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I really want to get pregnant!!!

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Posted 7/26/2010 3:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hey everyone! Just wanted some insight on this topic! I am 27 and have been in a mild flare since last March! I take Asacol 6 tabs a day, a Prenatal vitamin and just started Critical Care Probiotic. The SCD diet seems to be helping although yesterday my intestines were definitely not happy with something I ate. I experience some blood in stool and some mucous but only use the bathroom like once or twice a day. I definitely dont want to be on prednisone or some other stupid Drug while I am pregnant. Just want to start a family!

Advice Please!!

idea  

Posted 7/26/2010 4:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there-

I'd like to start a family too but am gonna wait until my symptoms ease up. Its best to be in a good state when trying to conceive. You will see this over and over again on site if you perform a search for Colitis and Pregnancy.

Are you actively trying now to get pregnant and it's just not happening or are you seeking advise before you do?
Posted 7/26/2010 4:47 PM (GMT 0)
 

  Hi Lild,

  I've had colitis since I was 19 and am now 51. I have two wonderful children and had no problems getting pregnant or nursing them. I had a pretty bad flare when I was pregnant with my first child and they put me on prednisone which in turn led to gestational diabetes. That went away post delivery and I didn't have a problem with my second pregnancy. You'll have to be monitered by a high risk doctor but I say live your life, don't let this disease keep you from what you want in life.

Good luck!

Posted 7/26/2010 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
Well, my hubby and I are trying for a baby, and I've been off the pill since January and my symptoms got worse since I went off the pill, I wonder if the pill helped me stay in remission. Now I also worry about getting pregnant while in a flare, but mine doesn't seem as bad as yours though. Wish I had some advice for you though. :(
Posted 7/26/2010 5:10 PM (GMT 0)
I am worried about the unknown...which I shouldnt be. I like SJF's idea. Live your life!! Just dont want to kill myself in the process! HA! I think if I stay on the SCD diet when I get pregnant I may be ok!! Good luck to you SWEETIE! I guess I just always thought I would have at least 1 child by the age of 27 but God knows my plan better than me! :)
Posted 7/26/2010 5:28 PM (GMT 0)
I feel the same way (scared of the unknown). I feel that the more I think about it and wait, the harder it is to makes the decision (what really bothers me is if my child gets UC).
My husband and I have discussed it over and over and I think we are finally going to try this coming month. I'm out of a flare. I haven't had no blood since early this month and I really hope it remains this way.

Some women are out of a flare while they conceive and then go right into one once they get pregnant, so you never know. I would say, do what you feel is right :)
Good luck to you!!!!
Posted 7/26/2010 5:30 PM (GMT 0)
God sure does know His plan for us better than us... I'm just patiently waiting myself. Right now I just want to take care of me and get my self settled in a new state. If I get pregnant it will make this year extremely special and life changing. Sometimes I just wonder if I will ever be able to conceive due to having symptoms since '93.
Posted 7/26/2010 5:40 PM (GMT 0)
I was really sick when I decided to get pregnant. I was only 20, didn't really think about the fact that I had an illness, just figured it would be fine. I was taking Asacol too, and it controlled my illness to an extent. Once I got pregnant though, it was the healthiest I had been for a long time. My symptoms pretty much went away and I got to feel like a normal person again. Makes me want to get pregnant right now!! I know it doesn't work that way for everybody, but my GI doctor did tell me that it's very common. And the plus side of it was I didn't have to deal with the constipation like most healthy pregnant women do...I just got to be normal.
Posted 7/26/2010 6:01 PM (GMT 0)

I am 35 weeks pregnant and so far have only had one big flare while pregnant.  It lasted about two weeks but we got it under control without pred.  I have been in a very minor flare off and on...more on than off but that is normal for me even when not pregnant.  The minor symptoms I have sound like yours...generally one to two BM's a day...I'll go several weeks without seeing any blood then will see some light bleeding for a week...off and on...  None of my symptoms have complicated my pregnancy and I do not have to see a high risk OB/GYN.  My advice would be to consult with both your OB and your GI before trying to get pregnant though.  They should be your best sources for advice. 

 

I would also talk to them about the SCD diet.  I personally would not stay on it while pregnant.  You need the milk products (unless you know you are lactose intolerant) and you need the starches and grains when pregnant.  Your nutritional needs are greatly chnaged while pregnant.  If you want to stay on a form of the SCD diet while pregnant I would ask your OB/GYN to refer you to a dietitian for guidance first.

Posted 7/26/2010 9:57 PM (GMT 0)
rectal meds? if you haven't tried them, do so starting with mesalamine.

q
Posted 7/26/2010 10:42 PM (GMT 0)
The new theory (I believe it, some might not?) most GI's are now stating in regards to UC and pregnancy based on my research thus far has been as follows...

