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Pregnancy hopes with CHF
An_245418 posted:
Hi please don't judge before reading....
I was diagnosed with CHF 10 years ago while I was a senior in college. I never realized this diagnosis would ultimately affect my ability to carry a child. My medicine regiment includes: Linsinopril, Coreg, Lasix and Digoxin. My recent Echocardiagram reports my EF was around 35%, my doctor has informed me that this is merely an estimate.
Ouestion 1: Is the echocardiagram the most efficient way to know the functioning of one's heart?
Question 2: Can women with CHF successfully carry a baby?
Just looking for a little hope......
Warmest Regards,
I was diagnosed with CHF 10 years ago while I was a senior in college. I never realized this diagnosis would ultimately affect my ability to carry a child. My medicine regiment includes: Linsinopril, Coreg, Lasix and Digoxin. My recent Echocardiagram reports my EF was around 35%, my doctor has informed me that this is merely an estimate.
Ouestion 1: Is the echocardiagram the most efficient way to know the functioning of one's heart?
Question 2: Can women with CHF successfully carry a baby?
Just looking for a little hope......
Warmest Regards,
3 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:Pregnancy hopes with CHFHi please don't judge before reading....<br />I was diagnosed with CHF 10 years ago while I was a senior in college. I never realized this diagnosis would ultimately affect my ability to carry a child. My medicine regiment includes: Linsinopril, Coreg, Lasix and Digoxin. My recent Echocardiagram reports my EF was around 35%, my doctor has informed me that this is merely an estimate.<br /> <br />Ouestion 1: Is the echocardiagram the most efficient way to know the functioning of one's heart?<br /> <br />Question 2: Can women with CHF successfully carry a baby?<br /> <br /> <br />Just looking for a little hope......<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Warmest Regards,
CardiostarUSA1 responded:
Hi:
"Is the echocardiagram the most..."
For heart valve/chamber function yes, and to get a decent estimate of the LVEF, however a MUGA scan is reported as being the most accurate of the non-invasive methods, yields reproducible LVEF results,
Pertinent excerpt from an article on about.com - Heart Disease, with Richard N. Fogoros, M.D.
When is the MUGA scan more useful than other heart tests?
The advantages of the MUGA scan over other techniques (such as the echocardiogram) for measuring the LVEF are twofold. First, the MUGA ejection fraction is highly accurate, probably more accurate than that obtained by any other technique. Second, The MUGA ejection fraction is highly reproducible. That is, if the LVEF measurement is repeated several times, nearly the same answer is always obtained. (With other tests, variations in the measured LVEF are much greater.)
Cleveland Clinic
Understanding Your Ejection Fraction
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/disorders/heartfailure/ejectionfraction.aspx
Some individuals who have a low (moderate) or a really low (severe) LVEF feel fine and function well, while others do not.
Additionally, as reported, as applicable to the patient, if/when the LVEF improves substantially or even recovers, and appears to function near-normal or normally, other problems (unseen, e.g., at a cellular or molecular level) often exist, or possible problems may/can occur anytime down the road, putting one at increased risk.
"Can women with CHF......"
Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Important to know, pregnancy (first, second, or more) itself can place a tremendous strain on the heart and circulatory system, which may/can cause, or aggravate/worsen/exacerbate various symptoms/problems, even in healthy individuals.
By the time the baby is due, blood volume has increased by up to 50%, meaning the heart must beat faster and pump harder to move all that blood. Post-pregnancy, symptoms/problems may/can continue or entirely new ones may/can develop/arise, sometimes slowly, gradually or suddenly.
Safe delivery - Child/Mother
As reported, many pregnancies can and do conclude successfully when medical professionals anticipate potential complications and monitor for early signs of any difficulty.
Providing care for the woman with a cardiac abnormality may/can present certain challenges and therefore the patient is best cared for by a multi-disciplinary team whose members bring specialized knowledge and skill to bear on the needs that the patient and the precious fragile fetus present.
Best of luck down the road of life.
Take care,
CardioStar*
WebMD member (since 8/99)
-
-
Be well-informed
Pregancy
Heart/pulse rate/blood pressure changes
The volume of blood circulating in the human body increases during pregnancy. This is especially significant from 6 weeks until the middle of the pregnancy. After this, the increase is much more gradual.
If you are carrying more than one baby, or if it is not your first pregnancy, the increase in your blood volume will be even greater. In the third trimester (last 3 months) of your pregnancy, your heart/pulse (H/P) rate will increase by up to 10 to 20 beats per minute (BPM). Again, if you are carrying more than one child or if you have been pregnant before, your pulse is likely to be even faster.
