Most doctors recommend waiting at
least 1-2 years before getting pregnant.
Even then, the pregnancy will be
considered high-risk and you will need
to be monitored more closely than the
average pregnant woman. The physical
stress from pregnancy can cause strain
on the transplanted kidney, so you should work with your health care provider
to find ways to minimize this. Also, transplant recipients are more likely to deliver
prematurely or have babies of low birth weight.
Once you become pregnant you may need to change some of your medications. You should not take myfortic® or CellCept® if you are planning to get pregnant, and these drugs should not be used during pregnancy unless you cannot be successfully treated with other immunosuppressant drugs. In certain situations, you and your healthcare practitioner may decide that the benefits to you outweigh the risks to your unborn baby. If you do use these medications at any time during pregnancy, you are encouraged to enroll in the National Transplantation Pregnancy Registry by calling 1-877-955-6877.
If you become pregnant after a kidney transplant, you will need to work with your doctors to find the delicate balance between protecting your own health and that of your unborn child. The good news is that thousands of kidney transplant recipients have gone on to have healthy pregnancies. With the proper care and precautions, you have a good chance of delivering a healthy baby.
