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Posted 1/14/2008 2:29 PM (GMT 0)
My husband and I have decided to try and concieve, this is our second month trying. I'm really excieted but worried at the same time. Is there anyone on the board who is actively trying or can give me some advice? I'm in remission right now and am scared the pregnancy will cause me to flare. 
Posted 1/14/2008 3:38 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there
I know there has been many in the past with same concerns as you and I am sure once ppl are able to post they will give their input for you

I do want to wish you all the best in your trying and hoping all goes the way you want it to

Lyn
Posted 1/14/2008 6:35 PM (GMT 0)
Stick to a more natural diet during pregnancy and that may help. You probably know the drill: no fast foods, sugar, preservatives or chemicals, and no processed food.

Best wishes!
Posted 1/14/2008 7:06 PM (GMT 0)

I am newly diagnosed with Crohns but am fairly certain I had it while I was pregnant with my daughter (2006).  The worst part for me was the 3rd trimester.  I pretty much had to live off of gatorade and crackers for the majority of it.  I dont know if it was because she added more pressure in there but I had constant diarreah and vomiting (I never had any problems with my son in 2003).  I had to go to the hospital several times for fluids.  I am sure if we had known that I had crohns things may have been a little easier on me.  HOWEVER, my daughter was born on her due date and was perfectly healthy! 

Best of luck to you!!!!  Enjoy every minute!


Posted 1/14/2008 7:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Researchnut:

It's just great that you have the luxury of planning a pregnancy while you are in remission. Many, many of us have had to deal with active crohn's while pregnant and still managed to deliver healthy babies.

Studies seem to indiciate that you have the odds on your side too. Many crohn's sufferers enjoy a reduction in symptoms while pregnant -- there is some suggestion that pregnancy hormones tend to confer some positive effect on auto-immune diseases, like MS etc. The flip side is that sometimes those protective effects don't last after the baby is born. (For my money, I think that when there is an increase in symptoms after birth it is more likely due to exhaustion and stress from this life changing event)

Anyway, my advice is to remain focussed on the joys of conception, pregnancy, birth and becoming parents. Eat as healthfully as possible -- for both you and your baby's sake, and stay well grounded in your reality. Expect to remain in remission through this pregnancy, but act quickly if you notice symptoms returning.

best wishes as you embark on this miraculous journey.
Posted 1/14/2008 7:44 PM (GMT 0)
kcgh03, thank you for your response, I'm so happy to hear of your successful delivery while coping with CD. It's really uplifting to me to hear pregnancy is possible and safe.

belleenstein, I am very lucky right now, I hope I stay in remission, I know it's only a matter of time though. I thank God every day that my Asacol works. I just hope that the Lord will bless us with a baby now that the time is right.
Posted 1/14/2008 8:09 PM (GMT 0)
I wish I could say that my first pregnancy was a piece of cake, but it was horrible. During week 11 I started experiencing lots of abdominal pain. I couldn't keep anything down when I had the urge to eat which wasn't very often. I was in the hospital 7 times and lost 28 pounds. My daughter was born on time (I was actually induced) and she was perfect. Average weight and no other problems even now at over 2 years old. I was UNDIAGNOSED at this time and so my crohn's was NOT being treated. I had my first resection in July and am on Remicade as a maintenance drug to keep me in "remission". With the ok of my GI, we started trying for our second child and I am currently 5 weeks pregnant. I am staying on the remicade to keep my crohn's under control. My GI told me that there was a risk of miscarriage if I had a major flare during which was not something I wanted to risk. And the pain that I suffered through with my daughter was AWFUL!! I would suggest just talking with your doctors and staying informed about your options. GOOD LUCK!!!
Posted 1/14/2008 8:17 PM (GMT 0)
I'm 3 mos right now. They say 1/3 of women get better, 1/3 stay the same, and 1/3 get worse during pregnancy. If you go in already in remission you are in good shape. I also have been told that you tend to stay in the condition you started.

