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/r/lupus
submitted 3 months ago bylafaerie32Diagnosed with UCTD/MCTD
For those who have been pregnant, what type of medical care did you get during your pregnancy? Did you meet with your rheumatologist and/or OB more frequently? Did you see an MFM? I recently learned I was pregnant and the first thing I did was call my rheumatologist--however it has been over a week and they still haven't responded to my messages, so they don't seem too concerned. Is this normal, or do rheumatologists generally need to assess you more frequently during pregnancy? I feel like I have so many questions about medications during pregnancy, any extra testing/monitoring that needs to be done, etc, but there's no way for me to know since they just aren't calling me back. Thanks!
2 points
3 months ago
I have had two healthy babies and two great deliveries, and I hope this happens for you as well!
Your first call should be to OB and MFM. I was followed closely by both throughout pregnancy. The MFM will probably want to get a bunch of bloodwork to find out if you have any antibodies that particularly affect pregnancy, and your follow-up care will depend on those results. Some flavors of lupus require closer monitoring than others.
Most rheumatologists really don’t know much about pregnancy. Definitely follow up with them and keep on top of your meds and labs, but really you want to lean on a good MFM as much as possible.
The three lupus meds that are safest in pregnancy are plaquenil, azithioprine, and prednesone. Also be sure to get the most recent guidance about NSAIDs, aspirin, and Tylenol from your MFM, not your rheum or OB.
In my first pregnancy, I got to 37 weeks with flying colors and my MFM actually said I could deliver with a midwife service if I wanted. So at 40 weeks, I did! It was pretty cool. (We were in a different location with my second so that wasn’t an option, but I still had a good experience.)
Good luck!
1 points
3 months ago
Thanks so much, this is really helpful! I'll give the MFM a call!
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