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Any successful pregnancies with Ulcerative Colitis flare
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Posted 1/12/2010 5:10 PM (GMT 0)

I am in the process of trying to conceive.  Has anyone had any success stories of have a flare up and end up having a successful pregnancy along with a healthy baby.  Also, please give me some advice on how to deal with UC and pregnancy.  It is scary seeing a bloody stool and water diarrhea. Please share your stories with me as well as advice.

Posted 1/12/2010 7:27 PM (GMT 0)
A long time ago, but still.....

I hadn't been off pred and cortenemas very klong at all after my horrible initial onset flare (2 hospitalizations, bowel rest, IV steroids, etc, etc) when I got pregnant and my UC was completely calm throughout the pregnancy and through a year of breastfeeding.

3 years later my gut was also completely calm for my second child, pregnancy through breastfeeding.
My GI wanted me to have ten kids, since the hormones obviously put me into remission. My husband said that would be fine if the doc would agree to pay for their college......

I was on azulphidine during the first child and I think I'd just switched to Asacol for the second.... (or I did shortly thereafter.....?)

My heart goes out to you who are having such a rough time!!!!!!
Posted 1/12/2010 7:45 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I was in an over 2 year flare. I was in the midst of the worst my flares ever get (to the point of having to be hospitalized due to dehydration and low potassium and very high heart rate) when I found out I was 3 weeks pregnant with my son. I was very sick throughout the first several months of pregnancy--couldn't eat, threw up everything-even water, etc., but my baby was born full term (one week early because he was breech but still 7 pounds, 10 ounces) and perfectly healthy. He's 9 months old now. I did miscarry a 5.5 week pregnancy immediately before becoming pregnant with my son, though. I actually didn't technically get diagnosed with UC until November and had found out I was pregnant in August. I just did the best I could to keep food down when possible (though i really wasn't successful). I took iron and my prenatals and tried to keep them down. The baby will get nutrition before you do, so you may get sicker, but the baby may still get what he needs. I was on Asacol from November until after my son was born and on Pred. from January until he was born in April. I am still breastfeeding (when I am out of the hospital) and have also done Remicade while breastfeeding. My son is very healthy, smart, and ahead on all his milestones, so it can definitely be done. Good luck! It can be done!
Posted 1/12/2010 7:48 PM (GMT 0)
Do not be afraid, conception and childbirth are the greatest gifts!! With both of my pregnancies I was in remission upon conceiving. It was not until
the 6-7month in both that I started a flare in the first pregnancy just came on suddenly b/c I felt better than ever & had textbook pregnancy until that point.
At that point I was on Asacol 400mgs 3 tabs x3 & GI & OB agreed rowasa & canasa were the method to use to get to remission. It worked very well (although Rowasa does not work for me anymore!) My daughter was a very healthy 7'14 w/apgar of 9 + Thank God! Second pregnancy w/the twins I was thrown into a flare around 28 weeks thanks to a nasty stomach virus my daughter brought home from nursery school. I was in the hospital for a day on IV & went home with a script for prednisone. rowasa & canasa. I had to stay on the prednisone for just about the duration of the pregnancy. Luckily again up to that point my pregnancy was textbook even carrying twins. I WAS petrified of the effect the pred would have on them but had to stay calm so I could keep them in long enough. They stayed in long enough alright...at 39 weeks I gave birth to 2 very large (7.5 lbs. & 7.6 lbs.) strong baby boys w/o any complications. As if to add insult to injury though soon after I gave birth that night I developed a nasty case of poison Ivy...so bad that I had to go on prednisone to get rid of it...that sucked trying to care for 2 newborns while all I could do was itch! LOL!!

I thank god everyday for all three of these kids & b/c of them I am stronger and even more determined to manage my condition the best I can.
Currently just beat a flare, I see doc next week & expect we have full remission going here right now...YES...(4 now!!!)

So-
Good Luck...go for it, nothing to loose but so much to gain :)
Posted 1/12/2010 7:49 PM (GMT 0)
I had UC with both of my pregnancies. I didn't know I had UC with my first. I was in remission when we
conceived and remained so after wards for a while. I conceived my second child within 2 months of being dx'd with UC and after my GI said NOT to get pregnant until my flare was under control so it wasn't planned. I ended up going on pred in my 1st trimester for poison ivy. I went into remission and felt great UCwise for the rest of my pregnancy.

Pred is safe to take during pregnancy and while nursing. You can also take fish oil and probiotics. My GI said that for pregnant women that have UC: 1/3 stay the same, 1/3 get worse and 1/3 get better.

