Being Pregnant with a Titanuim Rod in Back.

My cousin had 2 rods in an "X" pattern in her spine, and has had a child. Unfortunately, she lived out of the country at the time of the pregnancy and birth, so I can't give you any ob/gyn referrals. But I can say that both she and baby are healthy and happy after a c-section delivery.

I know nothing of birth in relation to having a rod in your back but it seems from posts here that there should not be a problem even for having a natural birth. It seems epidurals may be harder from the one post so I would suggest your friend takes a birthing class such as Bradley method which will help her prepare for a natural birth without the need for an epidural. It will teach her lots of positions that she can be in to avoid discomfort as much as possible in the event of such things as back labor. I would strongly recommend having doula or midwife or both who can help her through her birth experience who will advocate for her. This way she will not be the one arguing with hospital staff if something does happen. This is my advice for everyone though who is going to give birth! While the rod may make things more difficult it is possible to have a natural birth medication free even with a tough birth. I gave birth to my daughter who was breech without any medication and a friend of mine had back labor that lasted for over 24 hours and she also gave birth without any medication managing her pain with breathing and relaxation and position changes. It really is better for the baby and the mother. We both did Bradley classes and used the techniques we learned in order to have as pain free a birth as possible without medication.

I am 26 and I have rods in my back since I was 7 I have had 3 kids and had no problems in particular to my back accept was in able to get an epidural I had to have a c section (not because of the rods though) and I had to be put totally to sleep because of not being able to have the epidural I still have minimal back problems no more than I had before my kids

Congratulations to your friend.
I also had a Harrington rod fusion to correct scoliosis when I was a teen. Like the other writer, I had two normal pregnancies and deliveries. Prior to my first delivery, I obtained copies of my surgical records (it took a couple weeks, since they were in NY and long-ago archived), and brought them to a prelminary meeting with an anesthesiologist, who assured me that I could get an epidural. A different anesthesiologist was on-call when I delivered, but since I brought my records with me, she was able to find a good insertion point without too much effort. With my second child, I lucked into having the same anesthesioligist on-call, and she had no problem administering the epidural.

A friend of mine had the same issue, and her pregnancy went fine. She delivered naturally and had no complications. I hope the same for your friend!

Hi M.,

My sister has a titanium rod in her back after a surgery to correct scoliosis. During pregnancy she had some back pains when sitting or standing for too long, releived by rest. It started after 4 or 5 months of pregnancy and lasted until delivery. She also gained a lot of weight during pregnancy so hurd to say was it pain from postoperative state or just from increased body mass.

Regarding delivery, she was told that epidural would be more risky because she can't bend, and she didn't want epidural anyway, so she did natural delivery. Those are the only 2 limitations she had from this rod regarding her pregnancy and labor. Delivery was in Altha-Bates in Berkeley, done by midwife without doctor assistance. I do not know any doctor who specializes in delivery with rod in the back and I guess this condition doesn't really cause any limitations for delivery other then described above. Since there are other means of pain control available, so it is ok to do without epidural. Best wishes to your friend.

All I know is that my mom has rods in her back to correct scoliosis and she had to get her tubes tied before they would do the back surgery. But that was 30 years ago so maybe things are different now. Good luck to your friend!

I had surgery for scoliosis in 1982 and have a rod in my back too. I have had 2 healthy boys, now ages 6 & 8. My OB told me right off, that I was going to need to have narcotics or nothing, that a epidural wasn't really an option for me as I have a small curve at the base of my spine that wasn't straigthened by the rod and that the epidural injection might miss the correct nerves and that they would then be unable to give me any further medication. So with my 1st one, I did do some narcotics, but not much, just enough to take the edge off. With my 2nd son, by the time I said I wanted drugs it was too late so I had him naturally. Oh and both my boys averaged 10+lbs. I definitely experienced more back pain during the final few months of pregnancy, but I've always experienced some back pain and just got used to it - I worked up until my 4 weeks before birth with both pregnancies. As far the labor part went, I got up and moved around as much as possible - laying down just wasn't comfortable, the nurses just let me do what made me feel best. Tell your friend its well worth it when that baby finally comes out - you forget everything! Best wishes!

Hi there,
I also have a rod going down my spine to correct scoliosis. I did not have any unusual problems during my two pregnancies. I was able to deliver vaginally both times without complications. However, getting an epidural for labor was very problematic. This is a long story, but here it goes...When I was pregnant with my first I was told to make an appointment with an anesthesiologist to find out if I would be a candidate for epidural anesthesia. I made that appointment and was told not to worry and that it should not be a problem. The anesthesiologist gave me his approval in writing and I made sure I took it with me when I was ready to deliver. Well...when it was time to get the epidural I found that the nurse anesthetist did not want to try it on me no matter what I had been told previously or what documentation I had. I was having back labor and I had been begging for an epidural for a full 6 hours when the nurse anesthetist finally got approval from his supervisor to give it a go. He had to try the needle in 3 different spots before he was able to find the right placement but it worked (what a relief!!) With my second pregnancy I consulted an anesthesiologist once again to see if there was any way to obtain an epidural without having to wait forever and go through all the drama of my 1st delivery. They arranged it so that I could be induced at a time when the SAME nurse anesthetist who was successful at giving me the epidural during my 1st delivery would be there. Once again, he gave it a go. After a few tries we thought he had it placed correctly. Unfortunately, the epidural never really did take. It numbed my legs and that was it...it did not numb my uterus. I got lucky that it was a fast delivery. My advise to your friend is to consult with an anethesiologist about her chances for obtaining an epidural. The lower the placement of the rod, the less likely it is that she will be able to obtain an epidural. Also...make sure she coordinates with the anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists in her hospital so that they are aware of her situation. From what I was told, the risk of puncture and complications is SLIGHLY higher in someone who has a rod. Also, the risk of the epidural not working is higher, as it happened to me on my second delivery. Best of luck to your friend!

Sorry I am so late to respond. I had surgery for scoliosis also when I was 13 and have two steel rods (I believe they are the same kind) on either side of my spine. I have two beautiful daughters. I had my first daughter at 28 and my second at 31 years old. I did not go to a special kind of doctor or hospital. Your friend should be fine. I did experience a lot of lower back pain, good to stay off your feet as much as possible. I delivered normal healthy babies vaginally, carried them both to full term. I had an epidural with my first daughter and nothing with my second.
Overall, your friend will be fine. Best wishes for her and her baby.