- Risks for pregnancy
- Recommendations before and during pregnancy
- Before you get pregnant
- During the pregnancy
- Postpartum care
In most women, rheumatoid arthritis usually improves during pregnancy, with symptom relief from the first trimester of pregnancy, and can last up to about 6 weeks after delivery.
However, in some cases it is still necessary to use medications to control the disease, and it is necessary to avoid medications such as aspirin and Leflunomide. In addition, most of the time, after the baby is born, the woman also experiences worsening arthritis, which lasts for about 3 months until it stabilizes.
Risks for pregnancy
In general, if the disease is well controlled, women suffering from rheumatoid arthritis have a peaceful pregnancy and the same risk of complications as healthy women.
However, when the disease worsens in the third trimester of gestation or it is necessary to take corticosteroid medications, there is an increased risk of the fetus developing delayed, premature delivery, bleeding during delivery and the need for cesarean delivery.
Recommendations before and during pregnancy
Some precautions must be taken by women with rheumatoid arthritis to have a peaceful and healthy pregnancy, with maximum control of the disease:
Before you get pregnant
Before becoming pregnant the woman should talk to the doctor and evaluate the best way to control the disease and have a healthy pregnancy, it is usually recommended to stop using medications such as Methotrexate, Leflunomide and anti-inflammatory drugs.
During the pregnancy
During pregnancy, treatment is done according to the symptoms presented, and it may be necessary to use corticosteroid medications such as predinisone, which in low doses can control arthritis and is hardly transmitted to the baby.
However, the prolonged use of this medication usually increases the risk of infections during childbirth, and it may be necessary to use antibiotics even during labor or soon afterwards.
Postpartum care
After the baby is born, worsening of rheumatoid arthritis is common, and it is important to talk to the doctor to decide the best form of treatment.
If there is a desire to breastfeed, remedies such as Methotrexate, Leflunomide, Cyclosporine and Aspirin should be avoided, as they pass to the baby through breast milk.
In addition, it is important that the woman receives support from the family and the partner to help with the baby's tasks and overcome the arthritis crisis phase more quickly and quietly.
See all treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis.
