EpilepsyBlogger's Women - Being a Mommy with Epilepsy ft. This Shaking Momma

Foreword

Hello everyone! It is my pleasure to present this awesome article to you, straight from a talented blogger (who also happens to be both a woman AND a mommy with Epilepsy)! Women with Epilepsy have a lot on their hands. (Sorry men, but we carry just a little more than you do!) We not only have tricky hormones, but we also have to take extra care when it comes to things like birth control, fertility, getting pregnant, carrying a child, giving birth to a child... AND, if that isn't enough, being a mother.

I will cut my intro short before it turns into it's own blog post. It is a pleasure to introduce Jessica, the "Shaking Momma," and her amazing guest article about pregnancy and Epilepsy. Be sure to comment with your thoughts and share as well! Thank you, Jessica for such a great post!

P.S. - I sure hope you'll be back! LOVE this article. Brought me tons of peace of mind about being a mother someday, which is my one and only dream. (Seriously lol!)

NOTE 2/15/2013: There WILL be a second article coming about the emotional side of pregnancy and Epilepsy! So keep your eyes out!

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"Our last picture in front of our WA home"

           My name is Jessica. I’m 33 years old. I have two kids: Isabella is 7, Dimitri is 4, and one great husband, Val. I had my first seizure when I was 16 years old. My seizures were controlled with medication and only happened when I missed meds. I lived a very normal life - played sports, went to school, drove, did everything my teenage friends without epilepsy were doing! Next, I graduated from high school, moved onto college, met my future husband, graduated and got married.


           Then the obvious next step - make some babies! When my husband and I were ready to start a family I was worried.

“Can I get pregnant?”

“Would my baby have a birth defect?”

“Would he/she be born with epilepsy?”

“Should I keep taking my meds?”

“Can I take care of a baby?”

“What if I have a seizure when I’m at home alone with my baby?”

           I had a million questions and needed to talk to my neurologist and OB/GYN before I gave myself a seizure from all the worry! I made an appointment to see my doctors and did some research. Below are some things I learned.

Disclosure: I am not a doctor, contact your doctor to find out what’s right for you.

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1. See your neurologist BEFORE you start trying to get pregnant

           Talk with your doctors first, so that problems can be anticipated and possibly prevented during your pregnancy. For example, your neurologist may need to change/adjust your AEDs and that takes time. When you’re pregnant you may need a higher dose of AEDs because your body metabolizes them faster and you are at a greater risk to have a seizure because your hormones are flaring. A lot of the older medications increase the chances of cleft lip, Spina Bifida and other conditions. My doctor also prescribed Folic Acid.

           My pregnancy was labeled “high risk” because there was an increase in the percentage that the baby could have a major defect (related to my medication and epilepsy). For me that meant, I went to my OB/GYN and neurologist more often. They performed 4 ultrasounds and checked my levels every 3 months. Which meant lots of cool ultrasound pictures and finding out the sex sooner!

2. Take your meds correctly

           Take your meds like your child’s life depends on it! Well, it just might... Keep your seizure diary handy and call your doctor if you have a seizure. My neurologist prescribed Lamictal for me. At the time, she said it was the safest anti-epileptic medication for pregnant women. We found that it was the best medicine for me.

           Sometimes we need an extra reminder to help us remember to take our meds and that’s okay. I set the alarm on my iPhone and keep my pills in a labeled container. I don’t know about you but I can’t tell you how many times I have asked myself “Did I take my meds this morning?” and I can’t remember! Now, I just look at my container (organized by day and AM/PM).

3. Sleep

           This is a hard one. A lot of women have a hard time sleeping for all sorts of reasons. I am used to sleeping on my stomach and when you’re pregnant it’s safer to sleep on your side. It felt so uncomfortable. I tried a body pillow which worked for me. Sometimes a lavender pillow helps. If sleep is a challenge, ask your doctor and other moms what they do to cope. You HAVE to find a solution. As you know sleep is a necessity when you have epilepsy. You’ll be tired enough from the pregnancy, so not getting enough sleep makes for a VERY grumpy prego!

"40 weeks pregnant with Isabella"

4. Fight the stress!

           If you’re like me, this is the toughest one. How can you not be stressed?! There is so much to do before you give birth: car seat, crib, baby clothes, baby-proofing, millions and millions of baby supplies that you can’t live without. Thankfully, there was an outpouring of love and support from my family and friends. Five of my friends were also pregnant at the same time. It also helped that they weren’t first time moms like me. They knew what they were doing. The moral is... accept people’s help. It can be hard to give up control of every detail but at the end of the day or during those late night feedings, you will wish you had help. And you won’t care if someone bought a different bottle than what was on your baby registry, as long as your baby takes it.

5. Be prepared for the possibility of having a seizure

           It often makes me mad that I have to have an emergency plan! I don’t want to be sick and dependent on other people. For your safety and the safety of your baby you need to be prepared.

