Worried about having my own children

Hi,

I am 23 and my partner and I are trying to plan our future regarding having children. Both of us would like our own kids, but my mother is particularly worried about the effect of pregnancy on my health because of my condition.

My UC has been quite active the past 2 years, and I am on perm. meds for this. Also in 2000 at aged 13 I was diagnosed with an inflammatory bone disease too which I still suffer with. The UC is actually a part of this disease (i.e. they come under the same umbrella).

My UC doc says I should be fine but I feel he does not consider the bone disease side of my condition enough.

Has anybody got any sort of experience with this sort of thing, or know where I could go for more informed information on the dangers of being pregnant in my case?

thanks sue,
I know some of the questions I'm asking probably seem very obvious, but I feel very new at everything and going over things in my head too much just seems to confuse me more!

If you think you can deal with the pregnancy, dealing with a newborn and all the needs of a growing child....it's your decision.

Personally....with one autoimmune disease comes more....I wouldn't have kids, and made my life decision to be without them. My husband and I both agreed and are both happy 31 years later without kids. I have enough INHERITED disorders and issues as to not want to pass them on. Ignorance is bliss....knowing and risking is another issue.

You're 23. There's lots of time to have kids and you need to make sure that you're capability to cope is solid. If your meds help, if you're the type of person without any emotional issues such as depression and anxiety, maybe things will work out well for you.

Don't make your decisions about kids at this point. Work on stuff over the next few years. We all risk something. If your spouse is 100% supportive, not only in having kids, but in involvement with responsibility in the daily functioning of household, etc....things may not be as stressful. If all the burden is on your shoulders....think again about having kids.

I'm pretty clear in my mind about kids...some people just shouldn't have them.



And just to be clear....do I hate kids? not at all. I don't like bad kids and very lax parents who have no clue. I feel the same about dog and cat owners too.....


quincy

There's been lots of pregnancy related threads on here since I joined a few years ago. Net, net many of us have had successful pregnancies and healthy children. Personally, I did pretty good with the pregnancy. But the sleep deprivation and just how draining some days can be with a little one, has taken much more of a toll on my health then the pregnancy ever did. I love my daughter though and would do it all over again.

first, start now with lots of folic acid and a good vitamin, a flintstones is good. Its very important for any woman who might get pregnant to be taking folic acid, its important to brain development and can combat the effects of meds.
With UC, 3 out 4 women go into remission during pregnancy and are fine, i was one of those, it was great! I stayed on my meds though, because a flare can be very dangerous.
I started seeing a high risk OB when we decided to have children, and thats where i found out about the vitamins and such.
It does bother me at times that i may pass this onto my son, and i prayed the whole time that those meds wouldnt affect him. i was lucky, they didnt. I wish i had had surgery before hand so iwouldnt have had to worry about that, and so the first few years wouldnt have been so hard.
Being pregnant is very very hard, its tiring, its annoying, its difficult, and honestly, its like having a little alien inside your body, draining you! That said, i love my son and would have been pregnant for 10 years if thats what was necessary to have him.
And being a new parent is very very hard too! Babies are needy, and they dont sleep, and they cry and cry and cry. But its worth it!
But i got really really sick after he was born and stayedthat way for two years.
What you need todo is check about your meds, some dont cross the placenta and it doesnt matter. Others, even though they are classed as D,may not be as bad as they are made out to be. Thats what the high risk OB will help you with!
Then, make sure you have a good support system around, husband, family friends to help you if you flare after pregnancy and are in the hosptial or whatever.
All that being said, i would do it again, and my child had no ill effects from the meds! and he is happy and scary smart, and i think healthy, or no major things anyway. None of the few problems he has could be linked to UC or the meds, i dont think anyway.
Good luck!

appointment made with the Ob-Gyn - thanks so much :)

I feel as though I have never recovered from my two pregnancies. My UC has been a constant struggle and I definitely see surgery in my near future. Raising two tiny kids while having severe UC is beyond hard.
Please make sure you are in a GOOD PLACE in your life to deal with this--that is my advice. Good insurance, good income, good support system. You will need it.