Newbie with questions about pregnancy & artificial valve (mitral)

[kerri73]

Hello everyone!

I'm a newbie to this forum - very excited I found it! I'm 31 years old and have had an artificial mitral valve since I was 24. Right now I'm going through some tests and might possibly have to have the aortic one replaced as well, and some other problems that I might just have to put in a new post. (just had a TEE today... ready for some ice cream!)

Anyway, I'm looking for anyone who might have gone through a pregnancy with an artificial valve (especially a mitral one, since my cardiologist said they're the worst at throwing off clots). She doesn't recommend pregnancy, and I know the risks, so I just haven't decided what to do yet. I'm still in research mode.

If anyone out there has gone through this, I'd love to hear your story and what you did (I hear heparin isn't a reliable drug long-term either).

Thanks so much, and I look forward to talking to all of you!

Kerri

 

[ALCapshaw2]

You didn't say what type of valve you have so I checked your profile and see that you have had 3 heart surgeries, are on coumadin, and are now having issues with your aortic valve and you are even thinking about pregnancy? (Yes, I see that you are a newlywed).

Being a dog lover, I recommend getting another dog if you feel the need to love something small and cudly. It sounds like your (single) dog could use some help fending off the 3 cats in your family!

But hey, what would I know about pregnancy?

I'll let the ladies chime in on this one!

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Ross]

Wow, that's all I can say. I'd suggest finding a Cardiologist that deals with high risk pregnancies and run this by him. One thing is certain. It would be very dangerous for you and I'd hate to see something go horribly wrong during childbirth. I'm male (Of course), but I think you'd be well to think adoption rather then trying to have kids of your own. I know that isn't making you feel any better about the situation, but man, then odds are stacked way against you on this one.

 

[Marty]

See a perinatologist

See a perinatologist

The doctors that specialize in high risk pergnancy are called perinatologists. They can be found in the OB departments of medical schools and big medical centers. I've seen them guide some very risky patients through successful pregnancies.

 

[kerri73]

Some more information...

Some more information...

I have seen a high risk OB who didn't seem too concerned about it as long as I am healthy otherwise and the heart is strong. It's the cardiologists who have concerns about using heparin vs coumadin (I've seen 3 cardiologists about this now) - this isn't anything I'd do overnight or even within the next 6 months, I'm just looking for stats from people who've been there.

And while my dog IS my child right now and I love him to death, having a real child is a completely different thing/experience. And adoption is an option (so is surrogacy)... I'm just feeling out everything first. I just wish there were more stats on this type of thing - people who have had complications or no problems at all, etc.

Thanks for all the posts so far!!
Kerri

 

[Karlynn]

Hi Kerri and welcome,
I know it has been done. I think we may even have a member here who has done it. But it's been a long day and my mind is fuzzy. It is a very tough thing to do, but it sounds like you realize this and are just trying to cover all bases before you make an educated choice.

Having had 2 children before I had my valve replaced, and having the pregnancy of my last child be the event that made my valve get really bad, I think if I were to choose to have another child (too old now, but just thinking 'what if') I'd probably choose the route that left me the healthiest for the child to be, and insured that the child that was mine was healthy as well. But then I have 2 children that I gave birth to, so it's easy for me to say that's what I'd do. But I will also say that I wasn't all that crazy about being pregnant - it was a means to an end. I just wasn't one of those women who thrived during pregnancy.

Best wishes as you continue your fact finding mission.

 

[McCln]

With being on coumadin, pregnancy is not recommended due to the great chances of birth defects for the child. Best to get a dog instead or adopt children. There are lots of children out there in need of a good. loving home. Good luck on the surgery.

 

[hensylee]

You might like to search for Christian's posts. He let us follow his wife's pregnancy and you could see if it might answer some questions for you. Welcome to VR. Ann

 

[Karlynn]

You might like to search for Christian's posts. He let us follow his wife's pregnancy and you could see if it might answer some questions for you. Welcome to VR. Ann

Just a note: Chrisitian's wife's pregnancy was pre-surgery. Her bad valve was the mitral. I believe, now that the baby is here, they will being doing surgery within the year.

