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Pregnancy and Remicade.....also breastfeeding???

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 10/26/2008 11:56 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Everyone,

It has been awhile since I have been on the forum.

I am back again with questions surrounding remicade use and pregnancy as well as breastfeeding while having remicade infusions.

I am 25 years old and have been on remicade for approx. 3 years.  It has been a miracle drug for me and has given me my life back.  I have been symptom free for 3 years and have not had one flare up.

I am getting married in 3 weeks and we would like to start a family shortly after since I am feelong great.

My  GI specialist has advised me that I should stay on Remicade during the pregnancy....This scares me....so I made an appt. with an OB to see what they would say....they too agreed that it would be wise for me to continue the remicade, because if I were to go off it and flare up there would be more of a risk to myself and the baby.

Can any other moms give me some advice on this???? as well I have heard mixed messages as to whether you can breastfeed or not??

Thanks again everyone

confused:S 

Posted 10/27/2008 2:47 AM (GMT 0)
I have 2 remicade babies and they are intelligent, healthy kids. I went through both pregnancies with them on the remicade AND I breastfed both of them (6months and 9 months). You can b/f on remicade.  Here is a link that will help:

http://66.230.33.248/discus/messages/48/47806.html?1180705975

Basically the molecule is considered too large to pass through the milk.  None of my kids have had any trouble developmentally or healthwise.

Dr. Hale is a leading expert in medications and mother's milk. He publishes an updated version of his book every year. You can find information on other medications at his main link here:

http://neonatal.ama.ttuhsc.edu/cgi-bin/discus/discus.cgi?pg=topics&access=guest

Feel free to email me (click on my user name to get my email) if you'd like more info. I'm happy to share what I know or my own experiences.

Stef

 

Posted 10/27/2008 3:16 AM (GMT 0)
Sick Kids hospital in Toronto has world leading research and data for pregnant and nursing mothers.

You can call and speak to someone about meds/herbs during pregnancy/bf, or visit their website www.motherisk.org

Best wishes.
Posted 10/27/2008 5:00 AM (GMT 0)

I tried to get my crohns under control for several years wanting to start a family.  I started Remicade and within 4 months I was healthy enough and able to concieve. Remicade has been my miracle. I used Remicade throughout my pregnancy. It is a catgory B so it is safer then risking a flare.  My little girl  was born full term and she couldn't be more perfect.  I have breastfeed her while continuing on Remicade.  The molecule is to big to pass into your milk, and even if it did, it is a protein, so the baby will just digest it.  My baby is only 6 mo. old, and I have felt Remicade has been the right choice for us both.

Also, the research show that a child who is breatfeed is less likely to develop crohns disease...so that means it is one thing we can do to protect our babies from it.

Posted 10/28/2008 2:19 AM (GMT 0)
thanks for all your responses they put my mind more at ease. I will definitely check out the links you provided me with Stef17. Thanks again and wish me luck:)
Posted 11/24/2008 3:35 AM (GMT 0)
I just gave birth to my remicade baby a week ago. I took the remicade every 6 weeks until about 25 weeks and then stopped until the day I gave birth (got the infusion within about 2 hours of having her). It is early, but she seems perfect to us and the docs. I researched everything and talked to all the specialists, etc, and they all say it's fine to nurse, and was fine to take remicade while I was pregnant. Well, the GI didn't want me to nurse, but since this is a digestive disease there was no way I was going to feed her junk in formula and take the chance it would increase her chances of developing this. I did all the research before getting pregnant to be sure I could nurse if I had to stay on the remicade. Again, it's only been a week, but she seems fine. She did spit up a lot for the first few days, and my other kids never spit up, but each baby is different...and she was having a lot of trouble burping. She is calm and sweet otherwise, so I think she's fine on all counts.
I didn't see a specialist per say while I was pregnant. I DID go to a specialist each month after 20w to get ultrasounds since I figured if there was something wrong on the inside, we couldn't see it when she came out. And the ins paid for it. :) It wasn't the specialist that came in though, it was the u/s tech. I only spoke with the specialist once for a moment and he said it wasn't an issue that I was on remicade, and could take it all the way to the end, and that she looked perfect.
Also, it only took me only a month to get pregnant once I got well.

Hope all goes well for you!
Posted 1/4/2009 9:44 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Again Everyone...

Well we are back from our dream wedding in Punta Cana Dominican Republic.  Now that we are all settled in we have decided that we are going to try and have a baby.

Just wanted to thank everyone for their personal experiences, it has really helped me in making the decision that I will stay on my Remicade treatments when I do get pregnant.  I have researched and feel that it is in my best interest and safety of myself and baby to stay on my medcation.  My specialists are on board as well and feel the same way.  It also makes me happy to know that you can breastfeed on remicade, that is great.

Thanks again JAX443

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