https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 27 Jun 2026 03:47:16 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-2562663 Mon, 06 Jun 2016 13:59:28 +0000 Sunycaro 2562663@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@IRunForFun: you too!! Cheers to pregnancy :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-2562347 Mon, 06 Jun 2016 06:58:26 +0000 stargal 2562347@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@IRunForFun: I have a blood clotting disorder ( protein s) and I was diagnosed out of the blue when my mom died unexpectedly from a stroke, they believe she had it and it went unnoticed until the worst happened. I was 7 week pregnant at the time and got tested and immediately started lovinox shots. And then heparin shots twice. a day at 36 weeks. I had qeekly ultrsounds and non atress tests the last trimester. I now have two healthy boy's (almost 2 and four).<br /> Good luck to you! Congrats on your pregnancy! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-2562300 Sun, 05 Jun 2016 21:26:25 +0000 IRunForFun 2562300@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Sunycaro: Wow I didn't even remember I wrote this thread, holy cow 3 years ago!?! Congrats on your pregnancy! I'm actually pregnant now - about 7 weeks and giving myself daily Lovenox injections. First ultrasound in 10 days so fingers crossed everything goes OK. If I get to 36 weeks I switch to Heparin twice daily. </p> <p>Happy and healthy 9 months to you!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-2562295 Sun, 05 Jun 2016 21:16:57 +0000 Sunycaro 2562295@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have an autoimmune disease called Sjögren's syndrome. I tested positive for both the anti-ssa, which can cross the placenta and cause congenital heart failure, and antiphosolipid syndrome a blood clotting disorder. I've always wanted kids so I just found the right husband :) and doctors. I'm about 8 weeks pregnant; I'm on dialy low dose aspirin and I have a perinatologist.<br /> I think how you become a mom is totally up to you - you can adopt or find a donnor egg or a surrogate or try to conceive naturally. My doctors feel as though I should have a healthy pregnancy which is why we decided to try. But however you decide or if you decide to be a mom I'm certainly willing to be supportive of! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-753244 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:30:37 +0000 MrsStar 753244@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I also have a bleeding disorder, but mine is a platelet dysfuction - meaning my blood has very little clotting factor. I inherited it from my mum who also has it and there's a 50% chance my daughter has also inherited it. My pregnancy was closely monitored by specialists (with a warning at the start of the pregnancy that I would likely miscarry) and I was induced in hospital so I was in the best place if something were to go wrong. I wasn't allowed an epidural because of the high chance of bleeding out internally, I was also high risk for a csection which meant I was only allowed general anesthetic. Pregnancy was hard and I felt like I was wrapped in bubble wrap but now my daughter is 7 months old. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-753230 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:24:19 +0000 petunia354 753230@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was high risk due to having a kidney transplant when I was 12 years old. I didn't do much research on my own because it was difficult (for me) to find much information about this! We knew this would make any pregnancies high risk and we met with 2 different maternal fetal medicine doctors to go over risks and create a game plan. One of them scared me so much we nearly decided to not have any biological children and I had a group of OB's that refused to treat me because I was too high risk for them. Talk about scary!! However, the other MFM was very positive and encouraged us to do it, along with the help of a fabulous OB and Nephrologist. I couldn't have gotten through without my amazing team of doctors. I was switched off of any potentially risky medication months prior TTC and made an effort to be as healthy as I could to give my body the best chance of carrying the pregnancy successfully.<br /> In the end, I delivered at 34 weeks after being on bedrest for 11 weeks. I know much of this won't apply because you are in a completely different situation but if I could give you ANY advice, it would be to make sure you find doctors that you trust implicitly and feel very comfortable with. It really makes all the difference.<br /> Good luck to you!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-753038 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:16:54 +0000 red_seattle 753038@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>HOLY CRAP that was way longer than I thought it would end up being. Soooooooory! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-753036 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:16:22 +0000 red_seattle 753036@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a genetic disorder that's kind of hard to explain but all it does is affect my ability to carry a child to term. It doesn't make me high risk, but does make my pregnancies complicated. With every pregnancy, I have a 30% chance of passing on a genetic disorder that is considered "incompatible with life." This would cause miscarriages early on, and if my body didn't naturally end the pregnancy, I would be in for a very high risk pregnancy with a child that had only a 5% chance of making it through the 1st hr of life, and a less than 1% chance of leaving the hospital alive. As I age, the chances of me passing this on increase exponentially-- essentially, having kids after 35 is an absolute no-go for me.