To have another child or not? That is the question....

A forum for parents with multiple sclerosis, and how to cope with family life when a parent has MS.
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MStified
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To have another child or not? That is the question....

Post by MStified »

My husband and I have a daughter that is almost 6. I was diagnosed with RRMS officially in August of 2012. We have been trying to have another child but I have to admit, I am not totally into it. I am scared to death. I totally want to have another child but when I think about the late night feedings and the utter exhaustion I already feel I freak out. I don't know if I can do it again. I know some people say your body goes into a remissive state while pregnant, but that isn't really what concerns me, it's more about the after childbirth part that I worry about. My MS is manageable mostly. I would love to hear some feedback about how pregnancy, childbirth and the first few years or even months were as a new mom with RRMS....
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jimmylegs
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Re: To have another child or not? That is the question....

Post by jimmylegs »

hi and welcome to the forum :)

as a non-parent ms patient and a nutrition activist, over the years I have been on this forum I have dealt with more than one mom with ms or fears of ms.

I think a huge part of the reason pregnancy is protective against ms is the prenatal vitamins expecting moms take. and I think the reason people relapse after, is that they stop taking them.

to take just one fundamental nutrient out of a large interconnected picture, zinc is fundamental to fertility and fetal development, and childhood development in general. that is a tiny fraction of its importance but relevant here.

zinc is in high demand when moms are building new human lives. zinc levels have been demonstrated in research to decrease over the course of pregnancy even when taking supplements.

zinc is also known to be low-normal in ms patients vs high-normal in healthy people. having low zinc levels affects the ability to absorb/utilize many other nutrients that are known to be problematic for ms patients, including magnesium, vitamin b12 and vitamin d3. low zinc can also be linked up with a variety of problems experienced by ms patients.

here is a story you might find interesting, of a mom who came here fearing she might have ms based on her symptoms. she follows nutrient advice and feels better, then listens to her doc who recommends fewer nutrients and feels worse, then is encouraged here to return to higher doses of nutrients and feels better, finally coming back online later to check in and say thanks again, all better now. http://www.thisisms.com/forum/general-d ... 19575.html

there may be all kinds of things to be done to address your current fatigue, if you would like to follow up just say :) this link details my nutritional approach to ms
http://www.thisisms.com/forum/regimens- ... c2489.html
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BadKittyCat
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Re: To have another child or not? That is the question....

Post by BadKittyCat »

I was dx AFTER having all 4 of my kids! (With things starting when my youngest was only one.). Only you and your husband can decide on more, but I wanted to give you some encouragement since you said you have a six year old...six years seems to be a great age gap for the older to WANT to help the younger. My oldest (10) fetches food/drink for the youngest (4), holds her hand, reads bedtime stories when I'm doing bad...

Which brings me to my second point. Kids grow up. They want to use the microwave/stove/etc. I often wish I could do more, but I am still amazed at how capable the older ones become!

And, if you have another, look into programs/family/etc. to help give you a break. I found a respite program in my area for my youngest, and it was essential! Preschool is lined up for the fall... learning for her, and a break for me!
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jimmylegs
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Re: To have another child or not? That is the question....

Post by jimmylegs »

for me, bkc's intro sentence illustrates the point I made above... "I was dx AFTER having all 4 of my kids! (With things starting when my youngest was only one.)."
I think nutrient depletion can be a huge player when it comes to chronic inflammatory degenerative illness.
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