1. Try to be healthy and in remission UC wise as much as possible before conception
2. Even if you were healthy, rule of thirds applies...1/3 of women stay the same, 1/3 of women get better, 1/3 of women get worse

The theory behind #2 is that based on the genes of the baby (more father vs more mother), the women's immune system will either become 'doubled' (baby and mom are similar in terms of genes) or decide to dampen itself (more father's genes).

Either way, in the end...my personal take is that as long as mom is healthy, the baby is healthy. So if that means taking some drugs for your UC if you do flare while pregnant, then do it...for your sake and the babies sake.

Otherwise, I hope for you and all trying mothers have a happy and healthy pregnancy!!
Posted 7/26/2010 10:56 PM (GMT 0)
Missey:

I am with you on that! I certainly cant fathom the thought of my children one day getting this disease. I am going to do everything i can to prevent that. I am going to breastfeed and try to be holistic and start them from the beginning with a healthy eating routine...and definitely not run to the doctor and get a Antibiotic everytime they have a runny nose. But yes..if I got pregnant it would be an awesome thing and I would just have to pray that I got through my pregnancy without a lot of problems. Good luck to you! Keep me posted.

THatfield:

I completely agree with you about changing nutritional needs while pregnant. I am a labor and delivery nurse!! :)  I dont think staying on the SCD diet would be a bad thing...I am eating tons of healthy food all day long but yes I would discuss it with my OB first. My GI doctor sucks and doesnt give me the correct advice on anything. Thanks so much for your advice!!

Posted 7/26/2010 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
I totally agree with you about eating healthy and having our children do the same. I plan on staying on the Scd during pregnancy unless it's not recommended. There are so many women out there that eat terribly during pregnancy and their babies are fine. I've been trying to research scd and pregnancy but I haven't found too much on that topic. I truly feel that it's a great way to eat.

Quincy is right about the rectal enemas, they are my best friend ;) try them they work!!
Posted 7/26/2010 11:16 PM (GMT 0)

kk217 said...
Missey:</DIV>
I am with you on that! I certainly cant fathom the thought of my children one day getting this disease. I am going to do everything i can to prevent that. I am going to breastfeed and try to be holistic and start them from the beginning with a healthy eating routine...and definitely not run to the doctor and get a Antibiotic everytime they have a runny nose. But yes..if I got pregnant it would be an awesome thing and I would just have to pray that I got through my pregnancy without a lot of problems. Good luck to you! Keep me posted.

Honestly, I wouldn't worry too much about giving UC to your kids.

From ulcerative colitis expert Dr. Bret Lashner who is the director of the Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Dr. Lashner said...

Yes, hereditary factors are likely to be associated with ulcerative colitis, but the specific gene mutations have not been fully identified. Still, only 1 percent of children of patients who have ulcerative colitis develop ulcerative colitis themselves. You and your son should only be worried if he develops diarrhea and rectal bleeding on a consistent basis (that is, for more than five days).

1% is a low risk obviously. I have never given my kids antibiotics. The other thing is you can enhance their natural gut flora for their whole lives if you give them probiotics when they are little (under 2). Check with your GI doc if you are worried.
Posted 7/27/2010 1:51 AM (GMT 0)
Well, I too worry about when I have kids and them getting UC. I just hope it skips them though. My dad got UC in 1992, then a year later I showed signs but didn't completely come out til 2007. If that happened to me... then you never really know what to expect.
Posted 7/27/2010 2:43 AM (GMT 0)
Missey:
I have the enemas and while using them I do really good..but since I started this flare last year everytime I try to stop using the enemas my symptoms return. I am trying not to do them b/c I want to know if the diet is truly working for me. I know that if I start the enemas back I will likely eat non-legal foods. I do have a stash of them though just in case things go bad! Oh and about people eating horribly while pregnant...see it first hand at work..not only pregnant coworkers but patients. Makes me so freakin' mad!

CGK:

THanks for the post! Very Encouraging!
Posted 7/27/2010 1:39 PM (GMT 0)
kk271 - Oh - I forgot to tell you, I do take Lialda daily. I tried to stop taking it when I first got pregnant. I stopped it for the first 8 weeks and then flared really badly. I stopped because I got bad advice from my old GI (I since swithced GI's). The ER doctor, my PCP and my OB/GYN both told me I should not have stopped the Lialda. I was in remission before stopping it. I would suggest that you stay on Asacol to help you stay in remission if you do get pregnant.

