Multiple Sclorosis

Absolutely talk to your doctor. I am not a medical professional however I grew up watching my mother who had MS. Please take the time to research the paleolithic diet. Based on my other friends with MS, eliminating wheat, gluten and dairy from your diet may make a huge difference in your journey with the disease. I also have to follow the diet due to an autoimmune disorder and it has changed my life for the good.
Best of luck to you!

This is a question for a doctor.

I agree, you really need to talk to your doctor/ob. It's generally not a good idea to ask these kinds of questions here because we're not doctor's and can't treat or dianose any illness in an online forum such as this. If we were doctor's it would be unethical for us to do so.

The best we could do is share stories with you, but they are just stories, OUR stories. You cannot expect your experience to be exactly like ours, each person is different, does that make sense?

I have a friend with MS who sailed through her pregnancy with very few problems at all, an another who had paralysis during pregnancy. It really depends on how advanced the disease is.

Please do talk to your doctor about this. I wish you the best.

I agree that a doctor is the best source of advice. However, for what it's worth, I have a friend with MS and she had two successful pregnancies with no complications.

I have actually heard of some cases where a woman will get worse during pregnancy and then be better after giving birth but in the same token, I have also heard a story where a woman went into 'remission' for her months of pregnancy and was feeling wonderful! I am sorry for your diagnosis, I also have a MIL who is paralized from MS and was diagnosed almost 30 years ago. . . I wish you the best of luck but ask yoru doctor and keep in mind, they might not have all the answers to how you will personally react to pregnancy so don't get too discouraged.

I was diagnosed with MS 2 months before i got pregnant with my youngest child, now 5 years old. My symptoms were visual and only lasted around 2 weeks. I had no problems during my pregnancy. I had another flare when my son was 15 months old and I've been on medication since then.

I would definitely pose this question to both you OB and you neurologist. They would have the best information for you.

I am sorry to tell you what happened to a friend of mine who conceived, knowing that she has MS. She did not have trouble with her legs beforehand, but had issues with her eyesight.

She had to stop taking her medication while she was pregnant because of the side effects. She had to quit work 4 months before the baby came because it was just too hard on her, but delivered a healthy baby. However, a few months after the birth, she ended up in the hospital, and her eyesight is pretty poor now. She also developed trouble with her legs and can only walk with a walker. It is hard to care for a baby like this, A..

She is reconciled to the fact that she cannot work anymore in her profession. (Hair stylist.) Her husband is a rough carpenter and has not been that dependable as a breadwinner, I am sorry to say. I am so worried about her future.

Please search your heart carefully regarding conceiving. I think of that movie Steel Magnolias when I think of what a woman's body goes through carrying a child, with a condition like yours.

Hugs,
Dawn

I don't know specifically about how MS reacts to hormones, but I do know people as mentioned with varying degrees. The women I know have had better luck than the men I know with ms for some reason. One thing I do know is that this disease is that it's hard for kids to understand. My friend William was diagnosed a couple of years ago and wrote a book to help explain it to his children, and it's available for anyone to buy now, it's really helpful! Not sure where to buy it but you can google MS children's book and find it I'm sure. Good luck!

Definitely talk to your doctor/OB about this.
(I'm sure you will or have and are just mostly looking for experiences from others here, right?)
I personally know two people with MS. O. was diagnosed about 10 years ago and he has it very controlled with medication/lifestyle/etc.
The other has had a very rapid onset of issues and symptoms.
All the best.

I was dxd 7 yr ago with MS and have had 3 successful pregnancies with no flare ups. Granted my first was my test, my OB & neurologist both said it really varies. Some women feel fabulous while pregnant, and others aren't so lucky. You're more likely to relapse 3-6 months post postpartum tho', I did not!

I've been pregnant or nursing for the last 5 yrs--and have not had a relapse. My own neurologist seems to think I'm self medicating (hormone wise). I've also refused all medications until I'm done having kids, against medical advise. I've modified my diet and have done some other preventative measures.

Unfortunate thing is MS is so variable and patient specific that its hard for us to give you a worthy answer, this will definitely have to be a discussion between your OB Neurologist and SO. A strong support system is absolutely necessary to even be contemplating pregnancy!

I wish you all the best!