</p> <p>How to deal? We planned to (and plan to) have any biological children before I'm 30, when things get more dicey. We prepared ourselves for miscarriages. Before we stopped trying to avoid, we met with specialists first to make sure we were going in with our eyes open to what our chances were of miscarrying, and what it would be like if we somehow carried an affected baby to term. We discussed PGD + IVF, but decided if we ever didn't want to keep trying "the good old fashioned way," that we would adopt. I wasn't hesitant to "pull the goalie" with X; I think because I had worked really hard to emotionally prepare myself for a rough journey. I knew what I was in for, but also knew that 70% chance of being able to have a healthy still meant that odds were in our favor. </p> <p>While I was pregnant with X, early on, before we knew if he was healthy or not or whether I'd miscarry, I prayed a lot for the strength to get through whatever was ahead. We kept the pregnancy to ourselves until we knew the results of the CVS (genetic) test at 11.5 weeks. I stayed positive. DH coped by staying detached until after we knew the results of the test-- he'd say that we were pregnant, but he wasn't prepared to say we were having a baby. That was hard. </p> <p>Next time-- because of the disorder, as well as the preterm labor I had with X, any other babies will be high risk. I'm more nervous about baby #2. We were SOOOO lucky to have a healthy baby, with no prior miscarriages. I'm more aware now of just how devastating it would be to lose a baby, even if you're mentally prepared for it. I know now what a CVS procedure is like-- and mine was really bad compared to what I've heard from others-- so I know how it can go literally, painfully wrong. </p> <p>But more hesitant to conceive-- no. Because I know that things can turn out ok. We've done it once, we can do it again. And if not-- I'm really, truly ok with adopting. I very much want another child. But I don't feel an overwhelming desire to have another biological child. I look at X and know that deep down in my soul, I would love him just as much if I hadn't given birth to him. So maybe that's the biggest way I cope-- I'm at peace (for now) with the fact that I'm more likely to miscarry. And I'm at peace with the idea of adopting if we have complications with conceiving/carrying #2. </p> <p>I think doing your research and preparing helps. I think it also helps to have a back up plan-- are you ok with adoption? Are you ok with not having kids? Also, my OB was hesitant to ok a pregnancy until we met with specialists, and the specialists gave us the ok to try. So if your doctors are ok with it, there's no harm in trying and just seeing how your body handles things. Your body may be more capable than you think, especially if your doctors are giving you the ok to conceive. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752942 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:46:53 +0000 kjpugs 752942@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@IRunForFun: just kidding then- similar but different! I know she has the same pregnancy challenges though. Crazy how many things impact a pregnancy! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752935 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:44:53 +0000 IRunForFun 752935@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kjpugs: Hmmm, no, I don't have any issues with alcohol so I'm not sure about that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752893 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:28:20 +0000 Honeybee 752893@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LazyLightning: I think it's hard to understand, if you've never experienced that level of illness. It's incredibly difficult to talk about with other people. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752892 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:28:18 +0000 LazyLightning 752892@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@IRunForFun: I'm 35 weeks. Eye on the prize!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752880 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:23:17 +0000 kjpugs 752880@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One of my sorority sisters has (I believe) the same disorder. Do you have issues with drinking? She found out about it during college after she got REALLY sick for days after a weekend out. I know that's how she found out but I also know she's been married a while and my little told me exactly what you just shared about the issues/complications that could result from pregnancy. So I assume it's the same :) I had complications that stood in the way of getting pregnant so I never really thought about what you're bringing up! I think I would have probably been more cautious before jumping into trying- sort the opposite problem! Hope you are able to find support and eventually do have a healthy pregnancy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752874 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:21:09 +0000 blackbird 752874@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I hope so, too! Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752870 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:20:47 +0000 IRunForFun 752870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LazyLightning: OMG you poor thing, that sounds awful. You're almost at the end though, right? Or nearing it? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752868 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:19:50 +0000 IRunForFun 752868@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: Congratulations!!!! (I thought I remembered this from other posts on the board). I'm pretty hopeful that, since I already know about my disorder, we'll be able to prevent recurrent miscarriages. Or at least ones caused by the disorder. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752863 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:18:35 +0000 LazyLightning 752863@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Honeybee: We're adopting next time if we want a second child. I am done with this!!</p> <p>And yes, it's so frustrating. The reaction you get, people just dont' get it. "you shouldn't still be sick! ask your doc, something's wrong!" Ugh. I KNOW. Just ugh. