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Victoria Bradley[/caption]
Victoria Bradley is a nurse practitioner, freelance writer, and new mother living with multiple sclerosis (MS). In this personal story, she shares her journey through conception, pregnancy, and early parenting, highlighting the unique challenges and triumphs of motherhood with MS.
I’d always thought I’d have a baby and imagined myself being a mother from a young age. However, I didn’t foresee that I would be living with a long-term disabling condition when the time came, that I would be considered a “higher risk” pregnancy, or that I’d be navigating any other decisions than the standard parent-to-be.
I had done a lot of labour preparation at home, perhaps somewhat naively, in anticipation that I would be able to control the progression and method of the birth of my baby.
I gave birth by emergency caesarean section, after my waters had broken and attempts to induce labour had failed. I went into hospital unwell with a cough and flu-like symptoms, which worsened over the course of my stay, and it was unclear whether or not I was becoming unwell due to sepsis, therefore, an emergency caesarean was recommended in the best interests of both myself and the baby.
I’d watched caesarean section operations as a student nurse and was familiar with the procedure, however, when it came to me being the patient, I was terrified. I hated the sensation of being completely numb from the waist down.
As someone with a neurological condition who had experienced limb weakness and sensory symptoms in the past, I found it quite triggering to now be unable to move or feel anything. I remember looking down and noticing they had repositioned my legs for the procedure, and it felt incredibly odd and a bit unsettling that I couldn’t feel that. There was a distinct feeling of relief when the sensation began to return to my legs post op.
Whilst I was frightened, the care I received was excellent. The staff were all very reassuring and tried to comfort me as much as possible. I also have a very supportive partner, who made me feel much safer at a time when I felt incredibly vulnerable.
Victoria Bradley[/caption]
Victoria Bradley is a nurse practitioner, freelance writer, and new mother living with multiple sclerosis (MS). In this personal story, she shares her journey through conception, pregnancy, and early parenting, highlighting the unique challenges and triumphs of motherhood with MS.
I’d always thought I’d have a baby and imagined myself being a mother from a young age. However, I didn’t foresee that I would be living with a long-term disabling condition when the time came, that I would be considered a “higher risk” pregnancy, or that I’d be navigating any other decisions than the standard parent-to-be.
Preconception planning: weighing risks and rewriting expectations of motherhood with MS
Deciding exactly how and when to try and have a baby required more planning for me. It wasn’t something I could be spontaneous about. At the time, the medication I was using for multiple sclerosis was thought not to be safe for pregnancy, as a new medication with not much historical data. Therefore, the advice was that anyone hoping to conceive needed to be off the medication for at least 12 months. This meant switching to a different, lower efficacy medication, a 3 times a week injectable that truly, became a dreaded ritual. I’m a nurse, I don’t have an issue with needles, and I’m trained in injection techniques. I’ve given countless subcut injections straight into the fatty tissue. But due to the sheer frequency and length of time I was on the medication, I developed injection site reactions - painful lumps, redness, swelling, itching and bruising. The medication itself also stung on administration, and I had many moments of wanting to quit it altogether. I also hated the logistics of travelling with injections, using a cooler thermos for flights and planning when I could get them in the fridge. It wasn’t unmanageable, but it was a reminder that I had a long-term condition, in a way that felt more tangible than ever before.Pregnancy with MS: support, symptoms, and self-advocacy
Pregnancy is typically a very protective time for people with MS. Higher levels of hormones tend to suppress symptoms, and I found this true for myself. Due to my medical history, I was allocated to a case loading team, midwives who are trained to support women with long-term conditions. Everything I experienced felt very typical of a standard pregnancy. I had nausea, vomiting and food aversions in the early trimesters, palpitations, and heartburn as my pregnancy progressed. Under a case loading team, I had more antenatal appointments than the average person, including appointments with various obstetric consultants with expertise in medicine and neurology. I was also in regular contact with my MS nurse, and I was referred for an anaesthetic consultation, in case I needed surgical intervention during labour. I had been advised by one of the obstetric consultants that I should not have a water birth in case it caused a sensory relapse, that could be dangerous if I was stuck in water, but other than that they felt I was fine to plan for a lower intervention labour on the midwifery led suite, and as far as possible I could try and choose what I wanted. Whilst I felt my care was good, I am aware that as a healthcare professional, there is a certain level of advantage to be able to advocate for yourself, as someone who knows the system, knows some questions to ask and knows how to find information and resources that aren’t widely available. I can appreciate that, without this background, there may have been more barriers and I wouldn’t think to ask about what I didn’t know.Birth beyond the plan: an unexpected caesarean experience
I had done a lot of labour preparation at home, perhaps somewhat naively, in anticipation that I would be able to control the progression and method of the birth of my baby.
I gave birth by emergency caesarean section, after my waters had broken and attempts to induce labour had failed. I went into hospital unwell with a cough and flu-like symptoms, which worsened over the course of my stay, and it was unclear whether or not I was becoming unwell due to sepsis, therefore, an emergency caesarean was recommended in the best interests of both myself and the baby.
I’d watched caesarean section operations as a student nurse and was familiar with the procedure, however, when it came to me being the patient, I was terrified. I hated the sensation of being completely numb from the waist down.
As someone with a neurological condition who had experienced limb weakness and sensory symptoms in the past, I found it quite triggering to now be unable to move or feel anything. I remember looking down and noticing they had repositioned my legs for the procedure, and it felt incredibly odd and a bit unsettling that I couldn’t feel that. There was a distinct feeling of relief when the sensation began to return to my legs post op.
Whilst I was frightened, the care I received was excellent. The staff were all very reassuring and tried to comfort me as much as possible. I also have a very supportive partner, who made me feel much safer at a time when I felt incredibly vulnerable.