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Pregnancy On Medication?

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
I have been with my partner since i was 14, so I know he is the one for me, and we both feel ready to have a baby, we are in a stable place and it is all I have ever wanted.

However; I am on methotrexate, for rheumatoid arthritis, and I take a 5mg dose weekly, which, in January is due to be cut down to 2.5mg. do you think this will be a problem, if I do get pregnant? As I really want a baby now more than ever.

If it is due to be a problem, what will be the risks involved?

Many Thanks,

ANSWER

Methotrexate is Pregnancy Category X, which means it has been proven to hurt babies. You need to talk to your physician(s) about your options, because you may be on a low enough dose now so that other medications could be considered. In the meantime, you should be using very good contraception.

-- Cynthia, CNM

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Cynthia Flynn

Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.