A Tricky Trifecta: Neurodivergence , Hypermobility, & Pregnancy
Like many neurodivergent people, I have hypermobillity issues. Over my life, and undiagnosed, this led to recurrent carpal tunnel pain, frequent ankle sprains, joint pain, and other symptoms. My mother, and her mother, had similar issues, so I figured it just ran in the family.
Which it does, but there’s an underlying cause: hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) which includes hyper mobile Ehler-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS). These syndromes affect not only joint mobility but also skin elasticity, organ and muscle functioning, arm length (?? Weird right?) and a whole host of other bodily functions. It’s more common in people who also are neurodivergent.
So, I always had minor incapacitations throughout my life. But it wasn’t until pregnancy that I was truly impacted and I think this is important to discuss, because I wasn’t prepared at all!
Pregnancy, with its accompanying weight gain, hormonal changes, and cumbersome physique, really did a number on me and I didn’t know why. “Oh, everyone is exhausted when they’re pregnant,” I heard. But my exhaustion was pure physical fatigue. I would get extremely physically worn out from normal activities. Joint pain was common and interfered with my functioning. And, I was debilitated by pelvic girdle pain. Not fun. Luckily, my first pregnancy was in 2020 and I was able to work from home for the entire duration of my pregnancy.
Once I realized that hypermobility was A Thing, and I had it, my life and physical issues made much more sense! And during pregnancy, hormones such as relaxin make joints even looser—leading to great discomfort and a need for extra care if you’re already hypermobile.
Hypermobility syndromes can also lead to a premature rupture of membranes (PROM)—your water breaks early, before any signs of labor, according to an article by Rachel Fitz-Desorgher, Midwife, on Ehlers-danlos.org. For me this was the case. I had scheduled c-sections at 39 weeks for both my babies, but my waters broke at 38 weeks, unprompted and without any immediate signs of labor. Just a bunch of water everywhere, out of nowhere. I had to go have my c-section deliveries a little early.
Another thing that I definitely relate to that the article noted was possible bad reactions to anesthesia. During my first c-section, when I had my daughter, I was given a medication that made me sick and frighteningly drowsy. I had to scour my records to figure out which medication affected me, in order to ensure I wasn’t given it again when I had my son. I met with the anesthesiologist ahead of time to discuss my concerns, and had zero problems during my son’s birth.
It is important to inform your physicians of your condition and advocate for the care you need if you are planning to receive pain medication during delivery. According to Rachel Fitz-Desorgher, hypermobility disorders can lead to a drop in blood pressure with certain anesthetics.
I am linking a second helpful article below that goes into further detail about special considerations for childbearing women with hypermobility issues. It is a bit more dense but contains a wealth of important information if you are pregnant, considering pregnancy, or recently gave birth and also have hypermobility issues.
In my next blog article, we’ll explore how partners can support, make life easier, and accommodate the physical and emotional toll of pregnancy. I’ll share some of my own experiences and offer some tips for couples experiencing a “hypermobile pregnancy!”
https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/full/10.12968/bjom.2018.26.4.217