Is it safe to have a baby with UC?

Hi Jane,

You need a new GI, even mine printed me out a bunch of stuff to look at. Other than that I am not familiar w/Colazal but most likely there are others on here who have info. I know there have been a lot of disucussions about this and if you search the threads, you will find some great info.

For me personally I am on azathioprine, which is think is a higher class of drug than colazal and I plan to be on it while pg, though will not breastfeed w/azathioprine.

Hope you can find all the info you are looking for.

We have a number of members who have had successful pregnancies while taking Asacol or Colazal. I hope some of them will come by to respond to you.

Jane - I agree with the others that your GI doesn't sound helpful. I would expect your GI who is prescribing the medication to give you advice. That being said, every GI I have talked to as well as OB's and a perinatologist have told me that both Asacol and Colazal are class B drugs and are safe to take during pregnancy and to breastfeed. I was lucky and didn't have to take any medication during my pregnancy with DD. I flared 8 weeks postpartum, but was still able to breastfeed while on Asacol and prednisone. I breasfed DD for 9 months. Unfortunately, I would like to get pregnant again in the near future and just started 6mp two days ago. It's a little more complicated when on 6mp, but my GI has assured me that he is more comfortable with me being healthy and being on 6mp while pregnant because that will ensure the best fetal outcome. I was hoping it wouldn't get to this point and that I could just be on Colazal while pregnant, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I would say if you've been in remission by being on Colazal that you would likely be okay getting pregnant and staying on Colazal throughout your pregnancy. Hopefully, your OB can help you in this area too. Good luck and just so you know, my UC was better than ever when I was pregnant. Hope that is the case for you too.

It is absolutely safe to have a baby with UC. I just did on February 8th!

I took Asacol and Rowasa throughout my entire pregnancy with no issues. I had a minor flare during my first trimester and ended up on a four-week taper of Prednisone... no issues with that either. My son is perfectly healthy. In fact, I just saw my GI for a follow-up last week, and he encouraged us to try for number two. He is ready for us to have another one... but we aren't sure we are ready!

My husband and I did A LOT of research on pregnancy and UC and everything we discovered said there is no risk of birth defects associated with UC. There can be a risk from certain medications we take or from other conditions that you may have in relation to the UC (i.e. anemia), but not from the disease itself. In addition to discussing with my GI and OB/GYN, we also met with a genetic counselor and had genetic testing done to learn more about the risk of me passing this disease onto our child. That was extremely informative.

Here are a couple of tips I would give based upon my experience:
- Do not try to conceive during a flare. There is a risk of miscarriage associated with a flare - especially during the first trimester. It is best for both you and the baby if you conceive while in remission.
- It is IMPERATIVE that you have an OB and GI that will work together. They will need to be in regular contact during your pregnancy, especially if you flare at some point. As an example, my GI requested a c-section, but my OB wasn't on board until after they discussed.
- Start taking folic acid and prenatal vitamins before you conceive. That way, you can make sure your body is in its best form before you conceive.

A couple of other points...

(1) As you do your research, you will find a ton of conflicting information on pregnancy and UC medications. Be prepared for that. The general consensus, though, is that the mesalamine medications are safe for use. It's important that you have a GI that can help you navigate the maze. I agree with everyone's comments above... perhaps a different GI with a different perspective would be helpful for you.

(2) Regarding breastfeeding... there is also A TON of conflicting information. Talk to your OB/GYN and to a pediatrician. After discussing breastfeeding on Asacol and Rowasa with my GI, OB, and three pediatricians, I have opted to formula-feed. All of them felt it was not good to breastfeed on those medications. That being said, there are a lot of women on this forum who will disagree with me and have breastfed on my meds and on even stronger meds. You just have to do the research and make a decision that you are most comfortable with. There is no black and white in this arena... only a lot of grey, unfortunately.

There is always a ton of conversation on this board and on the Crohn's board re: pregnancy. Be sure to search for those old posts in order to pick up more information.

Finally, kb5 went to a conference several months ago on pregnancy and UC and brought back a ton of information on this topic. It was extremely helpful. Be sure to search for that in previous posts.

I hope this post is helpful. Good luck on your baby-making (and enjoy it, of course)! If I can answer any other questions based upon my experience, just let me know.

Thanks so much for all the helpful comments! I have already found another doctor and will be meeting with him tomorrow. You ladies have really eased my mind and I now feel excited and hopeful of things to come. Now I just have to wait till my husband comes home from his deployment in a few months. Hopefully by then I will have all the information I need and my new GI and my OB/GYN will be on the same page with everything. Thanks so much!