I was in remission before we started trying and worked out a plan with my GI. I went down to the only meds I planned to take during pregnancy and made sure I would stay in remission on those. Also did some blood work to confirm that. I am still feeling great and have not had to change any eating habits (aside from the pregnancy restrictions). Good luck to you.
Posted 1/14/2008 10:18 PM (GMT 0)
I am about 8 weeks now. I didn't take any special precautions while trying. Just the normal pregnancy things.......folic acid, no alcohol etc. I was planning for it soon but not this soon so it did come as a surprise. I usually get sick around every 6 weeks like clockwork and then get a remicade infusion. I found out I was pregnant the morning I was supposed to get my last infusion. So I am 5 weeks past my infusion date and I feel surprisingly well. I have some symptoms but nothing major. I do have loss of appetite but that could be attributed to either. Either way, I feel the best I have ever felt without my meds in 7 years. I'm hoping this will continue. I wish you all the luck in the world. Keep us posted. I'm sure you will have more questions once you concieve. I've posted a few since I found out.
Posted 1/15/2008 2:37 PM (GMT 0)
I have three beautiful children unfortunately I flared during each pregnancy (probably stress related). Just make sure you keep taking your meds (even in remission) and follow up with your GI doctor every few months...
Posted 1/15/2008 5:59 PM (GMT 0)
I will say I had no problem getting pregnant. I was not diagnosed at the times of my pregnancies but my doctor is positive I had it then. I had all the same symptoms/pains..etc..

I got pregnant twice while on birth control. I did have a tougher time with the "morning sickness" which was probably more crohn's related. With my oldest daughter her umbilical cord was so thin and fragile that it snapped during delivery. They had to resusitate her. My second pregnancy was ok same vomitting and diahrea flare ups at the third trimester and after delivery..It was terrible..she was very healthy though...and with my third baby who is 11 weeks old it was HELL plain and simple HELL. I was in pain 24/7 Vomitting, diahrea, high fevers and the doctors didn't know why then I ended up getting bladder infections and UTI's at least 6 times through out the pregnancy. I have been in terrible pain and very sick since he has been born.

I suggest that you talk to your doctor before getting pregnant and be careful with your diet and your health in general. I wish you the best of luck. :-)

Posted 1/15/2008 6:12 PM (GMT 0)
I have UC but lurk on this board from time to time, so I hope you don't mind me posting!

I am currently 35 weeks pregnant and am scheduled for a c-section on February 18. My best advice would be to get pregnant while in remission, continue to take your medications religiously, and keep a tight reign on your symptoms. I had a flare during the first trimester and was able to treat it quickly by dealing with it at the first signs. Don't let it go. My other piece of advice. Be sure you are seeing a high-risk OB who can work directly with your GI... preferably an OB who has treated Crohn's patients in the past. The two much communicate throughout your nine/ten months.

Good luck to you... and have fun while you are trying! :)
Posted 1/16/2008 3:40 PM (GMT 0)

 Hi, I saw your post on pregnancy and decided to post.  My big decision is on breastfeeding after delivery.  I have had Crohn's for about 4-5 years and it is mild.  I was on Flagyl and Pentasa but was reduced to just Pentasa.  I am 40 years old and due March 19th.

My Gastro told me if I wanted to try to quit the meds while pregnant, that it was ok since I had mild Crohn's.  I decided to give it a try and I am proud to say I have had NO problems at all!!!! Yeah.  I also did not have any problems trying to conceive either.

I found out that I can stay off the meds for 4-6 weeks after delivery but at that point I should go back on the meds.  They say with pregnancy hormones, you will normally have a smooth pregnancy (Crohn's Wise).  My doc says the stress of a newborn after delivery can cause a flare, which I hope not.

I hope this helps.  I know my ob monitored me more due to age and the fact that I have Crohn's, which I thought is very comforting.

