Thursday, July 5, 2018

Rheumatology Nurse Practice: Family Planning & Pregnancy Issues in RA

A few weeks ago I shared on Instagram that I recently had the opportunity to write an article on what women wished their rheumatology teams had told them before getting pregnant for Rheumatology Nurse Practice - the magazine published by the Rheumatology Nurses Society. I was thrilled that they wanted to include the patient perspective, and very happy to have the opportunity to share not only my insights but also some gathered from other mamas in my Mamas Facing Forward group. 

In addition to including the patient perspective, I think RNS has managed to create a MASTERPIECE of information on pregnancy with rheumatic disease that was completely missing when I started my own path to motherhood. The issue includes an explanation of the FDA's new medication labeling system for safety during pregnancy, current data on DMARDs during pregnancy, the importance of encouraging patients to join pregnancy registries, real experience from rheumatology professionals managing their patient's pregnancies, advice for new parents living with RA, and even a pull out poster with current clinical recommendations for the use of various medications during pregnancy. 

I'm over the moon to see this issue getting so much detailed attention - and I hope that this magazine ends up in the hands of many rheumatology professionals! And, for patients who might want to take a look themselves, I'm happy to report that the issue is now available for free online! 

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