Seizures in pregnancy

• Seizures during pregnancy  

Nicola S: 13 weeks and having seizures

Well, morning sickness has stopped, but my seizures have returned. I prefer morning sickness.

Not full tonic clonic seizures thankfully but ‘dysphasia’. What happens is that I can be having a conversation or watching TV and suddenly I will not be able to understand what people are saying. It’s like my brain can’t keep up enough to interpret the sound before it forgets it. It only lasts a few minutes but I feel quite panicky when it happens and I feel weird for a while after.

My neurologist increases my meds and I keep having to go into hospital – blood tests, more seizures, higher dose, more blood tests, and still the seizures keep coming. It’s impossible to know what the right balance is - as low a dosage as possible to control the seizures, as neither the drugs nor the seizures are exactly ideal for my little one.

Despite the concern about if everything will be OK, I love being pregnant. The only problem is that I am starting to get a tummy, not enough to look pregnant, just enough to look fat. Can’t wait until I am big enough to look properly pregnant! I know I am supposed to eat healthily but maybe just one more cake won’t hurt…? At least I am trying to eat my five fruit and veg a day, drink lots of water, and get plenty of sleep. Anything I can do to make things as good as possible, the little mite has enough to contend with, what with yummy AEDs in with his dinner!

(Note from the editor, in this case Nicola’s seizures were causing dysphasia, which is a problem with a person’s speech).

Nicola S: Third trimester and still having seizures

The seizures are still occurring so finally my neurologist puts me on Keppra. I know it’s not great to be on two AEDs but at least it is in the final trimester and the major development has been done. It’s mainly just a question of growing now. The Keppra stops the seizures in their tracks; even so we’ve had to make extra room in the cupboard for all the pills…

I am still loving being pregnant. It’s especially exciting when he starts to show his presence visibly with limbs sticking out and disappearing again. There’s a person in there! (Or is it an alien?)

Jennifer B: A seizure free pregnancy and birth

No seizures thankfully - was worried that I'd have one given that the labour was long and I was shattered, which was always a trigger as was stress! Also wasn't allowed to eat, given threat of caesarean hanging over us after 24 hours.

Ingrid M: Only one seizure in my pregnancy

I had one seizure at five weeks (complex partial) but no more during the pregnancy or labour. Having spoken to a few specialists I went onto lamotrigine a few weeks before my daughter was born as I was told I would be more at risk in the first few weeks and months after birth.

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