Moms to be with Scoliosis

ashluvschris

Are there any future moms to be out there with Scoliosis?  I have had it since I was 10 and have metal rods in my back.  This is my first pregnancy and everything seems to be going very well so far.  I am just a little worried later down the line.  My doctor says not to worry everything is going to be normal (just prob some back pain towards the end) My questions are:  How was your pregnancy?  Did having scoliosis make your delivery any more dificult?  Anything I should need to know or prepare for?    Thanks!

dee1369

I have it, but a very mild form, it just causes me occasional discomfort. 

I hope you continue to do well - I'm sure your doctor has all the right suggestions.

eep9906

I have a very mild case.  I didn't have any problems with my previous pregnancy and none so far with this one.  I knew I wanted an epidural so I mentioned my spine to the nurse when I went to L&D.  I ended up with an emergency c/s so I can't really speak to how delivery is.

loving929

I, too, have a mild case (no metal rods) and I did not have any complications. I was able to get an epidural and everything.

Soon2BMrsBoylon

I don't have scoliosis, but my MIL does have a pretty severe case.  She does not have the metal rods, but her spine makes a very visible s-curve that makes one shoulder much lower than the other.  She said her back pain when pregnant wasn't any more than what she would have expected if not having scoliosis and she delivered both her sons (9lbs for DH and 10lbs for BIL) naturally, no epidural/pain meds and no complications.  My only thought like the PP's would be to let the anesthesiologist know about it for the epidural.  Good luck and congrats on your first!  It's my first too :-)

monkey_pants

I have metal rods -- had surgery when I was 14 where they grafted bone from my hip and put it into my back.  My rods go from the base of my neck to my waist with connector pieces at various spots along the way.  I've never really had any problems with them, save one time when I had pain in one spot from the hardware, but that was fixed easily with physical therapy.  And since being pregnant I don't think my back pain has been out of the ordinary in any way -- just a little stiffness or pain sometimes in the mornings.  My two main concerns regarding my back and pregnancy have been 1) if I have a daughter, she'll probably have it as it's hereditary especially in females and 2) when I'm in labor they may have difficulty placing the epidural, according to my doctor.  She didn't seem concerned that they wouldn't be able to do the epidural at all, just that it may take some extra consideration by the anesthesiologist.  That being said, the more books I've read about giving birth, the more I'm hoping I can get through without an epidural...

EmilyStL

I have a mild form as well; I wore a brace for a couple years as a middle schooler but didn't require surgery/rods.  I haven't had any more back pain than I normally do.  I emailed extensively with my good friend who is about to get nurse anesthetist certification about how it would affect epidural placement.  She had been present at 2 deliveries where the women had scoliosis, and she said it was no problem for them to get epidurals; it took a bit longer to place them, but that was it.  She said there was some concern about the efficacy of the epidural in women with scoliosis, but neither of her patients had this problem; sometimes scoliosis can cause an asymmetric block (one side of the body is not numbed as well as the other) but they can compensate by using local anesthetic on the other side, in which case the woman will need to be turned on her side.  She also said it's helpful to have an x-ray of your curve so that the anesthetist can see exactly what he/she is dealing with. 

ashluvschris

Thanks everyone! Ya my doctor said I would have to meet with the anesthetist in my 3rd trimester so they know exactly where to place the epi.  Thanks for all the info!

jackso2

I too have scoliosis and had metal rods placed in my upper back when I was 11.  I have spoken to my doctor and will also have to meet during my third trimester to determine if I can have an epidural.

 

Please let me know how your labor went!