birth control pills

[Guest]

It helps to put each of our problems in perspective, doesn't it?

 

[MelissaM]

Dang, girlfriend. I feel for you! Rupturing cysts are no fun at all - like someone shot you down in that neck of the woods.

It seems strange that you are having to live through the "trial and error" method of finding the right birth control - it seems like it might be partly due to a lack of knowledge/experience on the docs part. I wonder if you could ask your doc if there is an OBGYN that specialises in this sort of thing that he or she could consult, rather than continuing to serve as a human guinea pig.

Sorry that you are facing all of this. Know that we are here for you!

Melissa

 

[Helenp]

Birth control & pregnancy

Birth control & pregnancy

Hi again

I have been taking a low dose combined contreceptive pill called "overenette" for around 7 years (been on warfarin 10yrs). I have found it to be free of any side effects and my cardiologist & doctor is happy with me being on it. Don't know if this may help you Gnusgal?
I saw my doctor again today re: pregnancy and he spoke about more recent research in the field. He said after referring to 2 separate hemotologists and an obstetrician they believe the danger time of fetal warfarin damage can be pin-pointed to 6-12 weeks of the pregnancy. This should allow for a window of time to begin heparin which can be continued throughout the pregnancy. They all seem to be fairly positive with me saying I must remember I have a much higher chance of a healthy pregnancy and baby than not, as long as I'm closely monitered. I have to have faith in their judgement and think positively.
It's great speaking to people who understand so thanks and perhaps it may be a ray of hope for anyone else in my situation as it's very tough being told there is no way you can ever have children.

Take care
Helen

 

[Gnusgal]

The coumadin is not the only reason I cannot have children. As a matter of fact, I was told before I started on the drug that it was highly risky for me. One doctor said there was a 50-50 chance of the baby, me, or both of us dying. And that was BEFORE I had the last two open heart surgeries. But I just can't risk it. I have to think about what I would do if the baby were to start killing me. I just don't think I could terminate a pregnancy, but that just might be where I'd be were I to try to carry my own child. I can't do that to the people I love (hubby, mom, etc.). That would be extremely selfish of me. Other people are in completely different situations, and CAN, with monitoring, carry a child with little problems. I am not one of those people, unfortunatley. It makes me angry all the time, because my husband would make such a great dad.

 

[ILoVeNY25]

Hi Niki, I can totally sympathize with your feelings of having a baby being a "selfish act". When doctors told me how risky it would be and how there's a risk in me or and the child dying, I just can't imagine leaving a husband with a motherless child. It wouldn't be fair to my child or my husband and the people who love me. I think you really hit the nail on the head with your post. Thanks for sharing in such a sensitive subject. God Bless!

 

[Gail in Ca]

Both my surgeon and cardiologist recommended no more pregnancys even after my 1st avr and porcine.
I had an aneurism, maybe that accounts for their decision, but I took their advice. I already had a 2 yr old, so it was fine for me to have an only child.
Gail

 

[joy]

I was told after my first child not to conceive another child, because of certain neurological conditions that were caused by rhuematic fever during and after I had Ian. SO my husband had a vasectomy. We thought we were done, but one day in October of 2000, I hadn't had my period for like 2 months, and I decided to take a home pregnancy test. I thought for sure that the test was wrong because my husband had a vasectomy. But when I went to the doctor's sure enough, I was pregnant again. I always found out when I was almost out of my first trimester(which was great cause it was 1/3 of the way over). I had to make some tough decisions, like do I keep Erik, or should I abort? One doctor told me that I should go straight to the planned parenthood and abort. Later on(probably a month and a half later) I found Dr. Easterling, and he gave me the strength I needed to carry on with my pregnancy, even through my heart disease and CHF. He is my knight and shining armor. THere is another lady...KimC who just had a baby. It can be done, though it is very draining both emotionally and physically. It is scary, but you have to find a good perinatologist. I am not a candidate for hormone replacement therapy because of my past with the TIA and my hystory of chorea(st. vitus' dance). I had my tubes tied when I delivered Erik, and am going to be having an endimetrial ablation soon.