My new GI is super awesome and he has really watched me closely during this pregnancy. He spends as much time talking to me during appointments as I need and has given me lots of information about different drug studies. Since changing GI's I have done really well...my symptoms have been very minimal and I have had many weeks of no symptoms at all... I have used Rowasa enemas some during the pregnancy too but have not had to use them since May.  They are harder to administer once your belly grows.  I think you have a good chance of controling your symptoms and it sounds like you are on the right track.  I have always eaten a very healthy diet and worked out.  I think that helps also (with UC and with pregnancy).

Is there any way that you could find another GI before you get pregnant? I know what it is like to have a not so great one...Best of luck to you.  Feel free to ask me any pregnancy questions going forward.  I know it helped me to get feedback from other mom's on this board...

Posted 7/27/2010 5:22 PM (GMT 0)
kk217 said...Missey:I have the enemas and while using them I do really good..but since I started this flare last year everytime I try to stop using the enemas my symptoms return. I am trying not to do them b/c I want to know if the diet is truly working for me. I know that if I start the enemas back I will likely eat non-legal foods. I do have a stash of them though just in case things go bad! Oh and about people eating horribly while pregnant...see it first hand at work..not only pregnant coworkers but patients. Makes me so freakin' mad!

This doesn't make any sense at all.....start the enemas.

q
Posted 7/27/2010 6:47 PM (GMT 0)
Quincy I am about to do a stool culture so I am not going to do the enemas while I am doing that. I understand your reasoning for telling me to do the enemas but I really want to get off all my meds eventually. My symptoms are not severe at this point and so many people have had great success on this diet so I want to try it before I add more medication back.

Thatfield:

I really liked my last GI but it was at the teaching hospital where I worked and it was impossible to get nurse feedback much less anything else. He seemed very conservative. I switched GI's also b/c I also changed jobs. It's so frustrating b/c my current GI says that foods and diet have nothing to do with my GI issues. Not sure if I would have any luck finding a doc who had any knowledge from a GI/holistic/diet stand point.

Post Edited (kk217) : 7/27/2010 12:50:16 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/27/2010 7:09 PM (GMT 0)
When I became pregnant 21 years ago my doc gave me the same statistics NiRo mentioned - 1/3 of women with UC get better in pregnancy, 1/3 stay the same, 1/3 get worse.

My pregnancies were the healthiest times in my life - total remission from conception through breastfeeding. My GI asked if we'd consider having 100 kids! (My husband said, sure, if the doc would put them through college....)

My guess is that those who are healthiest through pregnancy might not be spending their time on HW.

It's true, one's kids might develop UC, or might have another condition, or might fall out of a tree and get hurt, or might engage in risky behavior in their teen years. There are no guarantees in parenthood!

Yes, sometimes I'm really sad that one of my kids developed UC. But, he is more fun (most of the time) and finds more joy in life than anyone else I've ever met... and as for UC, he's got a good coach, at least.

I'm also sorry my other son inherited my sweet tooth and tendency to put on weight. Again - there are no guarantees in parenthood - or in life, for that matter!
Posted 7/28/2010 1:36 AM (GMT 0)
I would stay on the meds... they are very safe and also if you stay on your maitenance meds, the chances of you flaring later on go down. After the stool culture you should start the enemas again. It'd be better to be in remission (or close to it) while pregnant than flaring!
Posted 8/1/2010 4:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hey guys! Just an update: Found out yesterday that I am pregnant! So excited...I am taking my Asacol and started the enems and am feeling better! Are the enemas safe to take throughout the entire pregnancy?? I hope so.... Thanks for everyone's advice! Will keep you posted on how I am doing!!
Posted 8/1/2010 5:20 PM (GMT 0)
Congratulations KK217a!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How exciting!!!!!! I'm sure the enemas are fine during pregnancy, I'm planning to do the same if I get pregnant. How far along are you?

I wish you and your baby the best!!!! Keep us posted. :)
Posted 8/1/2010 8:28 PM (GMT 0)
Hi kk217

I think that it's better to adopt a child than get your own child because there is very strong evidence that UC is genetic. I for one will never have children of my own because I don't want them to suffer like me
Posted 8/1/2010 9:33 PM (GMT 0)

kk217 said...
Missey:</DIV>


I am with you on that! I certainly cant fathom the thought of my children one day getting this disease. I am going to do everything i can to prevent that. I am going to breastfeed and try to be holistic and start them from the beginning with a healthy eating routine...and definitely not run to the doctor and get a Antibiotic everytime they have a runny nose. But yes..if I got pregnant it would be an awesome thing and I would just have to pray that I got through my pregnancy without a lot of problems. Good luck to you! Keep me posted.



I totally agree with you on this one too, I have a similar plan for my future kids too. The healthier food they eat I believe will help them health wise. I'm going to be very picky at what my children will eat so that if they have a possibility of getting UC it can surface later in life.
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