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Do pregnancies trigger curve progressing?

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  • Do pregnancies trigger curve progressing?

    I had 2 pregnancies and don't know if my curves have progressed since I ignored my scoliosis till Nov 2008.

    I lost a lot of weight due to constant physicall activity, doing housework, taking care of the boys(while living at my parents' before the wedding I only studied, ate and had a rest), etc and I started to notice my hump more than before! So I don't know if it's more noticeable due to the weight loss or progressing! Or my mind finally got free and ready to cope with scoliosis!

    My husband and I are thinking about te third baby!
    But I would like to know what chances there are that the curves will get worse?
    Sometimes i think it's better to have surgery, get done with it and have a baby afterwards!
    But I dread complications and failures and putting myself in a bad condition!

    What are your experiences?
    Last edited by Anchie; 01-22-2009, 11:22 AM.
    29 y/o female
    diagnosed with scoliosis when 11
    thoracic curve about 45, lumbar about 33
    wore TSLO brace very short
    ignored the problem till Nov 2008
    no problems, no pain but started thinking about future because of my two sons (4.5 and 2.5 years)!
    I had new X-rays taken on 5 Jan
    Soon I'll now how many degrees there are in my curves...

  • #2
    I am no expert Anchie, but I consider everyone's scoliosis to be different.

    I had two children, and as far as I know, it didn't make any difference to my scoliosis. And my scoliosis played no part in my pregnancies which were problem free.

    But I have been very lucky with my scoliosis because I've hardly suffered more than a twinge and a bit of tiredness/weakness in my back until recently.

    I'm sure others will have different stories.
    Surgery March 3, 2009 at almost 58, now 63.
    Dr. Askin, Brisbane, Australia
    T4-Pelvis, Posterior only
    Osteotomies and Laminectomies
    Was 68 degrees, now 22 and pain free

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    • #3
      Hey Anchie,

      Congrats on the recent bub arrival! I definitely can't offer you my experiences on this one, just my random thoughts - though Jen is right that everyone is different (not to mention, none of us are medical professionals!).

      Anyhow, I've not actually heard of it happening - but I think it's at least plausible that your curve progressed through pregnancy. The most common times for curve progression are during periods when hormones are highly active &/or changing - ie. puberty (also when major growth spurts are happening), & menopause. Pregnancy is another time when various hormone levels are changing rapidly....in any case, if you feel like it might have progressed, you owe it to yourself to check it out with your doc. IF you discover that your curve has progressed....that is generally an indicator that it will continue progressing, slowly or otherwise.

      I'm rather drowsy & can't actually find it right now, but there's definitely a thread around here discussing childbirth after fusion surgery - it seems the main downside is that an epidural may be out of the question, esp. with long fusions that extend into the lumbar region or lower.

      The fear of complications is always going to be a factor, I'm afraid! I think more even than with many other surgeries, because our docs have to give the worst case scenarios - which, with this, can be very bad indeed. But please don't let your fear get in the way of at least having your curve monitored....a badly progressed curve can have grave complications, too.

      All that said, I really hope there's been no progression & it is just the weight drop. I know when my weight goes down, my scoli & ribhump always look (well, looked now, mostly!) worse.

      Take care. Hope you get some more useful answers from others

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      • #4
        Anchie,

        I have a 50* lumbar curve......four years ago it was 40*. I have an almost 15 yr.old, 9 year old and an 11 month old. I started having trouble about 5 years ago with my scoliosis. I was braced as a kid and low and behold here I am waiting for surgery in April. Anyways, during my delivery with my third they tried inducing me(the first time) I was sent home the next morning due to not progressing even though when I went in I was having contractions. I was then admitted 5 days later due to problems and had to be induced, I only dilated on to 6 cm, after some very scary problems with baby and me, they finally agreed to do a c-section after one doctor realized that the baby wasn't even over my birth canal. He was coming across it. Come to find out a few weeks later when I started with my chiropractor and ex-rays were done it was due to the severe curve in my lumbar region. All turned out very well in the end with a 9.10oz baby boy I'm not sure if the progression occurred over the past few years or during the pregnancy. I tend to think a little bit of both. For me it was definitely the straw the broke the camel's back so to speak. I knew I would be putting my back through a lot but he was a very planned and much wanted little guy! Good luck with your scoli and your 3rd when the time is right. Keep up with exercising and lots of stretching!
        Susan

        Diagnosed at 10, Boston brace from 11-13 yrs old.
        50* Lumbar w/ 5 centimeter shift to the left and slight rib hump...
        Surgery Date: April 15 and April 22, 2009
        X-LIF approach for disc repair L5,L4,L3,L2
        Posterior Approach for fusions L5-T5
        Dr. Fox @ Naval Medical Center Portsmouth
        Nice and straight now!!!!!

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