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The decision to have a child is always a complicated one, with many factors to consider. This is made all the more complex when you have issues of chronic illness to keep in mind. You need to consider the impact of pregnancy on your body, the way your illness may affect childbirth, and how fibromyalgia will affect your ability to care for your babies. Pregnancy and childbirth are often possible with fibromyalgia, but your experience may differ from that of a woman in normal health. Here are some of the things to consider.
Pregnancy
Not many details are known about how fibromyalgia may affect fertility, but what limited information is known suggests that fertility is not significantly impacted beyond the manner in which fibromyalgia symptoms interfere with intercourse.
Once pregnant, however, some women with fibromyalgia experience more pain than those without fibromyalgia. Pregnancy is both physically and emotionally stressful for many women, and stress is a common trigger for fibromyalgia flares. Unfortunately, none of the medications that are currently prescribed for fibromyalgia (e.g. Lyrica; painkillers) are completely safe for use during pregnancy, and you will usually have to stop taking any such medicines during the pregnancy.
Childbirth
Most women with fibromyalgia are capable of experiencing a natural childbirth without complications. There is nothing unique to the illness of fibromyalgia that makes childbirth more risky or difficult. However, the rate of Cesarean sections is extremely high for all women, with approximately 1 in 3 women having a C-section, with or without fibromyalgia. Keep these statistics in mind when considering the recovery process from childbirth if you have fibromyalgia.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is the healthiest feeding option for infants, and most hospitals and public health organizations strongly recommend it for at least the first six months –and even longer. However, even though 81 percent of new mothers are breastfeeding at the time that they leave the hospital, only 29 percent are still nursing at six months. There are many factors that contribute to low breastfeeding rates at six months, including lack of workplace support.
However, one study suggests that women with fibromyalgia may find breastfeeding to be more painful, and after pregnancy without pain medication, mothers are faced with the additional decision whether to breastfeed and continue to forego the medication or to switch to formula feeding and be able to take the needed medicines. Some evidence also suggests that women with fibromyalgia may have difficulty producing an adequate milk supply to feed their babies.
Changes after Birth
Whether your fibromyalgia symptoms will be better or worse after pregnancy is variable and no woman can count on what her experience will be. Some women report that their fibromyalgia begins after childbirth when they did not have problems with it beforehand.
Women with fibromyalgia may also be more likely to experience postpartum depression, particularly because depression is already a common symptom of fibromyalgia. However, antidepressants may be an option for treating postpartum depression, even for women who are breastfeeding. Some antidepressants are safe for nursing mothers.
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