1. Don't Swing Out of Control
Doctors don't know if it's the crazy mood swings caused by changing emotions, the change in blood pressure levels or a variety of factors, but most women with epilepsy experience a change in the frequency of seizures. The number increases for some and decreases for others. Until your doctor can change your medication, continue taking it even while you're pregnant. If you stop taking the medicine abruptly, you increase your risk of seizures. Most doctors agree it is better to continue your medication to prevent seizures, which may harm the fetus or cause a miscarriage.
2. Take Tiny Steps To Prepare
Before try to get pregnant, reduce your risks. Some epilepsy medications, such as valproate, trimethadione and phenytoin, increase the likelihood of birth defects, which include cleft palate, finger or toe defects and heart problems. Switching to a lower risk medication such as Lamotrigine may reduce this risk. Doctors can also test blood levels before conception to create a baseline to monitor drug dose through pregnancy. With a high-risk pregnancy, women should begin taking prenatal vitamins at least 3 months before conception. This helps restore the body to a properly balanced system and increases the amount of folic acid in your system, which may reduce birth defects. Other small steps include reducing caffeine, avoiding alcohol or drugs and getting consistent prenatal care.
3. Monitor More Than Your Baby's Heart Rate
Most doctors use a monitor to listen to the baby's heart rate during monthly examines. For women with epilepsy, doctors also should monitor the dose of medication used to control epilepsy symptoms. The medications generally keep seizures at bay during pregnancy. With proper monitoring, you reduce the risk of pregnancy complications and birth defects. Studies indicate that drugs like Lamotrigine may increase seizures during pregnancy in 39 percent of all cases. Some researchers feel this is the result of failing to adjust the dose throughout the pregnancy, according to blood levels for the mother.
4. Get Ready to Deliver
Most new parents enter a world of sleep deprivation after the baby gets born. While this often creates memorable stories for new parents, women with epilepsy need to get as much sleep as possible; sleep deprivation can trigger seizures. As pregnancy nears completion, aching joints and stress may contribute to sleep loss. After 34 weeks, pregnant women with epilepsy take a Vitamin K supplement. This helps reduce the risk of the baby developing a blood-clotting disorder, which seizure medication may cause.
