Pregnancy while having a pacemaker

I am thinking about having a second child and I'm really curious about pregnancy in women who have pacemakers. Has anyone had a child after they had there pacemaker implanted? Your comments will be greatly appreciated..Thanks

2 Comments

I had 2 babies with a pm

by Tracey_E - 2008-10-16 05:10:20

There are several of us here who have had babies with a pm! I don't have any serious problems other than my block so my heart is otherwise healthy. My ob and cardiologist discussed high risk specialists and neonatal cardiologists but decided I was not high risk, my baby was not at all at risk (my problems are congenital but not genetic) and therefore I did not need to consult with anyone else. My pregnancy was no different than anyone else's! I did a prenatal aerobics class up until the week I delivered with both babies and I walked regularly.

When it came time to deliver, they wanted me on a heart monitor and they put antibiotics in the iv as a preventative. I was told they wouldn't let labor get long and drawn out, if it got to be too much for me and my heart showed signs of stress they would do a c-section, but that did not happen. Both deliveries were perfectly normal.

Epidurals... there are two schools of thought on them. Some pm recipients are sure to get them (either by choice or by doctor recommendation) because less pain means you're more relaxed and your hr is more likely to stay regular. I don't know if it's changed since I had my kids (they're 10 and 11 now) but possible side effects used to be lower hr, lower bp and slowing down labor. This concerned me enough to say no thanks. The doctor said it was fine and I could have one, but I tend to react to any med I take- if there's a list of ten side effects, you can bet I'll get at least 8 or 9! So, I saw it as something that would increase my chances of complications and I chose to not take anything.

3 babies with a PM

by maryanne - 2008-10-17 01:10:58

I was 23 when I got my first PM and I was early into my first trimester with my first daughter. I had a healthy pregnancy....I went on and had my two other daughters again with no complications. I got my PM for SSS with an underlying 1 degree AV block.

For my first two they treated me like a high risk only in that I did have to go the Women's hospital and have epidural but after my first two and no complications it was determined that my third I could have naturally.

So Happy baby time for you!

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I have a well tuned pacer. I hardly know I have it. I am 76 year old, hike and camp alone in the desert. I have more energy than I have had in a long time. The only problem is my wife wants to have a knob installed so she can turn the pacer down.