I am 30 years old and had an aneurysm clipped this past April. My neurosurgeon said that if I got pregnant in the future it would be okay to deliver naturally etc. I had two vaginal deliveries previously but I am worried about doing it after this whole aneurysm experience though mine never ruptured thank God! Just wanted to hear successful stories and know how long everyone waited to start trying to conceive post op. A year or more etc?
Hi Elizabeth it was your question that had me join the BAF but it's taken me some time to find your post..just finding my way around the site and how it works.....I posted this on my blog yesterday in the hope that it would help you feel more confident and positive about the coming birth...I know that we are all different and so too are our aneurysms and clippings
I survived a subarachnoid hemorrhage in 1984. I was 22 years old. Horrendous experience at the time. In those days brain surgery was in it's infancy and there were not many surgeons capable of performing the operation at that time. I was fortunate in the fact that the one surgeon who could was called in to the carry out the procedure. I was told at the time I had a fifty fifty chance of survival and if I did come through it I would most likely have memory loss and a certain amount of physical paralysis. If I didn't have the clipping done I would most certainly die from it. At that time our only son Tom was just three years old..for me this was the saddest thing of all, the thought of not seeing him growing up was over whelming.. I was in theater for 8 hours, near the end of the operation the surgeon sustained a coronary and my op was completed by the assisting surgeons....we were wheeled into intensive care together....I will be forever grateful to that man for his skill and I am glad to say we both survived. In fact when I came out of the anesthetic I was 100% intact ..no memory loss and no paralysis much to the delight of my very stressed partner,family and friends. Although I was back on my feet quickly it took over 3 years before I felt mentally stable ...euphoria and depression go hand in hand,concentration was also a problem as well as extreme fatigue. In 1989 I gave birth naturally to our second son Ben much to the horror of my family doctor, she was more worried than I was. Everything went fine there was no effects on the brain whatsoever. I have since given birth five times, another four boys and lastly in 2001 our beautiful daughter Cate. When you have known the pain of a brain hemorrhage the pains of childbirth can be an incredibly bearable experience, I measure all pain now by that. It's quite incredible just how much we can bear. I have written this in the hope it will help any other would be mothers out there who are worried about giving birth after a clipping...be positive about it all...life is a wonderful thing .
Hi Elizabeth. My neurosurgeon said that I could deliver naturally after my coiling, but the maternal/fetal physician did not want to take any chances of having me push. I had 2 C-sections. My cerebral aneurysm ruptured in November 2005 and I got pregnant in August 2006 once I was medically cleared with my first child. Didn't expect to get pregnant on the first try. About 6 years later (11/2011, almost to the date of the initial rupture, the neck of the original aneurysm bubbled off and affected the third optic nerve in my right eye. As a result, I had an emergency craniotomy. I have permanent damage from a third cranial nerve palsy. My right eye does not look up. I see double vision when I look up. Other than that I am fine. Til this day, I think this occurred due to the increase in blood flow from my second pregnancy. I gave birth to my son in November 2009.
Hi Elizabeth, my neurosurgeon wanted me to wait until my 6 mo angio to make sure everything still looked okay (I was coiled)... but after that said essentially to go for it. My tubes had to be removed a few years prior, so IVF was our only option and he said even the hormones/meds that come with fertility treatments would be fine, and with no restrictions on delivery....though I would have had to had a c-section anyway due to past uterine surgery. We tried FET, which sadly failed. And we are probably done trying...as much as I hate to say it. I'd never experienced a visual aura until in the hospital with my annie bleed, and they stopped a few months after coiling. But returned out of the blue a year later when I was on birth control pills preparing for the FET, and again in May post-op for endometriosis - that 2nd time with other symptoms that some docs think was a TIA. Maybe not TIA at all...but was enough to scare me and get me thinking that this may be my sign to quit and love what we do have-- though I do still have brave days where I think "come on, it was probably just an ocular migraine; let's try again!"
I know it's so overwhelming and is a lot to process. I hope you find the answers you need to help guide you to what is best for you. Just make sure all your dr's are aware, and have your OB watch your blood pressure. I had hypertension with prior pregnancy and this is something mine was going to watch carefully, placing me on meds or bed rest if needed.
I didn't wait per se, but we did have to find some time to heal from the anuerysm and the csection of our daughter. For me, it was about 20 months. I had to wait because I wasn't a whole functioning person yet. I couldn't speak very well, had memory loss and needed physical therapy, which suprisingly only took about four months. I knew I wanted a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) and I wasn't ready for another baby just yet. I needed to get the clear from all doctors (neurosurgeon, obstetrician, psychiatrist, ect) before I could proceed. Then I got pregnant and it was a suprise!
I meant to say it was 13 months between aneurysm and conceiving again. Pregnancy brain.
Thanks for all the replies. I have horrible baby fever! I reached out to my neurosurgeon again to see what she had to say and once again she told me I have the green light for a pregnancy. I want to start trying again so bad but at the same time I am hesitant as I almost think I should wait til next March when I am scheduled for my follow up MRI though at the same time its right around the time I would deliver if I was truly to get pregnant now. So many decisions I am just going to have to pray about it and let God lead the way...
I'm due in early March and spoke to the PA at my neuro's office and was told the dr wants me to be considered high risk (even though it's more of a precaution) and said I need a c-section. I had a PED done in 8/2011, however, my aneurysm was not completely gone at my last angio in Feb of this year although it was "sluggish" and should be gone soon. The dr doesn't think the straining and pushing would be good for me. But everyone is different!
My baby was only 2 months old when my annie happened, so for me “waiting” was something we would have done even if the annie hadn’t happened. It was about 3 years after it happened that we got serious and started seeking the green lights from individuals. It’s a slightly longer gap between #2 and this one than #1 and #2, but in many ways I think for me at least, it was best. 
Thank you for your post. I had a clipping at 28. in 2004 I delivered my daughter in 2011 via regular delivery. My neurosurgeon and OB cleared me to do so. I was very anxious even though it had been 7yrs post-surgery I had only had one MRI in the interim. They assured me there was almost no risk. I did end up taking some anxiety medication during delivery but fortunately labor was fairly quick as things go. I've since had 3 MRIs (annual thing) and all clear. If you and all your doctors are comfortable I hope you can have the birth experience you want.