Diane

Posted 1/16/2008 3:46 PM (GMT 0)
With all of my children when I was breastfeeding it seemed as they were never getting enough I always thought it was my supply but that was pretty much normal when I would pump. The pediatricians say that there was a possibility my babies were not getting the nutrition that they needed from my breastmilk. Its very heartbreaking to hear that now. As all doctors and people are different you will hear many different things. I have not breastfed my baby since saturday and its been so hard. I wish you the best and good luck finding all of the answers you need.
Posted 1/16/2008 5:41 PM (GMT 0)
I just gave birth to twin girls in August. They were born at 29weeks and 2 days, but it had NOTHING and I mean NOTHING to do with my Crohn's. My first daughter had a very rare anomaly called Cloaca. She lived 1 hour 27 minutes and inevitably died to pulmonary hypoplasia. My other daughter born 3 minutes later via emergency c/s (both girls born this way) is 5 1/2 months old and thriving! She was 3lb 0.4oz at birth and is now a healthy 11lber! My girls were EXCELLENT weights for their gestational age, especially being twins. She continues to climb to growth curve in her own time.

My daughter with Cloaca had a bladder BIGGER then her. Basically, her GI track never finished forming nor did her bladder or uterus or vagina. She had no outlets, therefore she swallowed all of her amniotic fluid and it forced her lungs to be underdeveloped. That said, her bladder was VERY large and sitting RIGHT on my cervix. THey believe THIS to be the reason for such sudden, severe, pre-term labor.

My Crohn's was in check the entire time. In fact, I had COMPACTIONS!!!! They had to prescribe DAILY miralax to me (sometimes 2/day) to keep me regular. I had enough progesterone running through me...

Feel free to contact me if you need to talk. I received Remicade every 8 weeks while pregnant, saw a high-risk OB (and I HIGHLY suggest you do the same), and continued to see my surgeon and GI regularly. I was in remission when I became pregnant.
Posted 1/16/2008 8:16 PM (GMT 0)
I have a 4 yr old and 2yr old son and just had boy/girl twins in November. I was diagnosed about 5 weeks after my first son was born and was hospitalized for 2 weeks with severe inflammation in the entire colon. My doctor said he had never seen a case as bad as mine. Needless to say, I had a good 6 months of recovery and had to quit nursing. I would AB****LEY NOT get pregnant unless I was in remission. So I finally was a year later and had a fairly uneventful pregnancy with my second son. If I am honest I started flaring almost right after he was born but didn't get the fevers, not holding anything in until about 8 weeks after. I had to start the predinsone and it really took almost 6 months before I felt better. I did however nurse him (with approval from doc, peditrician, and pharmacist) for the first year. I then flared again after quitting nursing and I let this one go for like a month and half two months before I did anything and again went on pred. and added the 6 mp all when we wanted to try to get pregnant again. After about 3 months I never felt better in my life with the 6mp and another 3 months later I was off the pred. and feeling great. We waited a month and tried again and got pregnant with the twins. I went off the 6mp because of really bad headaches for some reason. I had the best pregnancy EVER! I flared very suddenly again about 5 days after their birth. The same with every other pregnancy I would be feeling fine and then wake up one day with 103 temp. joint pain abdominal pain and pooping every hour. But this time I called the doctor that same day and started 40mg of pred that same day! It took only 2 weeks for me to feel once again better then ever! I really think by not waiting is what did the trick! I am currently nursing my twins and they sleep anywhere from 6-7 hours at a time at night and they have even made the growth charts at their 2 month check up so they are totally getting enough and high calorie milk. I did just start the 6mp again and I am down to 5mg of pred with no symptoms of crohns! (Again approved by everyone to nurse on my meds)

Sorry this is so long but I am just so happy that I feel so well so soon with this birth. I truly think my condition is brought on by some hormone change after pregnancy and possibly after nursing. I think you did it right by getting pregnant while in remission! Please, just call your doctor with the first sign of a crohns flare after your baby is born. I can't tell you what a difference it makes in how well you can care for your baby. I feel just as awesome as I did while pregnant with just some crazy hectic and tired days with 4 under 4. Best of luck to you and like my ob doctor said whenever I was worried about my crohns "hey your not the only person to be pregnant with crohns your doctor probably treats pregnant women everyday".