 

[Christian]

Just a note: Chrisitian's wife's pregnancy was pre-surgery. Her bad valve was the mitral. I believe, now that the baby is here, they will being doing surgery within the year.

That's right -- ours was pre-surgery with severe regurgitation, though there should be several links to studies on post-surgical effects within my long thread.

Here's a link to the thread:

http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6171

I know that the girls over at www.girlvalves.com (or maybe www.girlvalve.com) have also discussed the subject.

Jill's surgery will likely be in November. We're trying to get onto Dr. Cosgrove's calendar as soon as they open November for appointments. She had a stress echo last month and everything was still stable.

 

[geebee]

Kerri,

I wish you all the luck with finding the answers that will make you the happiest and safest.

I often wish I could have children (and grandchildren) around to enjoy. It wasn't in the cards for me because I got too sick before (in fact I had a miscarriage prior to my first OHS) and after was just considered too high risk. I do have many nieces and nephews and try to make them surrogate children and they love the attention but it isn't the same (and neither are pets tho I have 2 wonderful Aby cats).

If I were younger, I would go the surrogate route. I am selfish enough to want my own genes around in my children. There are so many people going with surrogates these days (we only hear about the famous ones, of course). However, with in-vitro, the child would be yours and your husbands just not carried by you thus eliminating the possibility that you would not be around to enjoy your baby.

Best of luck again and I will pray for you.

 

[Marty]

Kerri,

I wish you all the luck with finding the answers that will make you the happiest and safest.

I often wish I could have children (and grandchildren) around to enjoy. It wasn't in the cards for me because I got too sick before (in fact I had a miscarriage prior to my first OHS) and after was just considered too high risk. I do have many nieces and nephews and try to make them surrogate children and they love the attention but it isn't the same (and neither are pets tho I have 2 wonderful Aby cats).

If I were younger, I would go the surrogate route. I am selfish enough to want my own genes around in my children. There are so many people going with surrogates these days (we only hear about the famous ones, of course). However, with in-vitro, the child would be yours and your husbands just not carried by you thus eliminating the possibility that you would not be around to enjoy your baby.

Best of luck again and I will pray for you.

\

This surrogate path is really a great idea.

 

[FauxClaud]

Sorry about the soapbox...

Sorry about the soapbox...

but, this is just one huge issue in my life that I can't just let go past...

I know that most people just think that adoption is a great answer when pregnancy is an issue or impossible. That's what the media tells us with all the happy stories, that's what the government would want us to believe because adoption in America is a 1.5 billion dollar business and the lobbies are strong. But it's not all roses and bunnies and win win situations. Adoption is based on loss. A parent loses their child and a child loses their clan, their idenity, their history.

Now I know that everyone has a friend or cousin or someone who was adopted and is just as fine an happy as can be..and I'm not saying that everyone is miserable, but it's like anything in life....and adoptees are known to be huge people pleasers...plus often they themselves do not know, understand, or are comfortable with the negative feelings that go hand and hand with adoption..often issues don't get creditted to the adoption until much later in life or during reunions. Plus most folks don't tell everyone about their innermost feelings.

While there ARE many children in foster care in this country that DO need homes, the majority of INFANT domestic adoptions are completey unnecessary. It is something like 2% of all women who relinquish really have no desire to raise their baby. The other 98% are either without support emotionally, financially, or are still openly pressured to place their children but WANT to. Unfortunalty adoption agancies and professionals have been known to take advantage of this and paint a great lovely picture of what it means to lose a child to adoption. And there are still cases of down right fraud, with lies and coersion. Open adoptios are NOT legally binding and people have been known to die when the real truth comes out.

A woman who loses her child to adoption, no matter how full and sucessful the rest of her life may be is still, forever, colored by the child she lost. It's especially sad when it was all aviodable.