Both of my girls are perfectly healthy. My GI said that the chances of passing on UC is 15% if 1 parent has IBD, 50% if both parents have IBD.
Posted 1/12/2010 9:05 PM (GMT 0)
Ladies,

 

Thanks for spreading light on this issue for me---I feel so much more at ease.  I really would prefer to get into remission before I try to conceive, but it has been so hard to stay in remission.  There are many people who conceive while remission and end up in a flare-so really what is the difference?  I know that as long as I keep the faith and trust in God-that everything will be A ok-thanks for info ladies.  I feel some tightness in my stomach now.   How do you feel the 2nd week of pregnancy?

Posted 1/12/2010 10:23 PM (GMT 0)

USISNOT MYFRIEND said...
Ladies,


Thanks for spreading light on this issue for me---I feel so much more at ease. I really would prefer to get into remission before I try to conceive, but it has been so hard to stay in remission. There are many people who conceive while remission and end up in a flare-so really what is the difference? I know that as long as I keep the faith and trust in God-that everything will be A ok-thanks for info ladies. I feel some tightness in my stomach now. How do you feel the 2nd week of pregnancy?

Do you mean the second week of knowing you are pregnant, so maybe around 6 weeks pregnant? at 2 weeks, you probably wouldn't even get a positive yet. At 3 weeks, I was just 7 days past ovulation and found out and that was very early.
Early on, tightness can be normal. I had a little implantation spotting and felt some small cramps. I was already sick and nauseous so it is hard to tell when "morning sickness" came on, though I think it did get worse around 6 weeks until around 16 weeks.
They do recommend you be in remission before knowingly conceiving, but you are right, pregnancy can bring on a flare when you are remission anyway or can get you out of a flare you may already be in. You just never know how you will react to the hormone changes. After my son was born, I felt the best I have in 2 years for a couple of weeks and then I was far worse a couple weeks later. You can just never tell. I didn't want to let the UC take away my dreams of having a baby, though. I'm really glad I had him when I did because with all the surgery I have had now, there is no saying that I will be able to have another child later.

Posted 1/13/2010 12:47 AM (GMT 0)
I have 5 children and I didn't know I had UC/crohns colitis until a couple years before my 4th child. I was not in a flare when she was conceived but around 10 weeks it started. Tried asacol, no luck because I am one of the unfortunate ones it doesn't work for so my OB/GYN consulted a specialist in high risk pregnancy and they said it was fine to take 6 mp since it got me well before. It put me in remission and I quit taking it a couple months before my daughter was born. She is turning 4 in a couple days and completely fine and normal. Unless extra sassy counts ;) I went on the have my last child 13 months later with no problems.
Posted 1/13/2010 1:06 AM (GMT 0)
Pam 222,

Thanks for the feedback....my dream is to at least have one child and I wont let UC take that dream away from me-my plan is to leave it in God's hand. Did you eat healthy while pregnant and flaring with UC? If so, any suggestions-If I cant get into remission, I atleast want to eat healthy for me and the baby.
Posted 1/13/2010 1:22 AM (GMT 0)
I flared twice during my pregnancy. Both times I went on prednisone and quickly brought it under control. My OB said there is slight evidence of cleft palatte from taking prednisone early in the pregnancy, but it was slight at best. I was relieved when ultrasounds showed a perfectly formed face :) I did go on bed rest at 34 weeks due to low amniotic fluid and restricted growth of my daughter (IUGR). I am not sure if UC caused that or not. My GI recommended that I have a c section, which I am personally glad I opted for. Overall, I'd agree with the prior posts; it is possible to have a healthy child even with flares. If I waited to be in remission to get pregnant I'd still be waiting.....
Posted 1/13/2010 1:23 AM (GMT 0)

durango18 said...
Pam 222,

Thanks for the feedback....my dream is to at least have one child and I wont let UC take that dream away from me-my plan is to leave it in God's hand. Did you eat healthy while pregnant and flaring with UC? If so, any suggestions-If I cant get into remission, I atleast want to eat healthy for me and the baby.

