I am a pregnant woman with high myopia (-9 in both eyes) and would like to ask if any of you had experience or knows if spontaneous vaginal delivery may be allowed in my case. I would really like to have a normal childbirth and avoid a c-section.. . Any knowledge on the subject would be much appreciated. thx
Hi all
Maybe you gynae can explain the co-relation between having bad eyesight and giving birth, because I sure dont see any!
Did you become myopic during the pregnancy? Couldn't it be an indicator of pregancy-related diabetes?
Apart from that, as Summerrain said, I see no connection between myopia and childbirth.
guys, high myopia is a risk factor for retinal detachment during labor!
I think you need to talk to your doctor OP, they might want to control your BP if everything is OK I do no tsee why not give it a try but I know in other countries it would be a no-no
yikes
I would opt for the safer method
Thanks for the clarification Angela.
No problem, I also found out only recently
bloody hell, now I am getting worried. I am -8 in one eye, and the other -6.5. you really learn something new everyday.
I have an appointment with an OB next week hope he'll shed some light but as I read from the internet it really depends on the country you are..so views vary
You may also wish to make a visit to an opthamologist so they can check the current conditions of your retinas.
Part of what you and your OB will want / need to know is whether you have a history of retinal tears but also, as Angela suggests high blood pressure as a factor, the state of the blood veins in your eyes is an important consideration regarding the information you seek.
Also, this may be of interest (to you and your doctors):
thanks a lot Peg!
So am i! -8 and -7!
I don't think they consider it here. I have a worse myopia than you, plus retinal damage and a high risk pregnancy. Nobody mentioned a thing. I gave birth naturally(ish).
That is weird. I am a -8.75 in both eyes and was not asked once about it when I was pregnant - I just gave birth early 2011.
I'd imagine that chronic high blood pressure is going to be much more of an issue than actual blood pressure during labour...
That, and the main thing would be to observe and report immediately if there are any symptoms of eye-damage. I'd imagine the surgery to repair a detached retina is far less complicated, with less recovery time, than a c-section...
Snap. I was not asked about my myopia in both of pregnancies - one in UK, one here - and my myopia "score" is worse than yours.
So good for you/your OB that this has been raised but do query whether it really does direct you automatically to a C-Section. There may be special issues for you that do mean yes.
I had 2 natural births, but if I became pregnant again, now I would ask about this!
I have -9 in both eyes and gave birth to 9 lb babies in really quick time (first 4hours, second 30 mins) both normal vaginal delivery. At my six week check I mentioned to my GP that every so often I had noticed white lights in my left eye. I thought it might be a different type of visual disturbance migraine and really wasn't bothered. Within seconds of uttering these words I was rushed out the door with note to take to the hospital. Initially nothing was found but after two check ups they did eventually find a tiny perforation. It was corrected with lasers at the hospital in a matter of minutes. They suspected that it was actually the first labour that caused the perforation and the second just made it a little bit more noticeable.
What I find interesting was that it was never mentioned to me as a possible problem or complication. I had an high BP throughout my pregnancy and was constantly being warned about preeclampsia etc but never told to keep an eye on vision (as it were).
Just be aware of how retinal perforations and detachments can present themselves. Speak to your Doctor if you are unsure, although if you are -9 you probably now this already. And then get on and enjoy the pregnancy.
I've worse eyesight than you (-11 and -10.5) and never heard of this. Was never mentioned to me when I was pg. I gave birth naturally (spontaneous, quite fast!). I never knew that there was a high risk of retinal damage, just that my optician told me never to play rugby or go bungee jumping...
thanks a lot all for sharing your experiences. It is really comforting to hear that some of you had the same problem but things went well.
Hi zuzuni,
I'm a high myope aswell and a qualified Optometrist, and had a baby naturally without any problems to my eyes!!!! I wouldn't let high myopia worry you during your pregnancy and especially when you are in labour....believe me it'll be the least of your worries!
If you research, there have been cases of high myopes who have had retinal tears after they have given birth, but only a very tiny percentage which is not significant enough.
Hope you feel more relaxed, and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.