I was just wondering about the chances of a female with cystic fibrosis having children. I have read a lot of information and just about all of it says something different. I have read that 90% of females with cf are infertile and I have read that 20% are infertile. Then on some web-sites I've read that women are not actually infertile, they just have thicker mucus. Also I was wondering about the effects pregancy has on a person with cf. I have read that cfers usually get sicker during their pregancy, but after the child is born they can get back to their normal health. I also read somewhere that pregnancy can shorten your life up to 7 years. I want to talk to any women with cf that has a child or is pregnant and I really want to know the possilbilty of conceiving.
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PREGNANCY
- Thread starter anonymous
- Start date
Hi there,I'm 30 with CF...and have a beautiful 6 yr old daughter. Most women with CF are able to conceive...as you said the mucous is thicker and makes it harder, but it is possible. It took me almost 2 yrs to conceive. I was in pretty good health when I became pregnant. My lung function was in the high 70's...and minor digestive probs...the gaining weight thing, etc. I was healthy throughout all my pregnancy...and actually healthier than I have ever been. My lung function actually increased! I had a kidney infection...but that was only because of the way the baby was laying....and was put on antibiotics for that.....but went away. I gained a total of 17 pounds! The doctors were pleased with that. Toward the last couple of months my blood sugars started to get high, I kept an eye on them. They remained high...so at not quite 37 weeks, my doctor induced me rather than starting me on insulin. They knew the baby was well developed. So on March 6, 1998 (with a due date of March 30) I gave birth to Bailey without any complications. Later that year in October I did get full blown CF related diabetes, but after this long I am still on oral meds to control it....and doing well. Lung function is at about 71% now...so still good. Overall, I had a healthy pregnancy...but each person is different. It is something you definitely need to discuss with your doctor! Good luck and if you have more questions I will be more than happy to answer! Take Care!Dea30/cf/Illinois
Well, I guess mine didnt get extremely high. I just really cut down alot of the unnecessary foods...such as sodas, candies, etc. I ate more fruits when I felt the need for something sweet. I am a pretty healthy eater anyway...so I guess that helped. Maybe try to lower some of your carb intake..such as pastas, potatoes, breads. Dont cut them out...just do smaller portions...and not all at once. Good Luck...I'll try to help!Dea
HollyCatheryn
New member
When I started trying to get pregnant I thought the stuff in the literature was pretty discouraging, but as I sought out women who'd actually given birth the picture became very different. My experience was very similar to what I heard from a dozen other women. I had trouble conceiving, but when I did my pregnancy was very healthy. I did not need my usual tune-up or the usual round of oral antibiotics in the fall and spring. I gained 30 lbs at the heaviest. I went 2 weeks past my due date (as opposed to pre-term labor that my Dr.s were so afraid of). I also got a kidney infection - which I've learned is very common in all pregnant women even without CF - but my midwife was awesome and helped me clear it up without the need for antibiotics that could have been risky for the baby. I've also been very healthy since my daughter's awsome home-birth; only needing to go in the hospital once in the last 14 months. Pregnancy and extended nursing, although they require lots of dedication to keeping up your <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">calories and health-regimine, can really reduce your risks for other potentially life-threatening complications - like cancers (to which one would be especially susceptible after a transplant).Obviously common-sense would say that if you are sturggling with your health currently, then this would not be a wise time to add stress or a situation is which an exacerbation might not be fully treatable. But if your health is reasonably good, then there's no reason to just assume that your pregnancy and birth would be dangerous or catastrophic to your health ultimately. HollyCatheryn25 w/ CF and 2 yr old girlPS - my Dr and the Dr.s of some other women I know who've had children have remarked that their pregnancy was one of the best things for them and they wished these ladies could be pregnant more often. HA!
Hey everybody, I'm new here. I haven't yet had the guts to ask my pulmonologist about this(not even sure she'd know the answer). I'm in my early twenties, I have no interest in getting pregnant just yet. Because I consider myself such a responsible person, I would like to know any risks(to the child) that might go along with a pregnancy before I even consider going through with one.No doctor has ever really talked with me about it, but they all made it sound like they just expected me to lead a normal life and have a baby like most women, when I would have thought they would've discouraged someone with CF from having children. Anyway, are there any known side effects/serious health risks that our medications(both pills and inhaled) could cause to a baby? They must affect the child in some way. Even secondhand smoke is harmful to unborn children, so everything that gets into a woman's system must get into the baby's too. Also, if I were to become pregnant, I would most likely get cfrd and have to take insulin- does this have a negative effect on kids?I'd appreciate any knowledge any of you might have.
Pregnancy? I am 25 years old w/ cf and I am 5 months pregnant. My husband and I were very excited about the thought of being parents and couldn't wait to start trying. That was last July. I found out I was pregnant in February. My health has been outstanding. Pregnancy is definately agreeing with me. I feel great and my lung function is up. Everyone is different in terms of conceiving. My sister is 30 years old w/cf and she was unable to have children so she adopted this past August. One thing that I made sure of while we were trying to become pregnant and before we started trying was to exercise. It always made me feel better and my body was in better shape to be able to conceive and have a healthy pregnancy. I stopped all cafeine while trying and tried to eat a little heathier. Not that this is rules to live by, but it worked for me. Also, try not to go to the bathroom after sex for a while. I just tried to lay still as much as I could. Hope this helps! Alaina
HollyCatheryn
New member
I had had a history of blood sugar problems (in response to certain medications) and so my docs thought surely I'd have gestational diabetes and that that might turn into cfrd, but I never had a single problem during my pregnancy with my sugars - and they were monitored closely. I stopped all the medications I could do without - for me that was anti-depressants, prilosec and TOBI. I was pretty miserable without the prilosec even when they put me on an alternative, so as soon as I passed the mid-way point and they felt it was safe, I got back on it. I kept taking my enzymes and albuterol nebs. A really great resource for fetal/nursing baby safety of medications is La Leche League. Even if you're not or don't plan to nurse, they still can be very helpful in obtaining accurate, up-to-date info related to pregnancy. I found that the biggest concerns I had for my baby's safety was in determining which diagnostic tests I could do without and making sure I gained enough weight and took in a well-balanced diet. Now knowing (I didn't then) that ultrasounds are not proven safe, I would have declined most. Docs may try to push amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling on us more than others because of the chances of CF for our babies, but these are much more risky procedures that have much higher risks for causing premature labor and fetal death as well as infection to the mother. I would advise anyone thinking of getting pregnant (even farther down the road) to begin learning about alternative medicine and wellness. There's so much risk to antibiotics, but there are so many other effective ways of treating problems and infections. More cities and areas are offering birth networks or have midwives and even if you don't choose an alternative method of birth, these are good resources for alternative methods of care. I would also encourage women not to rule out an alternative mothod of giving birth. Out-of-hospital births have a much lower rate of complications for both mother and baby and many areas offer nurse-midwife/physician staffed birth centers that are good alternatives for people who have CF, but whose pregnancies are healthy and uncomplicated. That's my 2 (maybe more) cents. Hope it helps. HollyCatherynPS - I had my baby at home with a midwife and it was GREAT!