Question About Previous Injury
QUESTION
Dear Midwife,
I broke my back five years ago, and I have two rods in my back, and I also had bone taken out of my right hip to fuse to my spine. I usually have minor back pain, and I'm just wondering if this will cause problems when I am pregnant. I'm not yet, but we are trying to conceive.
ANSWER
I have had a patient with Harrington Rods (if that is what you have) who did just fine in pregnancy and delivered vaginally x2.
I'd suggest that you have a pre-conception visit with your provider to evaluate whether there are any concerns in your case, but often things go just like normal.
-- Cynthia, CNM
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.
