If you have multiple sclerosis (MS), there's good news for both you and your baby: People with MS can definitely have normal pregnancies and healthy babies. Good prenatal care, beginning early (and better yet, before conception), coupled with regular visits to your neurologist, will help you achieve that most wonderful of outcomes.
How does pregnancy affect multiple sclerosis?
Most moms-to-be find that their MS symptoms improve during pregnancy, particularly during the third trimester. Others, however, experience MS relapses when they're expecting and in the postpartum period.
If you have problems with your gait, walking can become more difficult, especially as your weight increases during pregnancy. Falls are another risk — especially as pregnancy progresses and your center of gravity shifts. To ward off potential problems, try to gain the amount of weight recommended by your doctor.
No matter what happens during pregnancy, most women with MS find that their symptoms return to their pre-pregnancy levels within about three to six months of baby's arrival.
The happy bottom line: Whether or not you experience relapses, pregnancy doesn't seem to affect the overall lifetime relapse rate or the extent of ultimate disability.
Are there added risks to my pregnancy if I have multiple sclerosis?
As far as major pregnancy complications go, women with MS don't have any known additional risks.[1] But expectant mothers with MS may be slightly more likely to have lower-birth-weight babies than other women. And if your MS affects your muscles and nerves in the pelvic area, you may find it difficult to push your baby out during labor and delivery.
In those cases, a Cesarean delivery may become necessary. In fact, women with MS are more likely to need a C-section in general, possibly because the muscle weakness associated with the condition can make labor more difficult. Luckily, epidurals and other types of anesthesia appear to be completely safe for laboring moms with MS.
Recommended Reading
How will my MS be treated during pregnancy?
Pregnancy will likely impact your multiple sclerosis treatment plan, since some medications used to treat MS aren't safe for use in pregnancy. You'll need to work out a medication regimen with your doctor that is safe for your baby and as effective as possible for you.
None of the disease-modifying treatments (medications that change the way the immune system works) are approved for use in pregnancy. In fact, you may want to talk with your doctor before you become pregnant if you currently use one of these drugs. Some of the medications used to treat MS can cause birth defects and should ideally be stopped before conception.
Corticosteroids (prednisone, methylprednisolone), which can be used to treat MS relapses, are generally considered safe for use in pregnancy. Exercise and physical therapy may also help you manage your symptoms. Ask your prenatal practitioner to recommend safe exercises and consider enlisting the help of a physical therapist who is trained in working with pregnant women with MS.
You may notice yourself becoming tired more easily, especially later in pregnancy, so try to minimize stress and get enough rest. Also try to avoid raising your body temperature too much; stay out of hot tubs and too-warm baths, and don't exercise too hard or outside in hot weather, which is good advice for every expectant mom.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are more common in pregnant women with MS, so be sure to drink plenty of water and call your doctor if you have any symptoms.
What are the chances that my child will also have multiple sclerosis?
Many women with MS are concerned about passing the condition on to their children. Strictly speaking, MS isn't an inherited disease.
However, having MS does increase the risk that your child may one day be affected — though that risk is really quite small. Kids who have a parent (or sibling) with MS are only 2 to 4 percent more likely to develop the condition than other children.[2]
The good news is that you're very likely to have a healthy pregnancy and baby if you have multiple sclerosis when you get pregnant. Just be sure to get expert medical care and plenty of fluids, exercise and rest. And as always, talk to your doctor about any concerns or questions you have along the way.
Yes 
No 
Trending On What to Expect
