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Kidney disease can be a big problem for our lives. Because they are part of an extremely important system for the proper functioning of our body, the kidneys end up being also one of the weakest organs and that most require treatments made with strong medicines or even surgeries.
The picture changes completely when we talk about a kidney disease in pregnancy. Because it is a woman generating another life, the consequences that this problem can bring are many, and there are also complications regarding treatment, since some types of medication are contraindicated for pregnant women.
But in spite of being a complicated picture, it is possible to treat and make kidney disease in pregnancy not all the disorder that it seems. But for that to happen, some measures need to be taken.
What is Kidney Disease?
Kidney disease affects both men and women and happens when the kidneys begin to lose the ability to balance and remove fluids in the body. Kidney disease in pregnancy can appear in an acute or even chronic form. This disease can present several symptoms such as:
Kidney Problem Symptoms
- Swelling in the legs
- Constant weakness
- Constant low back pain
- Difficulty urinating
- Frequent vomiting
- Frequent nausea
- Kidney Stones
It is easy to imagine why there may be problems with women who have kidney disease and end up becoming pregnant, or who develop this disease after becoming pregnant. All of these symptoms can be very damaging not only to the woman’s body, but also to the baby’s development.
But it is important to warn now that women who suffer from chronic kidney disease can plan a pregnancy , but several precautions need to be taken. We will talk about this later.
Can Women With Kidney Problems Get Pregnant?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions on the subject for an obvious reason. Many women have a desire to become pregnant, but still suffer from this type of problem. So how to deal with this situation?
First of all, it must be said that, once all the reproductive functions of the woman are working, it is perfectly possible to become pregnant. The problem is that women who have kidney problems can end up having these problems aggravated with the pregnancy, which can also end up affecting the pregnancy .
Firstly, because kidney disease causes several hormonal changes to occur , as well as pregnancy, which can end up being very harmful for women, since pregnancy alone is already a huge shock.
Therefore, the most recommendable thing is to treat kidney disease first to get pregnant later and not have to deal with this problem. But there are cases of chronic kidney disease in which, even with treatment, there are still symptoms and dangers. In addition, there are also cases where kidney disease appears after the woman is already pregnant.
The Effects of Pregnancy on Kidney Function
Increases in hormones like progesterone, for example, can impair kidney function. This means that the disease is much more likely to get worse, mainly due to the fact that several drugs are contraindicated in the case of pregnancy.
In general, we can say that pregnancy is something that is bad for kidney disease and tends to make it worse, but even so, this is something that can be circumvented as you have read here before.
Treatment for Kidney Disease in Pregnancy
Treatment for kidney disease in pregnancy needs to be done carefully and always taking into account the baby the woman is carrying. But even with pregnancy, some conventional treatments of kidney disease can be done, of course always with more care.
Hemodialysis, for example, which is often necessary, cannot be replaced by anything else and, for this reason, it is necessary for it to continue so that it does not worsen a woman’s health.
Hypertension treatment also needs to continue, but it will need to undergo modifications to the drugs that are contraindicated in pregnancy. Although they are measures that demand a lot from women, they are necessary things for the pregnancy to occur successfully.
Another important part of treatment is monitoring the fetus at all times to see if there are any changes or if he is suffering in any way from the procedures.
Consequences of Kidney Disease in Pregnancy
Suffering from kidney disease in pregnancy can be very harmful for a woman , as it can get worse as the pregnancy progresses. So it is necessary to know what stage the disease is in to also know how to deal with it during pregnancy.
The stages of kidney disease are divided from 1 to 5, with 1 being the least harmful and 5 being the most. In this last stage, hemodialysis may be necessary.
Despite all these difficulties, a woman with kidney disease can still plan a pregnancy. However, it is extremely important that there is good medical monitoring during all steps, so that he can recommend everything that is necessary and advise the woman on what she needs, especially with regard to the progression of kidney disease in pregnancy.
Suffering from kidney disease in pregnancy may not be the best way to get through your pregnancy, but if it does, the best thing to do is to stay calm and strictly follow the correct treatment.
That way, you can avoid that the consequences of this disease are not the worst and that, even though there are difficult times, your pregnancy is healthy, quiet and especially safe for your baby, which is the most important of all.
It is not necessary to despair, because although there are bad times, having a kidney disease in pregnancy is not the end of the world and it is something that can very well be controlled.
See also: Bell’s Palsy: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
