Will I every have a baby? I have lupus?

I lost a baby a year ago. and i have lost 3 other babys in the 3-5 months when pregnant. I was recently found out i have lupus. I want to try again to have a baby but i am scared. Will I be able to carry it . I am scared to lose another baby. my doctor told me to keep trying becasue before Im 30 i will have to lose everything. and I am 24 now. the doc also said I would have to give my self shots next time i am pregant

Why would you have to give yourself shots? Are you on Warfarin...a blood thinner? You would have to switch over to heparin if you are in need of a blood thinner. The reason most pregnancies end in miscarriage for you is most likely not actually from your Lupus but from a secondary disease you most likely have called Antiphospholipid Syndrome. This disease often 'piggybacks' with SLE and is therefore called secondary APS. APS is a blood disease that causes clotting, thus the need for warfarin/heparin. Your chances for delivering a baby if you do indeed have APS are very small and the risks to you are very great. People with APS are at greater risk for stroke, heart attack, embolism and renal failure during pregnancy and delivery. It is thought that the reason that Lupus is associated with miscarriage is actually due to APS and not actually due to Lupus.

If you haven't been tested for APS, do so now!! Many Lupus patients have never been tested for this life threatening disease but over 50% of them have it. Don't just assume that your doctor took the test, he/she may not be informed of the corelation between SLE and APS. My wife wasn't diagnosed with APS until about 7 years ago even though she had a blood clot in her leg after she was diagnosed with Lupus. It is a simple blood test.

If your doctor is advocating that you take shots while you're pregnant, I get the feeling that you already have APS. You might be better off adopting if that is true.

My wife and I have adopted two beautiful children. They are now 13 and 5 and we lead a wonderful life inspite of SLE and APS.

I wish you the best of luck!

While it is certainly possible for women with lupus to have children, pregnancy may not be easy. It is important to note that although many lupus pregnancies will be completely normal, all lupus pregnancies should be considered "high risk." "High risk" is a term commonly used by obstetricians to indicate that solvable problems may occur and must be anticipated. A pregnancy in a woman with lupus should be managed by obstetricians who are thoroughly familiar with high risk pregnancies and who work closely with the woman's primary physician. Delivery should be planned at a hospital that has access to a unit specializing in the care of premature newborns. SLE mothers should not attempt home delivery, or be overly committed to "natural" childbirth, since treatable complications during delivery are frequent. However, under close observation, the risk to the mother鈥檚 health is lessened, and healthy babies can be born.

I am assuming that it is your obstetrician/gynecologist telling you to keep trying.

What does your rheumatologist say? Have you been tested for antiphospholipid anitbody syndrome? If not, please ask for this test. The number of miscarriages leads some of us here to believe that you may have this syndrome with your lupus. Second trimester miscarriages are common with this syndrome.

If you do, then you will take blood thinners. Your rheumatologist and obstetrician have to work together closely. Most lupus pregnancies have premature deliveries, but many women with lupus, even with antiphosphoplid antibody syndrome, do have healthy babies AS LONG AS THEIR DOCTORS WORK TOGETHER.

And what does your doctor mean you "will lose everything?" Personally, I would get another obstetrician, one that knows about managing a lupus pregnancy.

Good luck to you. Find the right doctors and follow their advice. Dump that loser.