After I got past the first 4 months or so, I was able to keep food down and I ate as healthy as I could. I was still flaring (bleeding, lots of frequency, pain, etc.), but I was at least able to keep food down. I drank a lot of water and ate what I was able. I would have been eating more healthy without the UC, I'm sure, but the baby was able to grow and did fine on what I could do. I stuck with easier, comfort type foods like macaroni, eggs, chicken, potatoes, stuff like that, since it was easier for me to eat than lots of salads and things. I was very diligent about taking my vitamins once I knew they would stay down, too. It just depends whether certain foods bother you. It's better to eat, even if you can't get in a certain numbers of veggies or whatever, than to not be able to eat at all. I ended up only being about 15 pounds above pre-pregnancy weight at the end, since I lost 25 at the beginning, but that means I did actually gain 40 pounds once I was eating again.
Posted 1/13/2010 4:08 AM (GMT 0)
im 23 weeks pregnant right now and FLARING!

just had ob/gyn appt today and the baby is perfectly fine.
i go to the toilet all day and night. i have pregnancy constipation at the same time as having mad urgency, blood, etc...
lots of pain.
ive lost weight.
i eat whatever i want within the preggers rules of what you can and cant eat.

im on prednisone, mesalazine, preg vitamins and endone for pain.

just scheduled my c-section today for april 30th. recommended to prevent more trauma to that area than there already is. and there is a high chance of getting fistulas and other problems etc with a vaginal birth. so im all okay with the c-section. now my playground gets to remain intact LOL.

it is quite uncomfortable to be pregnant with UC to be honest.
but i was reassured that there is no risk really for baby with a UC mum, the problem is that the mum will be miserable.
and its quite true really.

but hey, should be worth it in the end.
Posted 1/13/2010 12:26 PM (GMT 0)
Kazygirl,

Hearing your story just put me at ease....why is it that all of the doctors say to be in remission so you can remain in remission throughout your pregnancy-from my understanding and reading the forum-seems like one way another you will end up in a flare atleast one time during your pregnancy. 

By the way, are you taking all of those medications while being prego?  Have you ever thought of getting acupuncture done?  I heard it relieves many pains for pregnant women as well as UC patients-I had my first treatment last week--I didnt really see a difference, but I heard it takes up to 7 treatments before you see a difference-that is if you are not 100% healthy-which UC patients are not 100% healthy.

I really want the best environment for me and my baby---I am starting to feel much better after my meds got switched-I went from Lialda to Apriso....so far Apriso is working, but not sure for how long.  I am so happy to hear that you and your baby is doing well--please keep me posted.  Sometimes I have to push really hard to have a bowel movement and I thought it would possibly push the baby out---I know that sounds crazy, but having UC and being pregnant, makes many crazy questions come up.  I have never been hospitalized for UC, I have never missed a day of work due to UC, I'm 25 with a career in Engineering and my husband and I are ready to start a family, but I am flaring-do you think now is the right time ladies?

 

Posted 1/13/2010 2:29 PM (GMT 0)
I have been fortunate in that I was diagnosed AFTER my second child was born and didn't have any problems during that pregnancy or before, so I can't comment on pregnancy while dealing with UC.

But I will say this...I am flaring right now, and while my husband and I have decided to wait to try for a third, it has nothing to do with this flare. I don't think I would TTC during a really bad flare, but with things as they are (my flare is minor, compared to my previous), if we were ready to do so, I would try regardless. There is never a right time when it comes to having a baby, UC or not.

That said, I would try to get the UC controlled, or at least have a plan of what you will do if it isn't controlled and pregnancy happens to make things worse. Best to be prepared for the worst, you know?

Good luck!! I have had two tremendously difficult births and recoveries, but I can say with 100% certainty that I would do it all, and then some, again to have my daughters. It is worth it!
Posted 1/13/2010 2:36 PM (GMT 0)
Well I'd say there's never a perfect time to have a baby. Regardless how ready you think you are, it will still rock your world! To me, taking care of my daughter and having UC has been more difficult than being pregnant with UC. The sleep deprivation the first 3+ months really took a toll on my health. I started a thread with that last week called "Taking care of kids and having UC" or something like that. A lot of fellow moms chimed in.

My GI also told me it was best to not be flaring when I actually conceived. I was not flaring when I got pregnant, but since I seem to flare every 3-4 months like clockwork, I just assumed I would flare during my pregnancy, and I did. Fortunately, taking prednisone quickly gets my flare under control - at least so far. I was lucky that UC didn't seem to impact my pregnancy too much. But from reading this thread, others weren't so lucky.

Also, it can take up to a while to even get pregnant. You're only most fertile a few days each cycle. The thought of conceiving during that time period and not flaring at the same time and then actually conceiving, I was careful not to get my hopes up. I had waited so long already for various reasons, so I bought the ovulation predictors and let's just say they work. First time we tried, bam - preggo.