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752859 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:17:05 +0000 blackbird 752859@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It was discovered after I'd had two miscarriages, at 13 and 7 weeks. My doc had a blood panel ran and that's when it showed up. I actually just had a healthy baby girl three and a half weeks ago :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752857 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:16:40 +0000 Honeybee 752857@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LazyLightning: I'm so sorry you've been suffering. I also suffered from HG with both of pregnancies (as did my mom and sister), and I understand the isolation, pain, and frustration that comes with the disease. Keep your chin up; you're going to feel so much better very, very soon. :)</p> <p>I knew going into my second pregnancy that I would have a lot of difficulties due to the HG I experienced with my first. I did a lot of research and talked to my doctors about our plan of attack. We came up with a treatment plan and my husband and I figured out some possible accommodations for my illness, depending on how bad it got. In the end, my HG wasn't so bad the second time around, thanks to my planning. I did, however, end up with a whole host of unrelated complications, and that combined with HG made us realize that another pregnancy is just not in the cards for us. We're happy with just two for now, but if we change our minds, we'll adopt in the future. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752845 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:13:25 +0000 IRunForFun 752845@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: Did they only discover the disorder after you had multiple miscarriages, or was it discovered as a result of the multiple miscarriages? Once you knew you had it and were treated, you were able to carry a healthy pregnancy to term? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752829 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:07:18 +0000 blackbird 752829@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have mthfr, which is a pregnancy related blood clotting disorder, and it has caused multiple mc for me. I wasn't high risk, but I did have to take extra meds and aspirin for the whole pregnancy, and my OB monitored me every other week until week 13 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752821 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:05:16 +0000 spaniellove 752821@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a seizure disorder and can't go off my antiseizure meds, even though it's known to cause birth defects. This makes any future pregnancies high-risk for me, and most doctors/neurologists don't really know how to handle the situation so they've discouraged me from getting pregnant. </p> <p>But I finally have a good epilepsy specialist who has an interest in women's health and understands exactly how the med causes defects and low birth weight. So we've sat down and talked about what the risks would be in my situation and what specific steps I can take. For instance, doctors always recommend extra folic acid with my medication or with seizure disorders, but they don't know what else to do. </p> <p>Since my doctor thinks the biggest risk I face is low birth weight, she wants me to supplement daily with Ensure or protein shakes. We've discussed the fact that I'm going to have food aversions and weight loss just like when I started the meds, so I'll have to find new strategies to get calories and especially protein. And in the short time I spent pregnant recently, I saw that she was absolutely right. So I'll definitely have a case of protein shakes ready for next time. </p> <p>It helps to have a good team of doctors with a concrete plan of action so that you'll know exactly who you're going to contact and what steps to take when the time comes! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752817 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:04:07 +0000 LazyLightning 752817@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not high risk per-se, but I've always known my pregnancy would be rough. I am an only child, and so are most of the other people in my family from the past 3 generations, and this is because the women in my family do not do pregnancy easily. The main culprit is HG (constant nausea/vomiting past 1st tri), but many other things also. Of course I was hopeful I'd be the exception, but mainly, I tried to prepare myself by doing a few things. </p> <p>One - I did not get pregnant until we knew that if I couldn't work, we could support our household on just my husband's salary. </p> <p>Two - I took care of everything I could before getting pregnant. Stuff like house rearrangements, etc. I did not set up the nursery until after pregnant, but did it basically at any time I felt OK. This meant putting the furniture together at 19 weeks, and having the room basically done by 25 weeks.</p> <p>While doing these two things saved me a lot of stress when my sickness--and more--came back in the 3rd tri, what I couldn't prepare for was the hopelessness I feel from time to time. It's really easy to get lost in the moment, when every moment seems so horrible. I mean, I can't sleep, I can't function normally, I can't make plans with friends or to have a pedicure or anything like that, without worrying I'll vomit everywhere or worse. I'm physically unable to take a bath or other such comforts, due to the way our house is set up and the physical problems I've been having. The feelings of being sick and unable to get better, and physically limited as well, are hard to take. It's even hard for me to drive my car, or climb the steps in my house. I know that this too shall pass, and I take it one day at a time, but it's still really rough. So preparing yourself for how rough it might be and the complications you might have is, I think, an important step I didn't do nearly enough of. (I don't know how I could have prepared myself better, but still!