There is an increased demand on the mother for oxygen during labor, and the blood pressure (BP) and HP rate will rise. The BP and HR usually return to the levels they were at before labor approximately 1 hour after giving birth.
Some individuals (as determined on a highly-individualized case-by-case basis) with cardiovascular conditions may be advised to have a cesarean section (C-section) as is it easier to control the H/P rate and BP with this specific type of delivery.
-
It's your future......be there.
.
WebMD/WebMD froums DOES NOT provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
"Is the echocardiagram the most..."
For heart valve/chamber function yes, and to get a decent estimate of the LVEF, however a MUGA scan is reported as being the most accurate of the non-invasive methods, yields reproducible LVEF results,
Pertinent excerpt from an article on about.com - Heart Disease, with Richard N. Fogoros, M.D.
When is the MUGA scan more useful than other heart tests?
The advantages of the MUGA scan over other techniques (such as the echocardiogram) for measuring the LVEF are twofold. First, the MUGA ejection fraction is highly accurate, probably more accurate than that obtained by any other technique. Second, The MUGA ejection fraction is highly reproducible. That is, if the LVEF measurement is repeated several times, nearly the same answer is always obtained. (With other tests, variations in the measured LVEF are much greater.)
Cleveland Clinic
Understanding Your Ejection Fraction
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/disorders/heartfailure/ejectionfraction.aspx
Some individuals who have a low (moderate) or a really low (severe) LVEF feel fine and function well, while others do not.
Additionally, as reported, as applicable to the patient, if/when the LVEF improves substantially or even recovers, and appears to function near-normal or normally, other problems (unseen, e.g., at a cellular or molecular level) often exist, or possible problems may/can occur anytime down the road, putting one at increased risk.
"Can women with CHF......"
Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Important to know, pregnancy (first, second, or more) itself can place a tremendous strain on the heart and circulatory system, which may/can cause, or aggravate/worsen/exacerbate various symptoms/problems, even in healthy individuals.
By the time the baby is due, blood volume has increased by up to 50%, meaning the heart must beat faster and pump harder to move all that blood. Post-pregnancy, symptoms/problems may/can continue or entirely new ones may/can develop/arise, sometimes slowly, gradually or suddenly.
Safe delivery - Child/Mother
As reported, many pregnancies can and do conclude successfully when medical professionals anticipate potential complications and monitor for early signs of any difficulty.
Providing care for the woman with a cardiac abnormality may/can present certain challenges and therefore the patient is best cared for by a multi-disciplinary team whose members bring specialized knowledge and skill to bear on the needs that the patient and the precious fragile fetus present.
Best of luck down the road of life.
Take care,
CardioStar*
WebMD member (since 8/99)
-
-
Be well-informed
Pregancy
Heart/pulse rate/blood pressure changes
The volume of blood circulating in the human body increases during pregnancy. This is especially significant from 6 weeks until the middle of the pregnancy. After this, the increase is much more gradual.
If you are carrying more than one baby, or if it is not your first pregnancy, the increase in your blood volume will be even greater. In the third trimester (last 3 months) of your pregnancy, your heart/pulse (H/P) rate will increase by up to 10 to 20 beats per minute (BPM). Again, if you are carrying more than one child or if you have been pregnant before, your pulse is likely to be even faster.
There is an increased demand on the mother for oxygen during labor, and the blood pressure (BP) and HP rate will rise. The BP and HR usually return to the levels they were at before labor approximately 1 hour after giving birth.
Some individuals (as determined on a highly-individualized case-by-case basis) with cardiovascular conditions may be advised to have a cesarean section (C-section) as is it easier to control the H/P rate and BP with this specific type of delivery.
-
It's your future......be there.
.
