Despite the older texts that said lupus flares are common in pregnancy, studies discovered that is not true, and eventually can happen very rare. It is known that lupus nephritis before conception increases the chance of experiencing a lupus flare during pregnancy.
During pregnancy fluid may accumulate in the joints, especially in the knees, and that will cause swelling. This may suggest an increase in inflammation due to lupus, but it also can be a normal thing during pregnancy. Many patients can experience new hair growth during pregnancy, and after delivery dramatic hair loss appears. This can be a symptom of lupus, but it can also happen to occur during a normal pregnancy.An important thing that must be done is to distinguish the symptoms of a lupus flare from the normal body changes that occur during pregnancy.
A lot of women wonder when is the best time to get pregnant. It is important that a woman who wants to become pregnant to be in good health, in this way her baby will have less problems, and there will be less concerns. It is important to follow some rules, for example to stop drinking or smoking, to eat well, to take medications as prescribed and to visit your doctor regularly.
During pregnancy, it is important to take only the necessary medications. It is known that most of the medications taken by lupus patients are safe to use during pregnancy.Some medications do not get through the placenta and are safe for the baby, and we can mention here prednisone, prednisolone and probably methylprednisolone.Other medications like dexamethasone and betamethasone reach the baby and they are used only if it is necessary to treat the baby too.It is also known that aspirin is safe, azathioprine and hydroxychloroquine seem to be harmless for the babies, but this is not quite sure, but Cyclophosphamide is surely harmful if taken in the first three months of pregnancy.
There are opinions that pregnant women with lupus should take small doses of prednisone to prevent early abortion, and steroids should be given after the baby is born to prevent post partum flare, but there aren’t proofs that these are necessary.
It is important to remember that as a lupus patient, you will have future periods of illness, and it is important to have plans in advance for alternate child care if it is necessary.
