Hi. This is my first post after reading for a few months.
I have had POTS for around 10 years (formally diagnosed about 3 years ago) and the consultant referred me to another specialist because he noticed my rather loose joints. In March of this year, I was diagnosed with EDSIII.
My POTS is fairly severe - lots of dizziness/fainting, I can't drive because of it and I seem to be tired and run-down quite a bit. I'm no medication at all, mostly because I had severe reactions to anything they tried me on and because my husband and I were hoping to start a family. (I'm also allergic to a whole range of of antibiotics, so I take nothing stronger than an aspirin when needed!)
As far as the EDS goes, I don't have the severe pain that some people can get - although I do have grinding knees and joint pain in my hips and knees (especially when cold). The diagnosis came as a shock as I never knew that there was anything particularly wrong with the way my joints moved, or the way my skin stretched. I don't have the problem with healing, although scratches and cuts seem to linger and leave scars and I bruise very easily. I've had an operation in the past and there was a lot of bruising and pain around the wound - more than average - but the scar has healed well.
Anyway, that's the background info - now for my question.
By the time I was diagnosed with EDS, I was around 14 weeks pregnant with my fourth pregnancy. (I've had three miscarriages since Jul 2004, one of which was twins - I was investigated for genetic/blood disorders that can cause recurrent miscarriage but the tests were negative, although I've since been told that EDS may have been at the root of it.) The specialist that diagnosed the EDS mentioned the risk of rapid labour and premature labour and told me to tell my consultant. I have really bad hip/pubic bone pain and my dizziness has been getting worse.
I did this and she dismissed my fears, saying that EDSIII only caused problems in labour if I had a blood clotting disorder - which I don't have. I've since moved house and will be seeing a new consultant in a couple of weeks' time (at which point I'll be 33 weeks) and I don't want to have to wait for them to go and research the condition. My midwife has never heard of either POTS or EDS. My last midwife - who was wonderfully supportive and went and looked into both conditions so she could advise me - suggested that I push for an elective c-section to try and prevent any dislocations and to prevent the strain of labour from tiring me out so much that I won't be able to look after the baby properly.
As far as support after the birth - I've moved back in with my parents and will be staying with them for the last few weeks of my pregnancy and until Christmas. My husband is in the Army and is, unfortunately for him, not around right now - although he hopes to get some leave when the baby is born (paternity leave is not a legal right in the Forces although they do try to accomodate you wherever possible).
What should I be telling them? Should I be pushing for a c-section? I know some of the risks associated with EDSIII but I'm not sure of the risks associated with POTS; my consultant says that there are more risks after the birth - extreme tiredness etc, especially if I have a difficult labour. Has anyone any advice concerning either condition that they could share?