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752811 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:59:49 +0000 IRunForFun 752811@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PointeShoesTutus: Your response is very helpful. I'm sorry you are having to go to such great lengths and worry so much, though. </p> <p>The other thing that concerns me is that, should we have trouble getting pregnant, IVF or other fertility treatments may not even be an option, since I can't take any of the synthetic hormones.</p> <p>Research is definitely my best friend right now. I have a hematologist already but should definitely do more research on hospitals and clinics and what my birth options would be with such a disorder...good idea! </p> <p>I hope everything works out for you and you have a happy, healthy pregnancy and baby! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752789 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:50:06 +0000 PointeShoesTutus 752789@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband and I are facing this issue right now. We both are carriers for thalassemia. I also have multiple chronic illnesses which necessitate several black-boxed medications not to be taken during pregnancy. Although we only have a 25% chance of having a child with major thalassemia, the quality of life for the child would be severely impacted. Biweekly blood transfusions and chelation treatments to rid the body of the iron since it is toxic to someone with thalassemia. Worrying constantly about something as simple as a cold being life threatening. I have a hard enough time as an adult dealing with the all too frequent doctor visits. I don't want that for my child. </p> <p>I also struggle with depression and have pretty severe anxiety as well. Those play into our decision on how we would go about having children.</p> <p>After many long conversations and meetings with a genetic counselor, we have decided to do IVF with PGD. While we don't know if we'd actually have trouble TTC, IVF allows us to control as much as we can about the situation. I can be off my medications for the least amount of time necessary. With the PGD, we would not have to face the emotional toll that would come with a "regular" pregnancy as far as waiting until a certain point in pregnancy to find out if our child was affected with major thal. We had discussed this at length and decided that we would terminate if that was the case. I didn't come to that decision lightly but it would still be emotionally devastating and I am not sure I'd be mentally strong enough to endure that. </p> <p>We've been preparing by researching, researching, researching. We will be moving cross-country next year (when we are going to start TTC). I've been looking into all the hospitals/clinics in the Boston area to find a new team of doctors for my health problems. Looking up fertility clinics. Learning more about genetic testing. Having lots of heart to hearts about how we would handle a bunch of different options. I see a therapist as part of my anxiety disorder treatment. I've been talking more about TTC and she's been helping me overcome some of my big fears. She's been a godsend. I'm learning that being informed is power and the difference between being informed and obsessively worrying. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752765 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:41:20 +0000 littlek 752765@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a heart condition, and I knew that it would cause me to be high risk pregnancy. I've had to get a lot of EKGs, so it was really just a hassle. It didn't change anything for me, it just lead to more doctor visits. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-knew-before-ttc-that-your-pregnancy-would-be-high-risk#post-752732 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:30:29 +0000 IRunForFun 752732@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Did it change the way you approached the whole situation? Were you more hesitant to get pregnant, or more anxious about what would happen once you did get pregnant? What did you do to prepare emotionally/physically?</p> <p>I have a genetic blood clotting disorder, which can lead to thrombophilia, the formation of abnormal blood clots. It's kind of hard to explain, but basically, when the coagulation process is activated somewhere in my body, it goes overboard and coagulates too much. </p> <p>This was passed on from my dad, who has had multiple DVTs in his legs, as well as double pulmonary embolisms. It's scary stuff. </p> <p>In my life so far, it's just meant that I can't take hormonal birth control, since that also increases the chances of developing a blood clot. It's also meant avoiding long periods of immobility, since pooling blood would increase the chances of a clot. When I take long car or plane rides, I'm supposed to get up and walk around every so often or wear compression stockings to promote circulation. </p> <p>But, the genetic disorder coupled with pregnancy would increase my chances of developing a blood clot 7x. And that's with a non-complicated pregnancy. If you throw in any type of bed rest (immobility), surgery (c-section), or hemorrhaging, I could be in real trouble. The disorder has also been linked to recurring miscarriages (specifically miscarriages after 10 weeks) due to tiny clots blocking the flow of nutrients to the placenta. </p> <p>Since I've already been diagnosed with the disorder, I've discussed my approach to TTC with doctors, none of whom have discouraged me from pregnancy. It will be a matter of working with a hematologist and perinatologist to closely monitor by clotting factors and take measures to keep them in balance. </p> <p>Even though my doctors are confident that pregnancy won't be life-threatening or anything, I'm still scared! Not scared enough to forgo having biological children, but definitely anxious.</p> <p>I'm trying to do all my research and prepare myself as best as I can.</p> <p>Has anyone been in a similar situation? How did you overcome/manage your anxiety? </p>