Achalasia- pregnant

I have 5 children and never had an attack through any of the pregnancies.  I know that muscles naturally relax during pregnancy and maybe this includes the internal ones as well?  Please understand that I am not medically qualified but this has been my experience.

I know somebody who had a successful pregnancy after an oesophagectomy (she was born with a rare condition that meant that she had to have her stomach surgically pulled up and joined to the stump of her oesophagus) so if it worked for her then I am sure that it will be possible for you.    My guess is that there will be two main issues:  taking in sufficient nutrition (which would probably be monitored and supplements given as appropriate);  and pressure from your increasingly large abdomen pushing up against your lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS), with perhaps greater amounts of acid reflux, but this will depend on the exact details of whether your LOS is normally clamped tight shut, or whether it tends to stay open.

If you have had a fundoplication procedure and a wrap it may be feasible that pregnancy might create a bit more pressure on it, but I would not have thought that would be a moajor concern.   If you have had a specialist procedure to deal with your achalasia, you can always ask them for their advice;  if not, it would probably be best to seek a referral now because having a procedure done before pregnancy might be the best way forward.

I remember being worried about getting pregant and childbirth, too- I was diagnosed and had a Heller Myotomy with a partial wrap in 2007 and got pregnant and had my daughter in 2008. I think the answer depends on how severe your achalasia is and whether treatment has proven successful for you. I was so severely malnourished that my hair was falling out. I even had trouble drinking water, so getting pregnant before my surgery would have been out of the question. Luckily, I had a very effective myotomoy (to this date) and I had a good pregnancy, a natural childbirth and healthy baby, no complications whatsoever related to my achalasia.

I had both of my pregnancies following balloon dialation.  My balloon dialition had done an amazing job, I was DX in 1992 and had the dialation, had my son in 1993.  I had no issues.  I became pregnant with my dauther in early 1996, she was born in August of that year.  During the beginning of my 9th month, I started having the attacks.  I could still swallow, but these attacks would come, full on pressure in the middle of my being, where I felt like if I just had an ice pick, I could puncture right between the bottom of my breastbone and it would such a relief.  It radiated back to front, front to back.  I went to the Dr. and they wanted to dialate me again, but I declined because I had a baby in me!!  I could make it a month.  After she was born, I had no more problems, except every year or two, I'd have "an attack" (that is what I called them).  Weirdly enough, Diet Coke made them go away!!!!  I went for 15 years without any problems, then the swallowing started having problems again.  I had a Hellery Myotomy with Fund in 2010.  I've now had no more attacks, but the swallowing is still an issue, just not as bad, there are some days I have to force food down.  I hate it, hate it, hate it, but I've learned to deal with it and live within the parameters of what I can and can't do.  I would think I would be skinny, I can hardly consume 1200 calories a day, but I am the same size I've always been.  Guess my body acclimated to it.  I'm 50 now.  I HATE the thought of being old with this disease........but I'm just not going to go there.  If you and hubby want children, I say go for it.  If you haven't had a balloon dialation yet, you might get one before getting pregnant.  Just my experience, it really helped me.  I know everyone is different.  Also, I can't believe you've had it since 8.  I was 19 when I first started having issues and thought I was the youngest ever!  :-)  HUGS!