Experts Share Insights & Advice on Reproductive Health for Patients with Rheumatic Disease

First, she emphasized, parents should ensure their own physical and mental health. “My favorite metaphor for remembering how important it is to take care of myself is: You can’t pour from an empty cup,” Ms. Leach said. “It isn’t physically possible. If your cup is empty, you have to take the time and effort to fill it up before you can possibly share with anyone else.”

Second, in keeping with the broader theme of planning, is to prepare in advance for the arrival of your baby, especially because postpartum flares can happen. This preparation includes:

• Have a plan with your rheumatologist. “Just as important as it was to make that plan for getting pregnant, have a plan for how you’re going to deal with your health after pregnancy,” she said;
• Determine where your baby will sleep for the first few months of life to make nighttime feeding easier;
• Have options for safely putting the baby down throughout your house in the event of fatigue or pain;
• Schedule help from family members and friends. “If you’re going to have a postpartum flare, it’s probably going to happen six to eight weeks out, and that’s right about the time the help that’s offered right at the beginning starts to dry up,” Ms. Leach said;
• Select, and practice with, baby clothes and gear before the baby arrives. Clothing with small snaps and car seats with intricate straps and buckles can be difficult to operate with arthritis pain; and
• Plan to use a hands-free baby carrier that keeps the baby close, especially at times when holding them may be difficult due to disease activity.

“Connect with other parents who understand the unique challenges of parenting with a chronic illness, whether that’s in real life or on social media,” Ms. Leach added.

References

1. Sammaritano LR, Bermas BL, Chakravarty EE, et al. 2020 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Reproductive Health in Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020 Apr. 72(4):529–556.
2. Fernando Perez-Garcia L, Röder E, Goekoop RJ, et al. Impaired fertility in men diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis: Results of a large multicentre study (iFAME-Fertility). Ann Rheum Dis. 2021 Aug 9;annrheumdis-2021-220709. Online ahead of print.