Miscellaneous

I am pregnant 30 weeks,my ms did not affect me that much so i never saw myself as a sick mom(naive i know).So now when i am getting close to have a baby i started thinking how it will affect me? hopefully not at all! but i asked a woman(she has ms for 10 years) on fb,and she was totally negative,telling me how i after pregnancy might become so much worse

so i want to ask other mothers here with ms,how did the postpartum go ? did your ms become worse ,did you suffer a huge relapse? this woman did freak me out,i looked up her comments and she is overall negative so i regret asking her anything

https://overcomingms.org/ms-a-to-z/ms-e ... cy-and-ms/ from the main site.

i had a relapse right before i got pregnant,opticus neuritis,,it was my first relapse after 3 and half years,,but i feel good right now

There has been quite a bit of good research about hormones and MS. One observed and researched issue is that women who have higher levels of estrogen (during certain stages of pregnancy) put their MS in remission. The higher levels of the hormone are thought to be neuro protective. Therapies are being used by incorporating estradiol (a safer estrogen basically)) with very good success rates. Some of these treatments have been more effective than with using just MS drugs. The problem has been that big studies are somewhat limited because there is not a lot of big pharma money behind this approach. It kind of contradicts what big pharma wants to peddle. Nevertheless, the science is very interesting and promising. One of the working theories now is that women can put their MS in remission in certain stages of their pregnancy (when the hormones are high) but that after pregnancy, when hormones drop, the risk factor for return of the illness (flare up) really increases.

Research concerning hormones has also been started with men. In this case, the magic bullet being looked at is testosterone. The thinking here is that higher levels of T are neuro protective, which has been proven in small animal and human studies. As men age, their T levels drop and some of the research is pointing to the fact that by boosting the T levels there is less disease progression.

If you are interested in this, it's best to find a functional medical doc who specializes in hormone testing and practice. It's best to look at the whole picture of your hormones (both male and female) and get everything in the right balance. This becomes an important issue as we age. I believe that one day in the future that this approach will be just as important for managing MS as say the role of Vit D, which a few years back wasn't even on the radar for autoimmune illnesses.

https://overcomingms.org/ms-a-to-z/ms-e ... cy-and-ms/
Lots to read there.
Do you know what your vitamin d level is

Hi I am new to this OMS- 15th year of M.S.- I was diagnosed in 2001. I am very excited to have a new life and a new hope.

But I noticed your post as I scanned through them, and I just couldn't resist replying to this one. It was always been my dream and passion in life to be a mother. So after following to the doctor's "fear prescription" for about a year following my marriage-and putting my dream off, it wasn't too long before I realized that it was getting me nowhere. One of the most damaging things I have experienced with M.S. is the paralyzing, debilitating fears and doubts. We have to try our very BEST to resist those negative voices and listen to our hearts! As real as M.S. horror stories might seem, we CANNOT allow them to be our reality or they will consume us!

I am currently pregnant with my 8th child. My pregnancies have all gone relatively well, and my children are absolutely my saving grace! (I did have to get some emotional help after my fifth child due to post-pardom depression, but I think that was mainly because I was extremely overwhelmed- sam-E, creativity,organization, time management, and lots of prayer helped that- and we are all doing well.)

Listen to your heart. You are the only one who can take charge of your own life. And remember God is watching over you!

~Miriam~

Hi,

I am glad this has bounced up as I can read it now. Back at work after maternity leave and back to checking the forum.
I got pregnant shortly after diagnosis in 2014. It was not planned but it happened. I am endlessly thankful for the pregnancy and my baby who is now 14 months.
I could not have wished for better pregnancy. I suffered no symptoms (MS or pregnancy other then emotions being all over the place).
I was like you worried about the post partum health but everything went well. I had lots of stress and emotional dramas going on in first few weeks/months but I kept well.

I kept the diet as oms as was practical, I took vitamin D and breastfed. I am still breastfeeding in the evenings and mornings (and unfortunately also overnight still ) and I believe this helped me to keep the good hormone protection.

I would suggest you keep positive. Ignore the negative comments. Follow your instincts and OMS lifestyle.

If you wish to talk more feel free to send me a private message.

Take care & hope all goes well.

Martina

I’ve just been reading another study about what happens to women with MS who get pregnant. There are differing views about when to stop a DMT before conceiving and when to resume it. Anyone out there with a personal experience to share? Which birth control means do you use?