Many wishes for a healthy pregnancy and baby!
Sally
Posted 1/17/2008 1:32 AM (GMT 0)
I flared throughout my entire pregnancy with my daughter . I was still on Imuran b/c I have severe Crohn's. I was sick as a dog. I guess I was the bottom 1/3 that gets worse! My daughter was born healthy, but I continued to flare on/off since she was born - and that was almost 2 years ago. I started Humira about a month ago, and I'm feeling wonderful.

We're thinking about baby #2... maybe 6 months from now.. it's so hard for us because we have so much more to worry about. We can't just get pregnant whenever... we have to worry about our health/meds/etc.
Posted 1/17/2008 3:40 AM (GMT 0)
Amandaholes: That was a misstatement from your doc. Did he analyze your milk? And many women experience that with their babies (not getting enough), me included and I was not on any meds at the time. Relaxing (and who can do that with 2 other babes) and supplementing with formula are key points. So sorry you stopped and maybe you should consult a lactation expert at a local hosp. They know more than docs sometimes.
ResearchNut: I had 3 normal pregnancies after diag and resection and never looked better or felt better.
Posted 1/17/2008 2:04 PM (GMT 0)
Hi researchnut,

Just wanted to apologize for thinking you were already pregnant! I hope you get pregnant and again it is so awesome that you are trying while in remission!

Sorry again but as I said before my head is a little foggy sometimes! Hee hee!

Sally
Posted 1/17/2008 3:30 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but I feel so frustrated with this pregnancy thing. My doctor says wait until you are in remission, but I am now 30 yrs old and have not had a full remission since I was diagnosed at age 13. I am as much in remission as I can be-no diarrhea, vomiting, fever, weight loss, etc.. However, stomach pain and active disease is kind of the norm. My doctor wants to do a colonoscopy and endoscopy on Monday, but I feel like it is setting me up for failure. I got pregnant in August, but miscarried early-not due to Crohns. However, I felt really good. I also have osteopenia from Prednizone and my dtr wants to start me on fosomax when I am done with havign children and I know that's important so I don't want to wait forever. Has anyone else been in this situation and what did you do?
Posted 1/17/2008 4:23 PM (GMT 0)
Emmy - I'm so sorry for your miscarriage. I have had 3 so I understand your pain and disappointment. YES, I was in your shoes (osteopenia and all). I was as in remission as I could be. I got pregnant and all went well. I had my first child at 31 years old and my pregnancy was rough for the first trimester - all the hormones shifting, etc., but then those blessed pregnancy hormones kicked in and I was GREAT! I never felt so good in my life. I ate everything I wanted to and did quite well. Daughter was born healthy and beautiful and will be 4 in April. After she was born I had a flare which took another year to control, but then I got well and had another baby. That pregnancy also went very well and I did NOT flare after he was born. He is now 18 months old and we are ttc #3.

You have to weigh all of your decisions carefully and by no means should you make a decision that you haven't thought through. BUT... you also have to realize that the doctors are not gods. They only know so much AND they also have their own opinions. The difference in opinions between 2 docs can be polar opposites. You need to tak to your husband and decide what you two want and then find a doctor who will responsibly help you make that goal a reality. I recently made the switch from a younger/not-so-seasoned doc who thought I was pushing it by trying to get pregnant again. She was NOT in favor of me trying for another child at all. Then I moved to a more experienced GI and he didn't even bat an eyelash when I told him I wanted more children. He was totally in favor of that and immediately brought up breastfeeding options due to my meds.

I'm sure I will be criticized for saying this - but really - what happens if you do get pregnant anyway? What will your doctor do then? He'll have to treat his pregnant patient, whether or not he thinks you should have gotten pregnant in the first place. YOU know your body. YOU know how you are doing. If you know you are as good as you are going to get for now and it's not horrible, then I say go for it. There is never a perfect time or circumstance. You have to do the best with what you've got. Feel free to email me (click on my user name) if you'd like. As you can tell I am very "pro pregnancy". I think that as long as we act responsibly there is NO reason this disease should keep us from persuing our life goals. I look at my 2 kids every day and can't imagine life without them.

