Pregnancey

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Hello I was wondering if there is anyone with Aspergers syndrome or othe autism spectrum disorder who has ha a child or two. I geuss this is more a female oriented question. Did the pregnancey cause you autism symptoms to increase? Did autism have any effect on your pregnancey at all?

I don't have any kids but I was pregnant one time. My AS stayed the same but I had increase sense of smell (which is normal). Then it went away.

Ive had 2 children but I did not know I had aspergers when I was pregnant, I did not have any differences in myself apart from the usual pregnancy differences (weight gain, sore hips, needing the loo, stretch marks).

If you are planning to have children I would advise reading all the parenting books that you can as it really helps, I think Stephen Bidulphs "how to raise happy children", is the most helpful book. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Secret ... 373&sr=8-2

People really need to know about the best ways to disapline from the begining as its much harder intorducing things when the child is 3 or 4 and being naughty. Also read books on autistic children as its likely your kids will have it too (both mine do) and its helpful to have some ideas on how to make life run more smoothly (visual timetables etc).

I did prolonged breast feeding, co sleeping and baby wearing and Im sure that helped my daughters autism as a lot of the 'therapys' for autism are similar and she did not talk till she was 4 as it was, I dread to think how she would have got on if she had been bottle fed and left in a cot.

I didn't know I was on the spectrum at the time. In retrospect I was able to focus even more intensly on things... I actually passed a maths exam that I'd never been able to do before. Touch, smell, taste and hearing all increased, along with the hypersensitive problems... I couldn't wear half my clothes for scratching, and I could barely eat anything because the sensations going down my throat were so hard, or the smell was so off putting, or the taste, texture on my tongue were so disgusting. I lived on potatoes, beans, water, and fruit juice with glucose in it. How I gave birth to a nine pounder given that I had such severe hyperemeris I don't know.

I had melt downs more often too, though I tended to faint several times a day, so the form my melt downs took was different. Instead of panicking and losing it verbally, I'd just fall down. People sympathised with that more than my usual.

I had some problems with smells and foods (typical) and obsessed about foetus development and miscarriage statistics. So pregnancy became my obsessive interest, and then the baby too. I became more introverted.

Second time around I didn't obsess as much. I became very sensitive to stress though, and had daily migraines for about six weeks.

Same here. I have two kids and didn't realize I had this at the time I got pregnant with them.

I had two children before I knew I was on the spectrum (I found out about my own diagnosis while my 3 year old was getting his). Turns out both of my children are on the spectrum. The pregnancies were fine, I didn't notice any increase in problems/issues, any more so than other hormonal pregnant women. I was down and blah a lot, but that's true of me pretty much all the time. Parenting two kids on the spectrum has been a real challenge for me though, especially my older son, probably because we are so much alike. And he likes a lot of loud stims and mouth stims and those drive me CRAZY!! My little son is much more sensitive like me.


L2K

seems to have had an effect on some but not on others. I was thinking it would increase the symptoms of autism and pregnancy would be a lot harder because of the increase in horrormones. I want to have kids one day but I am not sure how I will be I wasn't sure if autism will complicate it.

I was very emotional during my first trimester, later I was fine. I didn't know about Asperger's then but I remember my pregnancy very well and I think I was more normal then than ever.

I have three children but wasn't aware of being on the spectrum at the time, just of being different. I liked being pregnant and like someone else mentioned became very interested in everything about it and babies. Looking back now when I was breastfeeding I feel my symptoms where at their least which would fit in with findings about oxytocin and autism. When my oldest son was a baby I was convinced he had medical problems, though no one else wanted to listen so researching what it could be became my obsession and he was finally diagnosed with several conditions. Many of my really focused (obsessive?) interests have been around my children's care - health, nutrition, special needs, breastfeeding...

I have two children and I don't recall having any particular problems with my AS during the pregnancies.

I do think that dealing with very young children might have been easier for me than for NT women, being in many ways so child-like myself. It got more difficult as they got older, but at the same time, they learned how to compensate for my AS better than I did. And in fact they became my best "coaches", which I've described in another thread.

I found out that I'm pregnant today (yay etc) and I'm about three weeks gone. I've actually noticed that my anxiety symptoms have been quietened. So far, I feel happy and calm, with a bit of a tight tummy and heavy boobs! Here's hoping the next 37 weeks are as easy

Congratulations

Im so pleased for you!

Wow lucky you.

Thanks

Congratulations on your pregnancy.

I did not know about AS when I was having children either. During pregnancy I felt the best ever emotionally, although I had severe hyperemesis (9 months of puking any time of day). I don't recommend hospital births for someone with AS who does not like to be touched. I suffered from PTSD after my babies were born from the stress of the hospital staff and multiple strangers touching me. If I had it to do over I would try a midwife at home or birth center, at least then its just one stranger touching you.