2000mg to 3000mg a day. I stayed on that dose for about a year and worked back down to 2000mg a day and have been fine.
Discuss different options with both your neurologist and OB. Be sure to take extra folic acid and prenatals!