Stef
Posted 1/17/2008 7:44 PM (GMT 0)
I 100% agree with you stef and I feel good. Just some stomach aches and whatever the colonoscopy shows (which is always inflamation). However, the dtr scared my husband about my health and said we needed to wait. Now he will only go by what the dtr says. It's very frustrating! I love him! I know he is only worried about me, but I feel like it will never happen-and like you, even before kids, I can't imagine my life any other way. My husband also doesn't want to adopt. He wants to watch what characteristics are children get from each of us, etc... Maybe it'll go better than I expect. All, I keep thinking is how good I felt for the 8 weeks I was pregnant, it's like I went into natural remission. I've never been so regular in my whole life!

Posted 1/17/2008 9:05 PM (GMT 0)

AmandaHoles01 said...
With all of my children when I was breastfeeding it seemed as they were never getting enough I always thought it was my supply but that was pretty much normal when I would pump. The pediatricians say that there was a possibility my babies were not getting the nutrition that they needed from my breastmilk. Its very heartbreaking to hear that now. As all doctors and people are different you will hear many different things. I have not breastfed my baby since saturday and its been so hard. I wish you the best and good luck finding all of the answers you need.

I had a friend with a very similar problem (seemed like her babies weren't getting enough when breastfed). He doctor gave her a nasal spray which helped with some kind of hormone issue to increase milk production. This was about 12 years ago now, so they probably have something more wonderful now. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Maybe you've already tried it...
Posted 1/24/2008 6:16 PM (GMT 0)
My husband and I got married in July of 2007 and have actually been together for over 7 years now. I'm well on my way into remission and we have been talking about trying to conceive. I have been on the pill for a while and plan to stop taking the pill in about 3-4 months. I'm giving my body a chance to fully go into remission and then work on getting pregnant. I'm very happy to hear that some of you have had healthy pregnancies. The minute I found out I had CD I looked into information on becoming pregnant and everything else having to do with medications during pregnancy and breast feeding. My previsou GI doc told me that I wouldn't be able to get pregnant right away and that my Crohn's had taken over my body and then put me on all kinds of pills that ended up not working at all. He then supposedly put me on a wait list for a doctor at Standford medical Center, which he never did, and after about 8 months I found a doctor there myself. My current doctor says I shouldn't have a problem getting pregnant but that I should wait until my new pills, which I started taking after my latest colonoscopy and endoscopy, got a chance to work their magic. He told me to call him and let him know when we decided to stop the birth control and that then he would start monitoring me more closely. I'm VERY excited about getting pregnant but understand that if we aren't blessed with a baby that my husband and I are very willing to adopt. My husband and I also realize that by getting pregnant, I may end up in the bottom 1/3 and have a horrible pregnancy but we are willing to take that chance.
I think that if you take extra better care of yourself and watch EVERYTHING you eat that you should try to have a baby or 2 or 3 if you are willing to deal with the possible flares.
And we are!!
So GOOD luck to you too.

--GreekGirl78
Posted 1/24/2008 9:49 PM (GMT 0)
Just a caution regarding doctors and advice on breastfeeding. Physicians, unless they have a special interest, generally know next to nothing about the normal mechanics of lactation. Using the term "enough" milk is always mis-leading when referring to the normal nursing relationship. You cannot equate milk in the breast to milk in a bottle. When it comes to lactation it is a matter of demand and supply. The more demand, the more supply is made. anything that interrupts that relationship -- formula feeds, restricting the baby's access to the breast (by feeding on a schedule) etc. -- guarantees failure. If the demand is being met other than at the breast, the breast's manufacturing plant will never rev up production to meet the growing level of demand. But if the growing baby has free access to the breast during frequency days, the increased demand will result in an increase in milk production.
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