Trying

anonymous

New member
I'm 19 and have CF my Fiance is 24 with no CF. We've decided we want to have a baby (getting married oct 20 06). I've been reading alot on this site and I see from current moms with CF that they took alot of time preping there bodys to have babies. I would love to know exactly what you did to get healthy enough to have a baby and a healthy pregnancy. (I have had one miscarraige and DONOT want to have another) Any information would be great. (sorry if topic has been repeated)


Jessica
 

LouLou

New member
I am starting to try next month. Over the last 6-12 mo. I have worked at getting on a workout program that I can stick to, eating properly and increasing my clearance routine including learning huff coughing. Now, I am learning about nutritional supplements. My suggestion is that you look at your CF regimin and ask yourself what could I do to make lung capacity greater. Are you skipping treatments? Do you flake out on treatments and stop them prematurely? When you're stressed do you make sure to take the time to take care of yourself? When anyone, CF or not, has a baby life goes faster and there's less time in the day. Take a look at your life, from an outsider's perspective and seriously ask yourself why on anything that you don't think is conducive to a healthy lifestyle with having CF and then see how much of it you can change in the next 3 months.

If you haven't already discussed with your soon-to-be spouse all the 'what if's' that come along with pregnancy, you should do this before conceiving. Force possible reality for this conversation as uncomfortable as it will be.

This isn't a light decision to be making and I do not envy you discussing this just before your wedding but I am not judging you on this as I know you aren't asking for this sort of advice. I will share with you my spouse and mine's approach. Prior to marriage (we were together for 6 years before marrying in 2003) we discussed that we wanted to have children but didn't start researching it in depth or talking to doctors about it. I expressed that I wanted to have a child with him but that I didn't know if I would 1) be able to and 2) if it wouldn't hurt me. I made sure he realized this and he actually said, "I am marrying you for who you are not your child bearing abilities. We will deal with that when we cross that bridge." This was very relieving to me. I definitely didn't want to marry him if he felt he HAD to have a child born from his dna. I should emphasis that I wanted to marry him so, so much but I didn't feel I could take that away from him becuase I really didn't know what was in store for me. So we married and shortly afterwards, way before we were talking 'okay lets make babies' I got him tested to see if he was a carrier. This way I wouldn't have my hopes all dashed if we were all geared up to make baby. Luckily, he was not a carrier (still runs a small risk of being one though). We have had serious discussions such as, me asking, "Would you rather be widowed and able to move on or have a child by me that you have to raise as a single parent?" Those are the kinds of questions I mean by discussing the harsh realities.

Good luck and let me know if I can answer any questions!
 

anonymous

New member
Hi Jessica,
I am also new to these forums. I came here for the first time with the same questions that you have. I have been married for eight years. My husband and I are discussing having a child. Some people on this website dont feel that your own dna is important when deciding to have a child and are very happy with the adoption way of having a child. Those decisions are strictly yours and your husbands to make. If you both feel that you concieving a child yourself is the only way to go, make sure you know everything that will be involved in this before you do get pregnant. There are clinics that help in this way. They can test your soon to be husband to make sure he is not a carrier. If he is a carrier your baby has a 100% chance of having cf. If he is not a carrier your baby will not have cf but will be a carrier. I dont know if you know all of this but I am telling you all that I have learned by being here and researching on my own.
As far as preparing yor body to carry a baby, your Cf Dr can guide you in the right way for this. From what I have read from cf mommies on this website alot has to do with being compliant with your meds and treatments. Some have started a exercise regemine and most have gained weight. But every cfer is different and therefore your Dr should make these decisions along with you. If you would like some links that I have found, let me know and I can send them to you. Good luck!
Just remember that you have time, time to be spent with just you and your hubby to be. Get to know each other as much as you can before starting a new family. Just be open and honest about your feelings and research as much as you can.
Khristina 31yr old cfer
 

