Your opinions please

[KarenV]

If you devloped ppcm and fully recovered without being on any medication within 2 weeks of diagnosis, would you consider having another child? Just curious... Thanks

[Gerie]

As far as I know, if you fully recover within 6 months of diagnosis, you should be okay. Especially if you didn't have to take any medication. Are you just 2 weeks from diagnosis? I'm a little nervous b/c my OB said that PPCM can happen up to 5 months after delivery, so even after the baby is born, my docs are going to follow me just as closely as during pregnancy. I wasn't supposed to get pregnant again, but things just happen for a reason!! Good Luck!!!

[KarenV]

Thanks for your reply Gerie. No I am 10 months past diagnosis, and my husband and I are hoping to get pregnant again this summer. I am officially off of the pill as of this week, so we will have to see what happens. I have done alot of research, and have seen alot of Dr's about having another baby, and not one has told me not too, so I think we are going to go for it. Just wondering what everyone else thought. Best of luck to you in your pregnancy, and thanks again.

[dawn]

It's a personal decision. There are plenty of women who are on both sides of the isssue.

As for your question, I can't really put myself in that place. I was so ill at the start (being evaluated for transplant), I can't erase all that I know about the disease. Despite the fact that I'm fully recovered now, I've come to the decision that me carrying another pregnancy isn't right for my family.

You'll find support here no matter what your choice! :)

[mikeyandBellesmommy]

I would have, I recovered after two months and I went for it 2 1/2 years later. They say you shold wait 2-3 years for your body to fully recover, but I don't know if that is true anymore or not. I did get it again though even though I recovered so quickly. I recovered again thuogh and now I am at 60% .

Goodluck! My son is a May baby too, May 17

[mandyb]

Hi!

I too want more children, but my husband is adamantly against it! It is a very hard thing to deal with. I recently read a really interesting study on women, ppcm, and pregnancy. It was very encouraging. I will try and find the links for you so that you can read it too!

Good luck!

Mandy

[jbrunetti]

Karen,
I really think that the decision is a personal one and that you cannot go into having a Post PPCM baby without knowing the risks and being able to accept whatever may happen.
I would think that your chances of having an uneventful pregnancy are good but nobody can be 100% sure.
I wish you the best in whatever decision you make!!

[momoftwoboys]

Is it possible to recover in two weeks? Do you know someone who has? Just wondering. I think I would seriously consider it if I was never on any meds and it was only two weeks. We all know that it is possible though, as it's been done many times for a fact. It took me a long time to recover (longer than a year) so I am in no hurry to get pregnant right now even though I would absolutely love another little baby around the house. I guess that's why I have my daycare, so I can have little babies around the house and then send them home at the end of the day ;) .

[KarenV]

Yes I have recovered in two weeks. It may have even been quicker than that, but I didn't have another echo until two weeks after. I was never put on any meds, because by the time they figured out what was wrong with me, I was recovered. My EF 2 days after the birth of my son was 35%, and two weeks later was 55%. That is why the doctors don't believe that I am at a large risk of redeveloping ppcm. I am definitely concerned, but I so bad want to trust my doctors. All of your opinions are extremely helpful. Thanks again

[Stephanie]

Hi Karen,

Glad you are well. I too recovered quickly. My EF was 10-15% upon dx, May 19, 2004. My son was born 5.18.04. I was dx probably 20hours after delivery. I had so much fluid on my body that I weighed more after I delivered than I ever did before. I excreted 10 liters in a day after being administered Lasix. It is so strange. I was in the CVICU for a week and my cardiologist thought I was responding well to the Coreg, Dig, and Vasotec so he was going to release me but beforehand, he did another echo just to see what it was. To all of our surprise, my EF was 67%. He moved me from the CVICU to the regular hospital for a couple of days over the weekend just to observe. Some say quick diagnosis was the reason for quick recovery in my case, but then again that wouldn't explain yours. My heart doc said don't ask(why I recovered so quickly), just be happy.

I too want to have another child and my husband is scared to death. I am trying to research everything I can plus read and listen to others' stories. I am very encouraged by the post ppcm stories on this board. I am also not naive as I know this is a serious disease. Please keep us posted as I'd like to follow you through your pregnancy. Good luck to you!!

Stephanie
Mom, to Astin 10.5months
dx 5.19.04

[Laurie]

I feel I'm on both sides. Having experienced major infertility issues, only to get PPCM along with another major health crisis; you can say I've had every emotional response. I'm happy with my two kids (twins). If I had a "minor" case of PPCM in which I fully recovered quickly I would think about more children. We read about people everyday who are doing so. I personally think now the research and data is wrong and until more proactive, positive and brave people prove the research wrong, you won't change the standard drs. answer of "don't get pregnant again". Please don't misunderstand me when I refer to PPCM in the "minor" sense. PPCM is not a minor illness but you can have different experiences and outcomes. It is unpredictable. If things had been slightly different, I would try again. Having already experience the tremendous feeling of loss when you are dealing with infertility, I can understand and respect any couples decision to pursue their dreams. I guess my age and feeling so battered in the baby making business has changed my personal goal of more. I can say I'm happy with Gods decision for me.

Laurie
PPCM 2000
Mom of twins

[naturalmama1012]

It's such a personal decision... I think as long as you and your spouse have discussed it, the potential risks, etc. and are going into it with eyes wide open, then you are in good shape. Personally in your position I would have readily gone ahead.. my situation was not quite as clear and my recovery not as quick or as significant (my MUGA scans look good, but the echos never read very high) and nobody could tell me what risk category I even fell into (my cardio wants to put me in the higher risk category, yet Dr. Elkayam, who did the original post-PPCM pg study, put me in the lower risk category). Sorry... I am rambling... but my point is, I understand the difficult spot you are in. I think the more we find out, the better it is looking for PPCM moms, especially those who recovered quickly and fully, to have successful subsequent pgs.