When I started to take coumadin, my periods got heavy to the point that they were out of control, and My doctor agrees with me that since I can't have any more babies, there is not sense in me suffering through this every month. Looking forward to it ending!

THe point of this post being so long is that I want you all to know that it is possible to have a baby with heart disease, depending on how strong your heart is and how strong emotionally you are. Take care!

 

[Gnusgal]

Yeah, about that ablation. I went to a gyn who suggested I have that done, along with a tubal, because I was so fed up with having to put up with the monthly "visitor." It sounded great. I was all for it. I took the brocher home with me and started reading it, only to find out that the doc obviously hadn't read my chart at all (or didn't know enough about the ablation procedure). It very clearly said "not reccommended for women with pacemakers." I never went to that doctor again.

I hope it goes well for you, Joy. Wish I could have it done. I'm so fed up with all of it. I wish I could have a hysterectomy, but my gyn doesn't want to do any surgery on me if it isn't absolutely necissary because of my heart. She also doesn't want me on hormone replacement, which I don't want either. I sometimes wonder if I could do a partial hysterectomy, and stay on birth control so I won't ovulate, but will still have the hormones that the ovaries provide.... But my gyn probably wouldn't go for that either... I've also started thinking about surrogacy as an option for my husband and I to have kids, and would love to be able to use my own eggs. But because of the whole issue with my cyst, I don't know if that would be possible... Arg! I hate all of this. Why can't even ONE part of my anatomy not give me grief???

Sorry, had to vent. Good luck, Joy!

 

[Guest]

Gnusgal,
We did foster care. My first wife died at age 34 and I had 2 children. When I married for the second time, Ann did not have children and we decided to not start a family at the older age. To blend the family we raised foster children. One of them became a permanent member of our family by her choice. There was no formal adoption, she knows her birth mother, but her emotional attachment is to us. Her kids call us grandma and grandpa. You have a lot to offer.

 

[Sherry]

Wow, this is such an interesting thread. I too am fairly young (39) and when I got my valve, I was still right smack in the middle of those childbearing years (33). I was very blessed in that my husband and I had two wonderful boys early on in our marriage when I was 24 and 26. Although the docs think that really put a strain on my valve which up to that point, hadn't given me too much trouble, I wouldn't trade them for anything. Anyway, I too have struggled with extremely heavy periods which is truly difficult when I'm in the middle of teaching class (can't leave 33 sophomores in a room unsupervised ). But, when I've broached the pill subject with two different OB/GYNs, they both gave me an emphatic "NO"! However, Gail, you mentioned prometrium?? And someone else mentioned overenette?? I'm definitiely going to ask her about those two. Joy, I too found myself pregnant a year after the surgery (even though hubby had been snipped too), and was immediately hospitalized and put on heparin, but I eventually miscarried. It happened so fast, I really didn't have time to process the event, but later, it really started to bother me. It was really interesting to read about your successful delivery. Niki, my OB has recently talked to me about the hydro-ablation (water filled balloon) method of slowing down periods, but she said she wanted to do a little more searching to make sure it was right for me. Sorry for all the rambling, but all these issues are difficult for us women in the child-bearing range and affect us constantly.

 

[joy]

I hadn't had my surgery yet when I was pregnant, I actually found out about my valve when I was pregnant. I had warning signs of heart problems when I was a teenager of chest pain and a sort of pressure going down my left side. I had a valvuplasty when I was pregnant, and when my baby was 3 months old, I had my surgery. I have since then had a tubal ligation.

 

[Sherry]

Joy, did you have any bleeding difficulties with the tubal? I presume the doc took you off coumadin? Just curious as I need to do something myself. Thanks for any info.

 

[joy]

No I wasn't on coumadin...I had my tubal at the same time I had my c-section. Like I said, I found out about my heart when I was pregnant, I had Erik on May 20, 2001, and had my OHS on Sugust 27th. I went on coumadin in January of 2003 due to a TIA, and a past history of A fib. Sorry about the confusion. I will, however keep you updated about what the doc decides for my ablation, though. Sorry about the confusion.