A woman will still be able to conceive with Fibromyalgia, but as noted in a previous section it is believed that FMS is contributed to factors of hormones; Well with my own experience of pregnancy I feel I could almost confirm that theory. I also have a disease called Endometriosis; which in this case it was highly recommended that I become pregnant. Now don't get me wrong the doctor didn't need to twist my arm as I had lost a pregnancy about 3 years prior to that and it really left me empty; therefor I was more than willing to comply.

Although my gyneocologist said that a pregnancy would help the situation with the Endometriosis; I was never ever warned of the horrific impact that it would have on my Fibromyalgia. We have learned that our pain receptors and sensitivity system runs overtime at about a 30 times rate over that of a person without FMS; well add another 50 times on to that rate during a pregnancy. I look at my little boy today and yes the pain was well worth it, but was a very difficult time getting through at the time.

By the 6th week into term with my pregnancy I had already begun to have contractions. The sleep problem had seriously magnetized which started at about 8 weeks and lasted right up until the final day. Many nights I tossed and turned until 3 or 4 in the morning until finally getting up to have hot baths and drinking hot milk by the cupfuls (which we learned was a food to stay away from because it is classified as an allergen which FMS patients do not generally react too well to, but I didn't know this at the time); to no avail; I only succeeded in creating an upset stomach from the milk and over fatigue from the hot bath. By the 6th month there were many times I sat on the edge of the bed almost in tears cause all I wanted was to be able to sleep.

The pain level felt as if it had become severly intensified by magnitudes that are unspeakable. I had great difficulty walking up the stairs in my home, my legs hurt so bad and the spasms had become very frequent. To be able to sit for 5 minutes instead of the 1 hour margin was now very hard for me to do. I could not sit still for anything; no matter how tired or exhausted I was. When I sat everything felt as if it had locked up and all my muscles were in shock. Trying to sit through an enjoyable movie was a task similar to trying to move the earth.

By the 4th month I began getting spasms so bad in my ovaries I could not move; I thought I was in early labor. Upon being rushed to emergency it was discovered that a cyst had developed in my right ovary. I had been told the cyst was quite normal for the term of pregnancy that I was in at the time, but the sensitivity to the pain of the ovary was not. This cysts however did decide to stick with me for an abnormally long period of time. It had come to a point that getting up from a lying down position was so excrutiating that I began dreading it at bedtime. The baths had come to an abrupt ending, as I could no longer pull myself up without excrutiating ovary pain; therefor showers were able to solve that particular problem.

My respiratory problems had become so intensified I found it difficult to breath while sitting or lying and coughed as if I had a serious lung infection. Which could not be treated because of the pregnancy other than to take a venolin inhaler to help clear my breathing passages; which in all reality I obstained from as I did not want to put toxics into the baby's blood stream. My bladder and bowel syndrome had become very sporadic; the bladder causing me great pain and lack of control. My bowels were either keeping me locked up in the washroom for hours or there lack of, sometimes going over a week without a movement at all.

I might say that morning sickness was of no extra battle to me; no more than any other pregnant woman; however the way I had reacted to certain foods due to the digestive problems that FMS had brought into my life; had increased severely.

By the 8th month into pregnancy I had become convinced there was no way I could survive this pregnancy, every movement caused me utter pain, my body had begun to seriously maintain extra fluids, and the back of my legs had literally turned black, this pregnancy was beginning to frighten me. I consulted with doctors as I had never experienced any of these symptoms with my other 2 pregnancy and was concerned. I was told by these doctors it was because I was so much older, not to worry. I was only 32 years old I would argue; women have babies older than that all the time. Well needless to say I accepted my pain and felt all would be well the day of my C-section. (c-section was totally unrelated to the FMS) Boy, I could not have been more wrong.

The prepping me for surgery was a nightmare I will not soon forget... if ever. By the time they wheeled me into surgery I was a total emotional mess and almost in tears; but feeling that now my doctors are taking care of me it has to be the end of my pain. You see while prepping me for surgery the nurses did a butcher job with the IV needles; at one point pools of blood were spilling from my hand. When putting in my cathetar it felt as if they were putting something in the urinal tract that was 20 times too big. I was in so much pain I was convinced that they were going to put me into labor before I made it into the operating room. There was more but I am sure that you get the idea.

Anyhow due to the intensified symptoms of FMS with my pregnancy all did not go well in the surgery room either....I started to lose a lot of faith in my doctors at this point. While putting in my epideral needle the specialist hit a nerve which seered pain from the bottom of my toes right up to my spine. I had tried to tell him he didn't get it in right as I had epiderals in the past. He did not listen; and asked the nurses to push down on my shoulders forcing my head towards my knees. This caused great pain in the uteran area I was convinced they were hurting the baby at this point and rebelled. I was forced to lie at this point on my back to feed the epideral medicine in to freeze me. I complained that there was no difference that the medication was not working; the doctor upped my doseage by 3 more levels and I still complained. Well he thought I was nuts after 3 extra doses this was working and I was just paranoid. I was almost in tears looking at my family doctor at this point to please save me from these butchers. Well luckily enough he believed me and gave me a needle test and sure enough it had not worked at all. He demanded that they knock me out with the gas mask instead of the epideral. Now mind you I wanted the epideral so I could see my baby being born but by this point this suggestion was quite a relief to me. Again though all did not feel well; as I had mentioned my respiratory system had really taken a beating and when they put the mask over my face and I breathed in that first breath I felt as if I was suffocating to death and put up a resistance. But alas my beautiful baby was born, but it was one of the longest rockiest roads I have ever had to endure in my lifetime.

After giving birth they found my white blood cells had went extremely low (likely what was causing the blackness at the back of my legs); low enough the nurses at the hospital disagreed with my release, but I hated hospitals and doctor said I could go; so I returned home with my newborn treasure. The next few months were very difficult too; although different. My hair began falling out by the clumps; I suffered what felt like morning sickness for a few months after the pregnancy; And the intensity of pain in my muscles during the pregnancy was here to stay. I also began leaking a green fluid from my incision and upon a visit to my surgeon was told the green fluid was coming out because when he did the C-Section I had very large amounts of abdominal fluid and they had to double staple me. No explanation as to why I had so much fluid and why it would still be leaking. To this day not sure if that problem would be FMS or an indication pointing elsewhere but doctors here were content to let it go and as a good patient so did I. My body almost 3 years later feels as if it never really recuperated and made bonding with my newborn child a very difficult thing. Holding him for more than 5 minutes was hard to do; at one point I actually cut a roll of sponge to wrap around my arm hoping to relieve some of the pain when he rested in my arms; but this was of little help to me. Now that he is older the bonding has become easier; there are more ways to show him love and security at his age.

I am in no way trying to discourage anyone who has considered a pregnancy at this point not to carry through. But I wish someone had of informed me of what to expect. When I look at my beautiful 3 year old he was worth every ounce of pain that I endured, but I think in order to endure this you must be really sure you want the pregnancy and the child; and you must want it for you. Simply not because someone else may want it. Also in knowing the things I endured; you will be more prepared and request to be monitored in a more sufficient way than I was, and make sure your doctor believes what you say!! And again I say although the pregnancy was not like a rainbow; the gold I recieved after the path traveled would seemingly make it so though.