Heart Valve Issues??

[April715]

i was just diagnosed with Rheumatic Fever that affected my mitral & aortic valve. I'm considered high risk, at 28 weeks & was wondering if anyone else has experienced this? Any sort of heart issue while giving birth information would be greatly appreciated! My cardiologist says I should give birth in a facility that is set up for high risk patients because he is worried about my fluid/blood overload after birth.

[April715]

BOTH of you ladies have been excellent help! Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with me. It's comforting to know you got through this & all is well :) If you think of any other advice...feel free to share!!

[loveontop2014]

I was able and blessed to deliver our son naturally. I had to be induced because towards the end of my pregnancy I started having complications, well, issues. My MIL was afraid for me to deliver vaginally and kept pushing for a c-section (to help keep the strain off of my heart), but my cardiologist and I felt confident that I could. I ended up pushing for 2.5 hours without an epidural. Honestly, it got scary at some points, but it was worth it, to me. I made sure I told the doctors and nurses so they were aware. I didn't start having my heart issues again until I was about 5 months PP. The unknown is always scary, and rightfully so. You just need to be completely comfortable with whatever decision you decide  (vaginal or c-section). If you're more comfortable with one over the other then do it. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise because it's your body, health and baby. It's your day and for the most part, your wishes should be met. I'll be praying for you!

[April715]

Thank you for your comment!! Yeah, I'm going to deliver 2 hours away. I have the choice of staying local or delivering at the high risk facility 2 hours away. He's my first & last child so I want to play it safe. Nothing during my pregnancy has gone as planned! Lol! So I'm taking this one day at a time doing exactly that....keeping my eye on the prize! Just a scary situation, for sure.

[cass86steve]

Also I had a successful vaginal delivery, they had to vacuum him out and use forceps but I didn't have to have surgery. They just didn't want me to push and put extra strain on my heart.

[cass86steve]

I have Marfan syndrome which can cause an aortic tear during birth. With my first son I had to deliver on the cardiac ICU and with this one I'll be doing the same. They said it was just a precaution because of increased blood volume during pregnancy and I had pre eclampsia so my whole body was retaining water and my bp was really high for a few days. It was unnerving during the whole situation more for my husband then me but everything turned out fine. I'm so thankful for amazing doctors and modern technology, while it may be an inconvenience at the time (especially delivering 3 hours from home) I'm so thankful they have the knowledge and facilities to take excellent care of me. I hope all goes well for you and your family, just keep you eyes on the prize!

[April715]

that's good to hear. Did you end up giving birth naturally or via c-section? And did you have issues post pregnancy with all the extra fluid/blood? I think that's what I'm most scared of. Having fluid/blood overload & going into heart failure. Thanks so much for commenting! My Dr is happy with where I am. So I'm happy. Just a bit worried & anxious of the unknown.

[loveontop2014]

Hi, I have mitral valve prolapse. With me, during my pregnancy (9 months PP) my heart was in better condition. I only had a couple of spells and for the most part both my cardiologist and I were pleased. I made sure I was following the doctor's orders and knew if I would have got dizzy and/or lightheaded then my cardiologist would be on standby during my delivery. Make sure you do all of what your doctor recommends and at any point if you're not feeling well or strange, do not hesitate to contact your doctor. Good luck and best wishes!