Information on Incomplete Injury and Pregnancy

[joanne]

Hello;

I am 6 months pregnant. I have Brown-Sequard or what is an incomplete injury at c5-c6.
It happened 3 years ago during surgery.

I have lost feeling, hot/cold, pain..hypersensitivity , from my breast to my toes on my entire left side.

I have drop foot and muscle weakness in arm, hand, leg and foot on the right side.

I have leg contractions and spasms on both sides..which have increased during pregnancy.
My right leg contracts from above my hip down to my toe, when I shange sleep positions. Leg spasms have been nightly. I am also having a lot of hip pain...on the right..i wouldn't even know if the left bothered me.

My obgyn doesn't know the best way to treat me for delivery. What can I expect during labor and delivery? What is the best course of treatment?
The Dr. is thinking to give me an immediate epidural and then let the baby come down the birth canal naturally and then push at the end.
I have a disectomy at c5-c6 and a herniated disc above it.
Where can I find information specifically for incomplete injury and pregnancy. i have given the Dr. some literature on complete injuries..but, that doesn't apply to me.
I am currently on no meds.
Thanks for the help and my baby thanks you too.
Sincerely,
Joanne

[SCI-Nurse]

Joanne: After sustaining a SCI, maintaining a pregnancy and giving birth can involve having to consider many things that are not routinely considered by a OB. Some of these are autonomic dysreflexia, premature contractions, contractions that are not noticed, increased UTI's, etc.

Often, to make sure nothing is missed, it is recommended that the pregnancy be monitored by a team of people familiar with SCI (in conjunction with your OB). This team could include (based on your needs, your OB's knowledge, etc.) your primary care provider, a neurologist or physiatriast, rehab personnel, anesthesiologist, and a urologist. Your OB would still help you manage your pregnancy by drawing on the expertise of this varied group of practitioners.

It would also be helpful to have people on your team that have helped others with a SCI through the pregnancy/birth process. The way to start looking for this expertise would be through a local hospital that has a good SCI/Rehab program, which is often associated with a major medical college. I beleive yu are form Tampa, and there should be many good resources there. The trick might be to get your OB to agree to consult others - but hopefully this should not be a problem. (jah)

[antiquity]

Hi Joanne,

I live in Tampa too and my ob/gyn is great. I'll e-mail you with his contact info.

Good luck! http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/cool.gif