Rheumatoid Arthritis Support

Is it possible to have a healthy rheumatoid arthritis pregnancy? After all, it's well-known that rheumatoid arthritis can affect the entire body in some people, not just the joints. Could this mean that the autoimmune reaction causing arthritis symptoms could hurt a developing fetus? In the vast majority of cases, the answer is no. It is entirely possible to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby, even if you have rheumatoid arthritis.In fact, many women experience significant relief from rheumatoid arthritis symptoms while they are pregnant. Approximately 70 to 80 percent of women with rheumatoid arthritis experience a full remission during pregnancy. It's one of the benefits of being with child with this disease. Scientists are not sure why this remission happens, but they currently believe it has something to do with pregnancy hormones alleviating the inflammation and the autoimmune reaction taking place.In spite of this lovely reprieve, symptoms usually do return with a vengeance for a while after the birth of the child. This temporary worsening of the disease usually doesn't last long, and your joint conditions will soon return to what they were with medication management pre-pregnancy. There's also no reason to worry about any additional risk of harm to yourself or your baby if you have a rheumatoid arthritis pregnancy. Maternal morbidity rates are no different in women with rheumatoid arthritis than in other women, and there have been no reported adverse affects on fetal development, other than the occasional reduction in growth rate (which is harmless to the child) and the rare premature birth (which is really no different in frequency than in other women). So if you have a rheumatoid arthritis pregnancy, fear not! The chances of you and your baby coming through it perfectly healthy are high, so enjoy your maternal state and prepare for the joyous occasion of the birth of your child, like any other woman would do.