Tradtional surrogacy is still a form of adoption and the woman who carries the child is the biological mother of that child. The same pain and loss is applied. The biggest difference is that she planned for the loss and recieved payment for it. The children of surrogacy are just becomng of age and are starting to speak up...some of them are none too happy about how they were planned for and concieved

Gestational surrogacy uses either a doner egg and or sperm or the intended parents genetic material, but the woman who carries the baby to term is basically just a rented womb....often with monetary compensation also. I truthfully have less difficulty with pure gestational surrogacy but without any money changing hands....ie a sister carring her brother in laws and sisters genetic child to term out of love and compasion.

I'm sorry if this is out of line here or if it offends anyone, but as someone who has spent a long time researching, living and speaking to hundreds of folks involved in adoption....I just can't sit back. I believe very much that the general public needs to know the truth about infant adoption practices in our country and to erase the typical sterotypes.

Thanks..
off my soapbox now..and I'll put it away!
%0

 

[geebee]

Claud,

Although I can understand your points, what would your advice then be to Kerri? To simply "get over it" and forget about children? Or to get pregnant and take the chance of dying without ever seeing her baby?

Tough choices but ones she should have the right to make.

As for my 2 cents. Children of adoption and surrogacy (who are unhappy about being adopted or conceived with a surrogate) need to be more grateful that they have people who love them and gave them a chance. Maybe this is easy for me to say since I am not adopted but life (and a good upbringing) is a gift that should not be taken lightly nor resented based on how things began.

It would be great if surrogacy was always available due to a sibling or a friend being willing but that isn't always possible.

 

[Ross]

I'm an adoptee. Besides being a complete nutcase, I'm just fine.

 

[kerri73]

Well I'm glad that I've stirred such a hot topic around here. (And Ross, you're just too darn funny!)

I'm lucky enough to have a really good friend who is in the adoption industry (and from what she says, their organization doesn't make much profit on adoptions - just cover their expenses)... and I have a wonderful sister-in-law who has offered her "rent-a-womb" (my other sister-in-law had offered hers a while back, but has had another child since then, and I believe she's done using her womb altogether!)

And with both options available, it still doesn't compare to having your own flesh and blood that your own sweat and tears produced. I may never experience that, and I know this... but I'm doing my homework to the best of my ability before I make a final decision... which probably won't even come for quite some time. I need to sleep on it for a while and just see where my heart leads (physically and mentally)

Thanks again for everyone's input so far!
Kerri

 

[geebee]

Oh Kerri - don't worry. We like heated topics around here sometimes.

It certainly sounds like you have a lot of options, you are very lucky. I hope everything works out the way you want and you are able to live a long life with your husband and future children.

Take care.

 

[hensylee]

2 more cents. Nephew and his wife were not successful in pregnancy. She has lifetime diabetes. They lost one baby, had several miscarriages, decided on adoption. When they had finally found their baby for adoption, she discovered she was pregnant again - she had a lovely girl and her dr wouldn't let them adopt that other baby because it would be too much care for the mother. Later, instead of trying another pregnancy, they DID adopt. That was about 13/14 years ago. The daughter is about to enter college and the son is nearly in high school. All are happy and mentally healthy.

 

[Ross]

All are happy and mentally healthy.

Hmm, must not have come from the same batch as me then. You know I just ain't right.

 

[MichyB]

Was struggling with similar issue all last year. I remember once when a someone said, "you can just adopt" and I just started crying, and I'm not the type to cry in public or even get all that personal to begin with. This is just something that you can't give advice to someone on because everyone is different.

Kerri, there is a girl on here who started a web site dealing with this very issue. It's called www.girlvalves.com. For some reason, it hasn't been as active lately but there are lots of posts on there about people with valve issues in all stages (pre & post surgery, mitral, aortic, whatever) and the choices they've made. You might want to check it out.

My situation is a little different. I'm pre-sx, I've been given the go aheald to try when I want to. I have a bicuspid aortic valve, but they just checked it again and the size of the root has not changed in years. There is only minimal stenosis and they are telling me to go for it. But, there are people on girlvalves who are post-sx I believe or who have your question.

I hope this helps and good luck with your decision.