WebMD/WebMD froums DOES NOT provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Report This| Share this:Pregnancy hopes with CHFHi:<b><br /> <br /></b><i> "Is the echocardiagram the most..."<br /></i><b><i><br /></i></b>For heart valve/chamber function yes, and to get a decent estimate of the LVEF<b><i>, </i></b>however a<b> MUGA scan is reported as being the most accurate of the non-invasive methods, yields reproducible LVEF results</b>, <br /> <br /> <i>Pertinent excerpt from an article on about.com - Heart Disease, with Richard N. Fogoros, M.D.</i><br /> <br /> <b>When is the MUGA scan more useful than other heart tests?</b><br /> <b><br /> The advantages of the MUGA scan over other techniques (such as the echocardiogram) for measuring the LVEF are twofold</b>. First, the MUGA ejection fraction is highly accurate, probably more accurate than that obtained by any other technique. Second, The MUGA ejection fraction is highly reproducible. That is, if the LVEF measurement is repeated several times, nearly the same answer is always obtained. (<b>With other tests, variations in the measured LVEF are much greater.</b>) <br /> <br /> Cleveland Clinic<br /> <br /> <b>Understanding Your Ejection Fraction</b><br /> <br /> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/disorders/heartfailure/ejectionfraction.aspx">http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/disorders/heartfailure/ejectionfraction.aspx</a> <br /> <br /> Some individuals who have a low (moderate) or a really low (severe) LVEF feel fine and function well, while others do not. <br /> Additionally, as reported, as applicable to the patient, if/when the LVEF improves substantially or even recovers, and appears to function near-normal or normally, other problems (unseen, e.g., at a cellular or molecular level) often exist, or possible problems may/can occur anytime down the road, putting one at increased risk.<br /> <i><br />"Can women with CHF......</i>"<br /><b><br /></b>Sometimes yes, sometimes no.<br /><br />Important to know, pregnancy (first, second, or more) itself can place a tremendous strain on the heart and circulatory system, which may/can cause, or aggravate/worsen/exacerbate various symptoms/problems, even in healthy individuals. <br /> <br />By the time the baby is due, blood volume has increased by up to 50%, meaning the heart must beat faster and pump harder to move all that blood. Post-pregnancy, symptoms/problems may/can continue or entirely new ones may/can develop/arise, sometimes slowly, gradually or suddenly.<br /> <br />Safe delivery - Child/Mother <br /> <br />As reported, <b>many pregnancies can and do conclude successfully when </b>medical professionals anticipate potential complications and monitor for early signs of any difficulty. <br /> <br />Providing care for the woman with a cardiac abnormality may/can present certain challenges and therefore the<b> patient is best cared for by a multi-disciplinary team whose members bring specialized knowledge and skill to bear </b>on the needs that the patient and the precious fragile fetus present.<br /><br />Best of luck down the road of life.<br /> <br /> Take care,<br /> <br /> CardioStar*<br /> <br /> WebMD member (since 8/99)<br /> <br /> <img src=http://www.animateit.net/data/media/august2009/cardiogram_line.gif class=post_img /><br /> <br /> -<br /><br />-<br /><br /><b>Be well-informed</b><br /><br />Pregancy <br /><br /><b>Heart/pulse rate/blood pressure changes </b><br /><br />The volume of blood circulating in the human body increases during pregnancy. This is especially significant from 6 weeks until the middle of the pregnancy. After this, the increase is much more gradual. <br /><br />If you are carrying more than one baby, or if it is not your first pregnancy, the increase in your blood volume will be even greater. In the third trimester (last 3 months) of your pregnancy, your heart/pulse (H/P) rate will increase by up to 10 to 20 beats per minute (BPM). Again, if you are carrying more than one child or if you have been pregnant before, your pulse is likely to be even faster. <br /><br />There is an increased demand on the mother for oxygen during labor, and the blood pressure (BP) and HP rate will rise. The BP and HR usually return to the levels they were at before labor approximately 1 hour after giving birth. <br /> <br /> Some individuals (as determined on a highly-individualized case-by-case basis) with cardiovascular conditions may be advised to have a cesarean section (C-section) as is it easier to control the H/P rate and BP with this specific type of delivery.<br /><br />-<br /><br />It's your future......be there. <img src="http://img.webmd.com/community/images/smile.gif" align="top" border="0"><br /><br />.<br /><br /><b>WebMD/WebMD froums <u>DOES NOT</u> provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.</b>
BABYTALK2013 replied to CardiostarUSA1's response:
Thanks for the response. I plan to see a new cardiologist in June who specializes in CHF. I plan to be well informed of all risks involved before I conceive.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Report This| Share this:Pregnancy hopes with CHFThanks for the response. I plan to see a new cardiologist in June who specializes in CHF. I plan to be well informed of all risks involved before I conceive.<br /> <br />Thanks!
CardiostarUSA1 replied to BABYTALK2013's response:
You're welcome.
Take good care,
CardioStar*
WebMD member (since 8/99)
-
-
It's your future......be there.
Take good care,
CardioStar*
WebMD member (since 8/99)
-
-
It's your future......be there.
Report This| Share this:Pregnancy hopes with CHFYou're welcome. <img src="http://img.webmd.com/community/images/smile.gif" align="top" border="0"><br /><br />Take good care,<br /><br />CardioStar*<br /> <br /> WebMD member (since 8/99)<br /> <br /> <img src=http://www.animateit.net/data/media/august2009/cardiogram_line.gif class=post_img /><br /><br />-<br /><br />-<br /><br /><b>It's your future......be there. </b><img src=http://img.webmd.com/community/images/smile.gif class=post_img />
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