Nowadays, having epilepsy and being pregnant are not conditions that are in principle incompatible. However, this pathology can negatively affect the gestation period, as well as the development of the baby. Therefore, it is very important that if you are pregnant and have epilepsy, you carry out very constant medical checks and that you also take into account some important tips.
It would even be very beneficial if, before looking for pregnancy, you made a consultation with your doctor to inform him of your wishes and thus, be able to assess your situation. Whatever your circumstance, if you are pregnant and have epilepsy, you should take these tips into account so that your pregnancy develops safely.
How does epilepsy affect pregnant women?
Each pregnancy is totally different, in the same way that each body is and its reaction to physical and hormonal changes as important as pregnancy. In the case of women who have epilepsy, different situations can occur. The most common is that the woman continues to have seizures and in other cases, epileptic seizures are reduced.
However, bad habits and carelessness can lead to seizures appear more frequently than usual. This can be caused by not getting enough sleep or by not taking the necessary medication to control epilepsy.
In order to control the seizures, you should make constant visits to your doctor so that they can analyze the level of the drug in the blood and modify the dose according to your needs.
Possible Effects of Seizures in Pregnancy
Seizures of epilepsy can cause different problems during pregnancy development and the baby himself as:
- Reduction of the baby's heart rate
- Poor oxygenation
- That the baby is born of prematurely
- Placental abruption
- Spontaneous abortion
Controlling seizures is very important to prevent these types of problems from occurring, therefore, it is necessary that you continue with your medication always following the recommendations of your specialist. Never under any circumstances, change the dose on your own or stop taking your drugs. The consequences of not medicating yourself can be far worse than those that mediation could cause.
Will the medication affect the baby?
All women, regardless of taking medication or not or suffering from any pathology prior to pregnancy, run the risk of having a baby with some type of abnormality. For women with epilepsy, these chances may be increased in some circumstances. The risk that the baby may suffer a malformation, increases when the pregnant woman takes more than one drug and depending on the dose she takes.
For this reason, the specialist will try that the medication to control the seizures is in a lower percentage and that, in addition, it is reduced to a single type of drug. Similarly, within all the specific medications for the control of epilepsy, there are some that are especially harmful in pregnancy.
In this case, two types of problems in the baby:
- The bass, which can pose long-term problems for the baby and may also need treatment.
- The mild ones, which can be small disorders in the face, feet or hands.
Risks in childbirth and breastfeeding
As long as you take your medication regularly and at the same time, the risks of complications in labor will not be greater than in any other circumstance. In any case, it is recommended that women with epilepsy give birth in a hospital, so that any crisis can be quickly controlled. You should also make sure to inform the anesthetist of your medication, so that they take it into account when administering the epidural.
As for breastfeeding, most drugs that treat epilepsy execrate milk, although in a very low percentage. So in general, breastfeeding is allowed and even recommended. However, as a precaution, it is preferable that you take the medication after breastfeeding your baby. In addition, you should observe the possible changes in your baby and if you notice drowsiness, go quickly to your doctor.
The specialist will look for the best medication to control your epilepsy during your pregnancy, so that it develops normally and risking the health of your baby as little as possible.
Healthy lifestyle habits
For your part, in addition to taking your medication regularly and going to your medical check-ups frequently, you can follow some tips to take maximum care of your pregnancy:
- Avoid alcohol and harmful substances in any case
- Follow one healthy nutrition
- Performs physical exercise regular and moderate
- Get adequate rest and try sleep well at night
- Eliminate Caffeinated Beverages, coffee, tea, soft drinks, etc.