•  Have a plan - What happens if you have a seizure in public or at home? Who do you call? It is especially important that your other kids, if you have them, know what to do if you have seizure. Do they know who to call? What to do? Do they know what it looks like when you have a seizure?  

•  Medical ID tags - I bought a medical ID bracelet when I was a teenager. It was the old style metal chain bracelet. I joked that I felt like I was wearing a dog tag. It didn’t match any of my outfits and I didn’t think anyone would actually pull up my sleeve to look for it, so I stopped wearing it. Boy, I wish I was wearing it a few months ago. I had a seizure in public with my daughter. When the paramedics came she didn’t know what happened. She forgot I had epilepsy. It had been a few years since I spoke to her about my epilepsy - she was 4 years old. I wasn’t wearing a bracelet so it took them awhile to find out what happened and thankfully my daughter knew the code in my cell phone to call my mother for help. I am glad to say I wear a medical ID tag now. Below are links to two companies that have beautiful, fashionable bracelets, necklaces and much more!

6. Continue your healthy lifestyle

• Food - Try to not eat too much pickles and ice cream. Remember, you are eating for two but it’s not two adults! Enjoy your food but make healthy choices.

• Exercise - Overall, exercise is good for everyone. A lot of women say exercise helped them relieve stress, was good for their backs, helped prepare them for labor and just felt good. When I was pregnant with my first daughter I went on lots of walks with our dog. I always felt better after going for a walk. Remember your cell phone. You don’t want to go into labor on a walking path alone!

• NO alcohol, drugs or smoking - You already know it. Harmful for you and the baby!

"At the hospital with Dimitri"

7. Have a birth plan and clearly communicate it to your partner and doctors.

           Most doctors give out booklets and notebooks during your first trimester. Read them with your partner and figure out your birth plan. Put it on paper and clearly communicate it with your doctor.

8. Join the Antiepileptic Drug Registry

           At present, we are still lacking some information about the relative safety of specific antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) during pregnancy. There are concerns about effects that AEDs have on pregnant women, but without medication, women with epilepsy are at risk of seizures. The Registry, as its name implies, registers or enrolls women (over the telephone) who are pregnant and taking AEDs to find the answers. As more women register and report the outcome of their pregnancy, the researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital - Harvard Medical School, will be able to identify the safest AEDs for seizures during pregnancy and also determine how safe the newer AEDs are. By enrolling, you will help women in the future have the best chance of a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

You can register by CLICKING HERE.

"Isabella with her chunky cheeks!"

9. Enjoy!

Over 90 percent of the babies born to women with epilepsy are normal and healthy. This percentage is even higher if the pregnancy is planned in advance. Pregnancy is exciting. It’s fun to shop for little lacy dresses and miniature Nikes. Listening to your baby’s heartbeat is the sweetest sound in the world! You’ll smile when you see the first ultrasound pictures of your baby. Sure, there can be challenges in pregnancy but it’s all worth it when you hold that little baby.

After birth needs to be covered in a whole new post but I can recommend...

1. SLEEP WHEN YOUR BABY SLEEPS!
2. ASK/ACCEPT HELP! Now, I am an expert hair-braider, lunch-packer, baseball-thrower, homework-checker, lizard-catcher, last-minute dinner-maker, and much more... And I love it all!

"Isabella (7 yrs) and Dimitri (4 yrs)"

For more information:

Living Well with Epilepsy

Mayo Clinic - Pregnancy

Epilepsy Foundation - Pregnancy and Medications

Lauren's Hope - Latest Fashion Medical ID Bracelets Your Info Engraved Free! All Sizes!

N-StyleID.com

About This Shaking Momma

I am a "shaking momma", which means I am a mom with epilepsy. I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 16 years old. I have been able to control my epilepsy with medication, but I had a seizure 2 months ago and my 7 year old daughter was with me. I messed up, I missed my meds. I was devastated and ashamed of myself. I didn't know what to do, so I got on the internet. I started looking online for anybody who knew what it was like to be me, a mom with epilepsy.

"What did she do when she had a seizure in front of her kids?"

"What did her kids do?"

"How does she live with epilepsy and run a family?"...

I didn't quite find what I was looking for, so I started "This Shaking Momma" a few weeks ago. I'm excited to share my journey and hear from other moms. I want to be a resource and support for moms and women with epilepsy. I'm working on creating medical preparedness kits for families, curriculum for teaching kids what to do in an emergency, interviews with epileptic moms/women and much more! I hope you'll subscribe to my blog and learn a few things, laugh, cry and be motivated to "live your best life" with epilepsy!

Hope you enjoyed the article! CLICK HERE to visit "This Shaking Momma"!

 

Love,

This Shaking Momma & EpilepsyBlogger