my65roses4me

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>anonymous</b></i> Hi Jessica, I am
also new to these forums. I came here for the first time with the
same questions that you have. I have been married for eight years.
My husband and I are discussing having a child. Some people on this
website dont feel that your own dna is important when deciding to
have a child and are very happy with the adoption way of having a
child. Those decisions are strictly yours and your husbands to
make. If you both feel that you concieving a child yourself is the
only way to go, make sure you know everything that will be involved
in this before you do get pregnant. There are clinics that help in
this way. They can test your soon to be husband to make sure he is
not a carrier. If he is a carrier your baby has a 100% chance of
having cf. If he is not a carrier your baby will not have cf but
will be a carrier. I dont know if you know all of this but I am
telling you all that I have learned by being here and researching
on my own. As far as preparing yor body to carry a baby, your Cf Dr
can guide you in the right way for this. From what I have read from
cf mommies on this website alot has to do with being compliant with
your meds and treatments. Some have started a exercise regemine and
most have gained weight. But every cfer is different and therefore
your Dr should make these decisions along with you. If you would
like some links that I have found, let me know and I can send them
to you. Good luck! Just remember that you have time, time to be
spent with just you and your hubby to be. Get to know each other as
much as you can before starting a new family. Just be open and
honest about your feelings and research as much as you can.
Khristina 31yr old cfer</end quote></div><br>
<br>
sorry that was from me, I forgot to sign in
 

wanderlost

New member
I want to clarify the CF risks:

if one parent has Cf and the other is a carrier, baby has a 50% chance of having CF and 50% of being a carrier
if one paretn has Cf and the other is not a carrier, baby still has a 100% chance of being a carrier
if both mom and dad are both carriers, baby has a 25% chance of having CF, a 50% chance of being a carrier and a 25% chance of being CF gene free
if both paretns have Cf, then baby has a 100% chance of having CF


As far as your question, a lot depends on where you are with CF now. I did nothing to prepare for my children, others have worked for a long time to increase PFTS or gain weight....talk with your doctor and see what he/she thinks about it
 

my65roses4me

New member
<span style=" font-size: small;">You are right! Thanks for
clarifying that! Sorry for the miss info it came out
wrong.<br>
Khristina 31yr old cfer
 

Scarlett81

New member
Well, I'm only just trying, but I'll post my so far experience anyway. I asked my doctor about a year ago if I'd ever be able to have kids. And at the time, she said she felt I had the potential to-but at the time, my PFTs were too low. (50s-60s) She reccomends them to be at least 70, and holding them for a while. So I started doing all these other thigns to improve-increasing my therapies, and the quality of them. I do alot of natural stuff too. I made appointments at several specialists to make sure I was healthy in other respects-had CAT scans, MRIs, bloodwork, Endoscopy, Colonoscopy, ect.
Anyway, after all that my PFTs are 75, and I've held them solid for 6 months. Thats 6 months without my typical antibiotcs (that would have to stop for pregnancy, we had to test it, to make sure I really could go 9 months without them) So she gave me the green light to start trying about 2 months ago. This is the 1st cycle we've actually tried though. I'm excited, nervous, alot of things.

There are several moms here with cf that can help you. They have awesome experience and advice.

Happy trying!!!!
 

anonymous

New member
Well thank you guys SO much. I already know he is NOT a carrier ( he has a son from a previous marriage) But thank you guys

jessica
 

anonymous

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>anonymous</b></i>

Well thank you guys SO much. I already know he is NOT a carrier ( he has a son from a previous marriage) But thank you guys



jessica</end quote></div>

Was he or his son tested? Because a non Cf kid doesn't mena you are not a carrier. My son doesn't have Cf either, but he is definitely a carrier.
 

anonymous

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>anonymous</b></i>

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>anonymous</b></i>



Well thank you guys SO much. I already know he is NOT a carrier ( he has a son from a previous marriage) But thank you guys







jessica</end quote></div>



Was he or his son tested? Because a non Cf kid doesn't mena you are not a carrier. My son doesn't have Cf either, but he is definitely a carrier.</end quote></div>

oops - that was me, wanderlost, not logged in
 

my65roses4me

New member
<span style=" font-size: x-small;">Please dont make a mistake by
thinking he is not a carrier just because his other child does not
have cf. It takes both parents to be a carrier to have a cf baby.
His other child being cf "free" does not gaurantee that
your soon to be hubby is not a carrier. Its best to have him tested
anyways. Most insurances will cover the test for him.
 
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