i am in my late 20's and would like to have a child in the next 3-4 years but i was diagnosed last week with coronary artery disease and so now i have a million questions on if my heart could even handle pregnancy...i know i will have surgery soon so hopefully it will be under control but even so, is it considered safe to have children? i also was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse/regurg when i was 12 and have been told that it would be borderline for me having children just because of that, so now i have CAD to add to it.
any personal experience/knowledge you have to share is very much appreciated! :)
2007-09-30 12:56:40 · 1 answers · asked by teachersw72 1 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Heart Diseases
I'm sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis of CAD. Fortunately, it sounds like your doctors have you pointed in the right direction to get this problem addressed.
Pregnancy and delivery are associated with an increase in the workload of the heart by 40%. For this reason, you should not get pregnant without first consulting with both your cardiologist and your OB/GYN.
As I'm sure you're aware, CAD in women who are of childbearing age is quite uncommon so most doctors do not have experience in looking after pregnant women with heart disease. For this reason, your OB/GYN may choose to refer you to a perinatologist - someone who specializes in high-risk pregnancies. If this is the case, it's best to meet with the perinatologist before you get pregnant so you know exactly what you're getting yourself into.
Best of luck with the upcoming surgery!
2007-10-03 20:30:33 · answer #1 · answered by Doxycycline 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