Abdominal pacemackers and pregnancy

Hi,this is my first time on this website and I'm hoping someone out there has been through a pregnancy with an abdominally placed pacemaker. I'm in the very early stages of pregnancy for the first time at 44 and I just had my last pm change in May and they were forced to locate it under my abdominals (very painful). They had to place new leads externally and the ventricular lead touches my diaphragm and sometimes causes a spasm that feels like a shock. I'm worried that during pregnancy this will get worse. Anyone out there been through a pregnancy with this situation?????

4 Comments

Welcome

by OIMAPRINCESS2477 - 2008-03-20 03:03:27

Well Fist I want to say congrats on your pregnancy. I wish you the best of luck with it. I am unfamiliar with your type of pacemaker but I just wanted to say hello and welcome. We are all here for ya if you need anything.
Britt<3

Welcome to the PM Club

by NH - 2008-03-20 12:03:51

I am not familiar with your PM placement or the problems which it involves. I am sure someone of us will know some answers for you.

I just want to welcome you to this wonderful site for support! We are glad you are here. If you have any questions about the site or anything, please feel free to ask.

Take care,
NH

get coordinated medical care

by DDDmom - 2008-03-29 09:03:33

Hi, congrats on the pregnancy and happy health to you and your baby! I hope you will be an advocate for your own best health care and demand coordination between cardiologist and obstetrician. Neither one is an expert of all the potential happenings in your healthcare. Small towns, hospitals do not always have the type of medical people willing to work the extra hours and put in innovative ideas to get you through a tricky situation--I have found some medical professionals tell the patient to rest and take a passive role in life and care coordination. My favorite cardiologist (that I finally met and hired for my son after talking to other cardiologists from Pittsburgh to Philly) said it was his job to adapt my son's pacemaker and cardiac care to my son's lifestyle---not make my son adapt to being a cardiac patient. You go girl!

Similar Situation

by tucsongreenhouse - 2008-04-06 10:04:19

Hi, Just found this website and your question. I was told by my ob/gyn doctor that I am a triple threat with my first pregnancy right now. I am old, have a pacemaker and get kidney stones every summer. So far I have been kindly dumped by 2 ob/gyn doctors who don't feel they can help me with my pregnancy. I am 10 weeks along and am seeing a third high risk doctor next week. I hopefully should be able to get some answers then. It's just been very frustrating and scary with out knowing if I am just exhausted because of the pregnancy or am I experiencing heart failure again. Good luck and I will keep posting.

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