Hi..
I was diagnosed with ET (CalR) 2 years ago and my physician never mentioned that I won't be able to get pregnant and didn't really discuss the topic but lately my boyfriend and I were planning to get married and one of the main reasons his family doesn't approve of me is because they think I won't be able to have children because of my condition. I want to be honest and clear about my condition so I wanted to know if this is a real possibility.
Hello Wadz, yes, the good news is you can become pregnant, and many ladies with MPNs have over the years been through very successful pregnancies. Please read the advice we have on our website about pregnancy and MPNs, I am sure this will help you and your husband's family, and then you will need to discuss your plans to become pregnant with your haematologist, so that he/she can advise you. Best wishes, Maz
Hi Wadz,
I have ET, the same mutation as yourself. I was diagnosed just after having a baby.
I was told by my Haematologist that should we decide to have anymore I would be carefully managed through a pregnancy.
The meds that you are prescribed, if any, have a big bearing.
Maz has already pointed you in the right direction and as she says speak to your Haematologist. I just wanted to get in touch to let you know that it is possible as someone who’s personally been through it.
What a shame you aren’t having good support from your in-laws.
All the very best of luck to you, I really hope everything will work out x
Thank you very much for your kind words.
It has been really hard trying to convince everyone that I can have a normal life and all they want to see is cancer but hopefully things will work out in the future.
wishing you all the best dear 
As you have already heard you can certainly get pregnant and carry to term successfully with ET. The issue would be whether you are on any meds like hydroxyurea (aka hydroxycarbamide) that are teratogenic (cause birth defects). If you have been on HU, then you must wait 6 months for women (12 months for men) before you get pregnant.
Mazcd has already referred you on to the internal website for more resources and certainly check with your hematologist regarding pregnancy care. Something worth discussing is reactive thrombocytosis. Anytime our body encounters significant bleeding, injury or inflammation there is a natural reaction to produce more platelets. This natural reaction has some different implications for those of us with a MPN when platelet levels are already elevated. Please be sure to talk to your hematologist about the risks for both thrombosis and hemorrhage when your platelets get more elevated. Some of us (me included) tend more towards bleeding than clotting at higher platelet levels (even levels below1 million).
BTW - I was diagnosed with ET over 30 years ago. It progressed to PV about 6 years ago. Still alive and kicking! I am fortunate to have had a relatively indolent version of a MPN. There have been some challenges along the way, but I have had a good life and have been able to do pretty much anything I want despite the MPN. I am the father of two great kids and still active at age 64. I think you can look forward to a long rich life, with children if you wish.
All the best.
I am glad to know that. wishing you and your family all the best
Thanks a lot for your support.
Merry Chrisrmas !
Oh Wadz what an awful attitude.
On the positive side I’m fully aware that you can with careful monitoring have a successful pregnancy. It’s important to be seen by an MPN specialist as I think your meds might need adjusting.
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Oh no! I’m so sorry they’re acting that way. Yes, it’s entirely possible to have a successful pregnancy with an MPN. I actually found out I had PV *because* of my first OB blood panel.
They other users are right - there are some drugs you’d want to stop in time to have them out of your system, so talking with your doctor about options is a must. And that link Maz posted is really quality info I wish I’d had then.
Don’t be surprised if your OB sends you to a high-risk OB/maternal-fetal medicine specialist. The title sounds scary, but they’re just extra skilled handling weird situations.
ET is different than PV; I can only tell you my experience. But I had a baby aspirin a day, and close monitoring of CBCs and blood pressure. I had a surprise C-section (not related to PV or preeclampsia), and had daily shots of heparin for six weeks after to prevent clots. The scar healed great; no significant bleeding issues. Being pregnant exacerbated my fatigue and insomnia, but the itching went away until after the birth.
You can do it. Maybe with more doctors and tests than your average pregnancy, but it’s totally doable. Good luck!
I am really glad to know that you did okay during your pregnancy. Hope you have a healthy happy life.
Thanks for your support.
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