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Scared to Get Pregnant
Tue, 02/06/2007 - 14:56Topic: Women With Epilepsy
I am almost 22 years old and was just recently diagnosed with complex partial seizures. I am currently taking Topomax for the seizures. I am wondering if anybody else who has epilepsy or knows somebody who did, who had a normal pregnancy with epilepsy. (like I said I am very new to all of this, I have tried to do my research but sometimes the internet only makes things worse). I already have a one year who was born perfectly healtly. I am currently not pregnant now but within a year or two would like to have another child, but after hearing all the risks from the different seizure medications I am petrified! I know my neurologist said just being a woman with epilepsy alone increases your risks for birth defects. My biggest fear is the medications, I know they will probably switch them when we try to have children but even when that time comes I will still be scared. Please, someone try and calm my fears!!
Comments
Re: Scared to Get Pregnant
Submitted by maraj on Wed, 2007-02-07 - 15:55
I think I've read that something like 90% of women with epilepsy have pregnancies w/ no problems. The odds are in your favor if you work with your neuro (and probably a high-risk OB).
Re: Scared to Get Pregnant
Submitted by revawave on Wed, 2007-02-28 - 09:39
I had 2 kids 20 mos apart with no problems. I did have both early - 3 and 5 weeks to be exact - but it was determined that it wasn't the meds or epilepsy, it was my body. I took Tegretol throughout the entire pg.
When you get pregnant, you will need to visit a high risk OB-GYN. You will get optimal care, visiting way more often than the average woman. I got many visits, ultrasounds, and in the end non-stress tests to make sure the baby was doing alright. Both babies were checked after birth to make sure there were no problems. And today they are both healthy and fine! My OBs told me that I only had a few more % chance(like 2 or 3 more %) than a "normal" woman to have any defects or problems with the baby.
My father's mother had grand mal seizures very badly and she was not medicated for it because she was not educated on it by her family. She knew something was happening to her, but never knew what it was. She was told not to have children as was the custom back then. She had 5 children but she did get worse because she was not treated for it. I think we have come a LONG way in medicine since then!
My advice to you is TAKE FOLIC ACID on a daily basis, even before you plan on getting pregnant. Many seizure meds reduce the folic acid in the body and that itself can be dangerous for a baby. I was also switched from Depakote to Tegretol before I got pg cuz my neuro felt that Depakote was probably more harmful to the baby than Tegretol would be. Good luck. Please don't be fearful. Things happen in completely healthy women too!
Hi, I had 3 babies and was
Submitted by carrieb on Wed, 2007-02-07 - 10:06
Hi, I had 3 babies and was on meds with all of them. I was on Lamictal for the last two, which is supposed to be one of the safer drugs for pregnancies. I nursed those two babies while on meds, as well. All 3 of them are as healthy as can be. Couldn't ask for anything better. Don't worry, everything will be fine. Fear is your biggest enemy.