Welcome!
I like what Risa said-not everything you read will apply to you. But, you can still benefit from hearing all opinions and experiences.
First off, I think its really good that you are asking around, you are doing research! Instead of blindly going into anything.
As you see from my signature, my husband and I are trying to get pregnant. I went back and forth for a long time before I decided to go ahead, stop my birth control, and start trying. I did tons of research. I went to a bunch of specialists, got second opinions, had several procedures done to test my whole body out-basically see how healthy I was. I went off of antibiotics for months, to make sure I could do without them and to test how healthy I was. My doctor and I set a goal for my PFTs, and I worked for over a year to reach it.
Basically a heck of alot of preparation!<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0">
Every situation is different. I personally think that having a baby is not for all cfers. You want to be there for that child's life as long as possible. Most Cf docs, as well as the research available, will tell you that you should have a FEV1 of at least 70 to consider pregnancy. I've known of some women who had less and did fine. But I've heard of some that had 80+ and did poorly.
The overall medical opinion is, however healthy you are going into pregnancy is the main indicator of how you will be after. Are you strict with your meds, and therapies? Do you eat well/healthy? How long is it in between IVs? Things like that. Also, most docs I've talked to say, its usually not so much the pregnancy that is the issue. It's afterwards. (Im' speaking here of women that start on or above 70s PFT) You have to get your PFTs back up after. Do you have enough support around you to help with caring for a baby while you care for your body? Do you have a supportive husband/partner?
Unfortunately not one doctor can tell you what to do. Even if you have a PFT of 125, not one will tell you it is risk free to have a baby. You have to weigh it all for yourself.
There's other options out there if you don't want to get pregnant. When I asked my Cf doc 2 yrs ago, at that point she said no to me. She said my PFTS weren't high enough. But, she told me what to do, what to work on so I could re evaluate the situation in another year. At that piont she said, one way or another I will help you become a parent. Whether that it surrogacy, adoption, whatever.
Fortunately for me, all my hard work paid off and here I am.
It is such a difficult decision to reach though. My heart goes out to you.<img src="i/expressions/heart.gif" border="0">
There's lots of women on this site who have had children. At the same time, I'd encourage you to talk to women who have adopted. B/c the actual raising of the child can be just as hard on your body as the pregnancy itself. This is what every doctor has said to me, as well as lots of Cf moms too. When I went to my doc (2 yrs ago) and said I wanted to have a baby, and she suggested no, I said ok-let's talk about adoption. She said I wasn't healthy enough for that either. I really had to get my life in order!
Whatever you decide, just follow your heart. Don't write anything off until you've really thought whether or not its good for you.
