5 Things Every Pregnant Woman Should Know About Lyme Disease
After visiting my family in the country this past weekend, I woke feeling refreshed and ready for the week ahead. As I undressed today for my morning shower, my hand brushed over a bump on my left hip. I looked down and was greeted by a tick burrowed in my side. There are certain things you get used to when you live in the Northeast: wretched winters (with the exception of our most recent one), bad drivers, beautiful fall foliage, and the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. But you never get used to the ticks.
This morning's tick was the third tick in my lifetime that I've pulled from my body. And each time, removing the critter is gross and gives me with the heebeegeebees. But it wasn't until today that I got concerned about it. Being a week into motherhood, I started wondering what a Lyme disease diagnosis would mean for a pregnancy. Here's what I found out.
1. Lyme disease feels a lot like pregnancy.
Many of the symptoms of Lyme disease - exhaustion, joint pain, tired muscles, headaches, and nausea - are similar to pregnancy. Many pregnant women don't even know they've been infected with Lyme, because they assume their feelings are related to their pregnancy.
2. Pregnancy may make Lyme disease symptoms milder.
According to Dr. Joseph Burrascano, Lyme disease symptoms during pregnancy are generally mild. It's believed that the hormonal changes linked to pregnancy mask the symptoms of Lyme disease. But that doesn't mean there isn't cause for concern.
Related: 7 medical tests you and your kids don't need
3. Lyme disease can harm your unborn child.
Borrelia burgdorferi, the nasty spirochete bacteria ticks leave behind when they latch on for lunch, can be deadly for an unborn child if the bacteria crosses the placenta. So Lyme disease has to be managed during pregnancy.
4. Lyme disease treatments may call for antibiotics.
Many women are hesitant to take antibiotics during their pregnancies and with good reason. Gerald Briggs, coauthor of Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation, warns that if a pregnant woman is very sick, antibiotics may need to be taken in spite of the risks to the baby. And it seems in the case of Lyme disease, not treating the illness may be worse for your baby's health than exposing her or him to antibiotics. Taking antibiotics also reduces the chances of your baby being born with Lyme disease.
Related: 10 "unsafe" things I did while pregnant
5. Mothers with Lyme disease should breastfeed with caution.
While breast milk can carry that nasty Borrelia burgdorferi, the CDC reports that no babies have developed Lyme disease from their mother's milk. But Texas Tech University reports that since it's not known whether Borrelia burgdorferi is infectious or not, women who breastfeed and are diagnosed with Lyme disease should seek immediate treatment and withhold from breastfeeding.
- By Aela Mass
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