NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — When a person is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, the life they wanted to lead kind of flashes before their eyes.
Some of the big questions that arise for women with multiple sclerosis involve getting pregnant. Can it still happen, and is it safe? Can I still get pregnant and have a family?
“It’s almost like you think, you know, it’s a death sentence,” said Tiffany Williams, a Norfolk resident.
That’s how Williams initially felt when she was diagnosed with MS at the age of 24. She had a young son. She had a career, but she also had nagging symptoms.
“If I put my head down, I would have tingling down my back. Then, I started losing the use of my right arm,” she said.
Her neurologist began treating Williams’ MS with medication.
“There were challenges, but once I got on my therapy, I started coping,” she said.
She realized MS is not a death sentence.
“What I was told was MS changes the way you live, but not how long you live,” she said.
Williams was between medications when she learned she was pregnant with her second son.
“I was afraid,” she said.
However, she learned she didn’t really have anything to fear.
“Patients with MS usually sail through pregnancy with no more difficulty than any other person,” said Dr. Marcus Rice, a neurologist and founder of the MS Center of Tidewater.
Rice said pregnancy in MS patients gives a protective effect.
“During the nine months that you’re pregnant with MS, you’re less likely to have any kind of attack, exacerbation, flare-up, whatever you want to call it. You’re less likely to have new symptoms than you would be if you weren’t pregnant,” Rice said.
Williams said she felt none of her MS symptoms during her pregnancy.
“I felt great. I was a lot better, to the point where I told my mom, I don’t know what’s going on or what hormones are here, but maybe they need to look into that,” she said.
Rice said there is a higher risk of flare-ups after delivering the child, but Williams said she didn’t experience any trouble at all.
As for breastfeeding?
“Breastfeeding is allowable and encouraged for almost everyone. There are one or two medications that aren’t compatible with breastfeeding. So, we have that discussion, but many of the MS drugs are compatible with breastfeeding. Many women choose to stay off of that medication anywhere during that period, and if you breastfeed continuously, exclusively, then that also does have some type of protective effect against MS attacks, but if you sort of mix a bottle and breast milk and so on, not so much,” said Rice.
If you have MS and want to get pregnant, Rice said it’s important to talk with your neurologist first to figure out the best approach when it comes to your medication. He also said MS does not impact fertility, and it cannot be passed on to a baby.
Williams said through it all, she has had a positive mindset. She cites that as one of the reasons she lives a great life with MS.
“You can live your life the way you want. You just have to take care of yourself. When you put yourself first, and you take care of yourself, you can have a happy, healthy pregnancy and a great big family if you want,” she said.
Remember, Walk MS is coming up! It is in person for the first time in two years! You can join the Walk in Newport News, Saturday, April 9, or you can walk with the WAVY Warriors Sunday, April 10 in Virginia Beach.
For information on how to join our team, or to donate to the cause, click here.
