LASIK Before Pregnancy: Anything to Worry About?
Will my baby have my eyes? What about my bad vision? During pregnancy, it is common to think about your growing child, wondering what the future holds for you and your little one. Patients with vision problems may wonder if their child will someday struggle with nearsightedness or farsightedness too.
Pregnancy symptoms may make wearing glasses and contacts frustrating and may cause you to consider LASIK surgery. Or perhaps you’ve had LASIK in the past and are now wondering how pregnancy will change your results.
Here’s what you need to know about LASIK and pregnancy.
Will Pregnancy Change My Vision?
For about 10-15% of women, pregnancy leads to vision changes. These changes often reverse after baby is born, but for some women, the vision changes remain even after delivery. There are many causes for pregnancy vision changes including water retention and hormonal fluctuations.
Pregnancy can cause other changes to the eyes. These include:
- Dry Eye- Many women develop dry eye symptoms during pregnancy. The eyes may also be more irritated than normal. Many women have problems wearing their normal contacts because of these changes.
- Visual Disturbances- Some women report visual disturbances like halos, blind spots, and flashing lights during pregnancy. Sometimes these are caused by a type of migraine headache that is commonly experienced during pregnancy.
Throughout your pregnancy, report changes in your vision to your eye doctor.
Can I Get LASIK Surgery While Pregnant?
LASIK surgery isn’t recommended during pregnancy. Fluid retention can temporarily change the shape of the eye, but this will resolve after pregnancy. Since LASIK adjusts the shape of the eye, it is best performed when you aren’t pregnant. Waiting for fluid levels to normalize ensures that we can contour the eye properly for long-lasting results.
Additionally, some of the medications used during LASIK surgery aren’t tested for use during pregnancy. Wait until after pregnancy and breastfeeding to schedule your LASIK surgery. Most women are good candidates for surgery within one to months after pregnancy and breastfeeding.
How Soon After LASIK Can I Safely Get Pregnant?
LASIK surgery won’t put your baby-making plans on hold for long. We recommend waiting until you’ve had the procedure and are healed to conceive. For most patients, this means you can safely get pregnant about a month after surgery.
The Benefits of LASIK Surgery During Pregnancy and Beyond
If you’re thinking about LASIK, come in for treatment now and enjoy these benefits during your pregnancy.
- Wearing contacts can be difficult for many women due to dry eye syndrome that commonly occurs during pregnancy. If contacts are your preferred method of vision correction, you may need to switch to glasses until after you deliver. LASIK helps many women avoid glasses or contacts during pregnancy.
- Glasses and contacts are inconvenient when you’re waking up in the middle of the night to feed the baby. With LASIK, you can wake up and see without stumbling around looking for your glasses.
- See those cute chubby cheeks with crystal clear vision. Many of our LASIK patients enjoy better vision after surgery than they had before surgery (even when wearing their glasses).
Dr. Brian Will is a top refractive surgeon in the Pacific Northwest. Contact Will Vision and Laser Centers to schedule your LASIK consultation today.