I think the common theme you'll find from our replies is we all managed to get pregnant despite UC; some of us had harder times than others. Just like every other aspect of my life, I just try to not let UC keep me from doing what I want to do.
Posted 1/13/2010 7:42 PM (GMT 0)
Hi I was trying to conceive for one year and then i started to notice blood in my stool. Since my family history consists of Chron's and Cancer we had an emergency colonoscopy just to find out that I had ulcerative coilitis and I was two weeks pregnant. So I just got two shocking stories in one sitting.

Needless to say, i really didn't have any "Flares" as you guys call them. I had some stabbing pains in my stomache and that was about it.....I was also on 9 tablets a day (Pentasa). I was 38 when this happened and I had a perfect pregnancy and baby....I also had another baby two years later at 40...

So good luck to you. You can make it.

Posted 1/14/2010 12:06 AM (GMT 0)
i wasnt flaring when i get preggers. it wasnt until about 9.5 weeks that i started to flare.
then it went away and i got a cold and it came back. grrrr

now im just trying to get rid of it.
i felt same way about pushing baby out when i go to the can cuz i push so much etc.. but you can't so dont worry about that.

yes i am on all those meds and they are perfectly fine i am assured.
no issues so far and the anatomy scan at 20 weeks came out perfect. the baby has nothing wrong with it at all.
all fingers n toes where they should be and no defects from meds. so we are all good.

it also took me 1 year and 8 months to get pregnant. we weren't "trying' hard or anything, but that was how long it took once i got off birth control. your body wont get preggers unless its ready too. so i would just let nature take its course.
Posted 1/14/2010 12:11 PM (GMT 0)
I am new to the forum and I gots to say you ladies are awesome, the feedback on here has been amazing.  To all the ladies who have replied, I will let nature take it course and I will not let UC control me.  I really know there is not a right time to start a family, but my best bet is to let nature take its course.  I used the ovulation predictor kit and I guess we will see if it really worked in a few more weeks.  When the time is right it will happen-but I will keep you ladies posted.  A friend of mines with UC said that women with UC need to lay down for 15-20mins after intercourse in order to get pregnant-is that true ladies? 
Posted 1/14/2010 12:47 PM (GMT 0)
i think thats true for any woman...
when you stand up or go straight to the loo, gravity prevails and the baby goo comes out.
if you lay down or stand on your head, gravity works the other way and it goes into uterus and tubes to fertilise the egg.
its a common technique for any chica
Posted 1/14/2010 5:49 PM (GMT 0)
KAZYGIRL,

I'm not sure if I can stand on my head....after intercourse, I have remained laying down for about 10mins but that is about it-hopefully it worked.  If not, next time I will try to stand on my head-lol

Posted 1/14/2010 5:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hi! Before trying to conceive, I made sure I wasn't in a flare-up, plus that was also recommended by my doctor. Once I got PG, it was smooth sailing. Even took myself off of Rowasa and down to 4 or 6 Asacol a day (was taking 12). I did flare up about 4 months after having my daughter, but it was mild and for the most part have had very mild flare ups since. There were a couple in the mix that were bad (by my standards, but still mild from what my GI told me) and had to go on Prednisone (low dose) only two or three times in 6 years.

I can tell you that since having my daughter, I have fewer flare ups, but not sure if my PG had anything to do with it. And, I seldom get the double over cramping that I used to endure, which was with every flare up before getting PG.

Good luck to you!
Posted 1/14/2010 6:48 PM (GMT 0)

songlady said...
A long time ago, but still.....

I hadn't been off pred and cortenemas very klong at all after my horrible initial onset flare (2 hospitalizations, bowel rest, IV steroids, etc, etc) when I got pregnant and my UC was completely calm throughout the pregnancy and through a year of breastfeeding.

3 years later my gut was also completely calm for my second child, pregnancy through breastfeeding.
My GI wanted me to have ten kids, since the hormones obviously put me into remission. My husband said that would be fine if the doc would agree to pay for their college......

I was on azulphidine during the first child and I think I'd just switched to Asacol for the second.... (or I did shortly thereafter.....?)

My heart goes out to you who are having such a rough time!!!!!!

How old were you with your last pregnancy?  I am 43 and just found out I am pregnant.

Posted 1/14/2010 7:31 PM (GMT 0)
Trixys got butt trouble

 A friend of mines with UC said that women with UC need to lay down for 15-20mins after intercourse in order to get pregnant-is that true ladies? 

Posted 1/14/2010 8:08 PM (GMT 0)

WI Chica,

I have never been pregnant before...I am in the process of trying to conceive with an ulcerative colitis flare

Posted 1/14/2010 8:21 PM (GMT 0)
It's actually an old wives' tale that you have to lay down for ANY woman. UC doesn't change how our reproductive organs function.
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