If You Have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Take These Steps Before Getting Pregnant

From babygaga.com

It is completely possible to have a healthy pregnancy with rheumatoid arthritis, but it's important to take the following steps before conceiving

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a lifelong disease that causes painful inflammation in many joints, including joints in the hands and feet. Roughly 1.3 million people (41 in every 100,000) in America have RA, with women, both young and old, three times more likely to get RA than men, as statistics show. If you have RA and are planning to get pregnant, you might be wondering how your status will affect pregnancy and vice versa.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, women with active RA at the time of getting pregnant are at a greater risk of pregnancy difficulties such as giving birth prematurely, having babies with low birth weight, or experience pregnancy loss. However, it is not all bad news, because the vast majority of women with rheumatoid arthritis carry their healthy babies to term without complications. Particularly those with well-controlled disease activity. That said, there are ways you can control your condition to have a healthier pregnancy.

 

As mentioned earlier, women have been able to get pregnant and deliver successfully whilst on treatment for RA. There are ways around this, and here are things you can do before getting pregnant.

Get The Right Information From A Rheumatologist & Doctor

Nowadays, there is more information about RA and pregnancy thanks to improved treatments that can keep RA at bay during pregnancy. As a result, women with RA are eager for info, particularly about how they can keep themselves and their unborn babies safe. While a good number of women get up-to-date information about how to achieve that balance, many women still get unfitting advice and stop trying to get pregnant when they should not.

Thus, rather than turning to other women with RA or Reddit for advice, find a rheumatologist who is conversant with your concerns, even as you check in regularly with your gynaecologist.

Get the RA Controlled 3 To 6 Months Before Trying to Get Pregnant

According to studies, women with RA take longer to conceive, and it is not certain if this is connected to the disease itself or the severity of the condition. Likewise, it is not clear if the delay is caused by the medicines used to treat RA, or the choices women with the disorder make about conceiving (like waiting until much later to have kids).

Whatever the case, studies show that women with rheumatoid arthritis take longer to conceive than women without the illness. Therefore, RA should be controlled months before getting pregnant by using medication to control the swelling and prevent or minimize damage in the joints. Moreover, you may need to change your treatment, before conceiving, and some RA medicines can take up to three days (e.g. Methotrexate) or two years (e.g. Leflunomide) to completely leave your system. It is best to seek the help or intervention of your gynaecologist and rheumatologist, to reduce the odds of your baby needing more medical supervision early in life.

Go For Frequent Check-ups

Given that you will be put on medication to control your RA, ask your doctor about any potential downsides of the medicines you are taking. Good medical care includes regular examinations which can pick up and stop early complications that can affect a future pregnancy. Your physician will monitor your health, provide guidelines on nutrition and activity, as well as explain what to expect in the months leading up to pregnancy. With regular screening, you should be able to prepare well to get pregnant and deliver successfully.

Improve Your Lifestyle Habits

You and your partner need to adopt healthy living before attempting to conceive. For instance, if you or your partner drink worryingly or smoke, you will want to stop doing any of those. Breaking these habits can increase your chances of getting pregnant and giving birth to a healthy baby. To add to that, eating healthy meals and keeping a healthy weight also help in improving your likelihood of a healthy pregnancy.

Be Patient and Stay Positive

We are so accustomed to getting what we want in an instant, that having to wait can be upsetting. Unfortunately, with RA, you may take longer to conceive. WebMD suggests irregular ovulation, diminished sex drive, or having intercourse less often as a result of fatigue and pain as probable reasons. While this fact can be quite disheartening, effective treatment can work to reduce the symptoms and keep you healthy and fertile.

Rid yourself of any negativity, change the way you look at trying for a baby, love your body, and be kind to yourself because your body is not trying to let you down.

https://www.babygaga.com/rheumatoid-arthritis-precautions-before-pregnancy/