Want to have a baby but no ones giving me any answers.

Hello everyone.

I hope you are all doing ok.

I wondered if anyone would be able to give me some advice. I'm 27 years old, live in the UK, married and desperate to start a family. I've had my pm for 4 years and have 2 years and 10 months left of battery. I have it on demand and use it 50% of the time to control a condition where I would faint and my heart would stop whenever I experience pain or anxiety.

I have asked doctors, consultants, pacing techs if I will be able to have a baby and will I be able to cope with the delivery because my condition is triggered by pain. But none of them will give me a straight answer, they all just tell me to ask the next person. Yesterday I asked the pacing tech and he said my blood pressure might be an issue as it'll probably drop and he said they might just give me a general anaesthetic and do a c-section, but is that safe? Anaesthetics never seem to work on me, I always feel pain, I felt a lot of pain when they implanted the pm even though they kept giving me more anaesthetic. So I'm really not sure what I should so, I want a baby so much but I can't handle anything - I even feel ill when I have the pacing check-up because of the anxiety and they have trouble reading the screen because my hearts going crazy!

Has anyone got a similar condition related to pain? And has anyone gone through childbirth with it?

Thanks
Sara

2 Comments

Dear Wants to Have a Baby

by lamazeteacher - 2008-06-25 01:06:13

Hello again, I just posted a comment for you earlier... here is another site that I highly recommend and even to call Dr. Leclaire O'Neil, she can be reached at http://www.leclairemethod.com/ She is a therapist that has works with cancer patients and expectant parents. One underlying message I can see is fear of the unknown which may be with no one wnated to address your wishes and questions. If you can contain and control the fear and anxiety you should be able to sail through childbirth AND your cardio exams. As a Lamaze instructor, the preparation for this and teaching my students has helped me alot during this new journey with a pacemaker, even my nurses and physicians notice how using guided imagery, prayer, meditation, breathing and informed consent tools has made me a "wonderful patient" and are blown away by how I address things. At times with the Informed Consent issue, my cardiologist doesn't seem to like it when I ask for a thorough explanation of everthing! Unfortunately cesarean and sedation are the easiest answers in the US for mothers with diabetes, hypertension or anyother condition. Again, reading up on all interventions i.e. epidural, cesarean birth, etc... is crucial as they as well as normal birth have side effects and consequences. Again, many blessings for your journey towards parenthood. I also HIGHLY recommend again, a loving team that includes a midwife, physician, your cardiologist and a Doula who can help keep you relaxed, nourished and calm during the whole process and she can also act as your filter to ask informed consent questions to keep your stress down. In peace - Lamaze Instructor

baby and pm

by maryanne - 2008-06-25 07:06:00

I had all my babies with my PM....actually, I had my first PM implanted when I was preganant....now I don't suggest that to anyone...but I didn't know I was preganant....anyhow, it all turned out great I have 3 gorgeous and healthy daughters. Of course with having a PM they did take extra precautions...back then one of the precautions was taking antibiotics prophylactically to prevent an infection related to my PM....nothing ever happened. With my first two I had epidurals which from a birthing stand point was great....I think they feared that I would be stressed and hence put my heart and ce baby at risk....nothing happend...

My third daughter I delivered without any drugs or monitoring...again I was totally fine....

I was never told I would have any restrictions...I was 23 when I had my first PM and it was the best thing that could have happened to me...

I wish you all the best....keep us posted...cheers!

You know you're wired when...

Your pacemaker receives radio frequencies.

Member Quotes

Try to concentrate on how you’re able to be active again and feel normal, rather than on having a machine stuck in your body.