Any mums to be who are crohns sufferers??

[1stTimer25]

Hi everyone, I am 30+4 ... My crohns has been reasonably good throughout my pregnancy so far but it is beginning to flare slightly now - I had prepared myself for it to get slightly more active the further along I got as everything is beginning to get squished! I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced or is experiencing similar as I've been getting twinges and pains across tum over past few days and it probably sounds really daft but I don't know how to differentiate between crohns or pregnancy as this is my first baby...
Thanks in advance for any advice/insight

Bump

Hi. I have Crohns and on second pregnancy. (well 4th including miscarriages). I fared pretty well last time and so far thus time (20 wks). When you say you're getting a flare up, are you bleeding or just bloated and pain because that could just be pregnancy. I was lead to believe that people with Crohns tended to do ok during pregnancy because your immunity is reduced. Are you still on meds?

Hiya! Nice to hear from you, i am faring well really considering some of the facts that we were presented with when we found out about the pregnancy due to meds etc ... Just recently I've been getting pain and going to the loo more often which is unusual as I have been well controlled with Mercaptopurine.
I am still taking one tablet daily and have now been told I might not be able to breast feed unless I stop my meds... Have you had any experience with this?

Hi OP, no advise sorry but just wanted to wish you well. My DH had UC and I know how horrid it is, look after yourself and good luck with your pregnancy x

Hiya, sorry just coming back it's been crazy here. Yes i breasted for 2 years on mercaptopurine. I found it fine. I think they're wary about it because it can pass through milk but dd is wonderful and healthy. I did stop taking it for a short while in the early days because, mainly, i forgot and was sleep deprived!

Thank you longfufu it's not nice but shows what us IBDer's can do

Wow rowboat that's great news! My DP and I were wondering if I stopped it a little before edd if I go full term for a short while at least to bf for the first few weeks so baby is getting the best start I can offer...?! I'm worried that if I come off it for a long period, a flare will be just as exhausting as expressing for hours after taking my meds just to throw it away! Feel like I would either be constantly attached to baby or pump!! If you don't mind me asking, did your consultant tell you that your baby would be at a higher risk of having IBD? My consultant and his registrar were less than delicate about the risks in pregnancy to baby ( I do sit slightly smugly now that I am this far and all has progressed perfectly- until past few weeks! )

Hi. I don't have crohns, but I'm a gastroenterologist (and pregnant!). 6-mp/mercaptopurine is thought to be fine in breatfeeding. There was some concern years ago with it and aza, because there is simply so little evidence in pregnancy. We now have extra years of experience with its use. I won't give "professional" advice on the Internet, but I would encourage my patients to stay on these meds. The baby needs a well mum!

I'd had a couple of run ins with midwives who have told new mums they must stop abruptly (or in one case that she will have already harmed her baby by feeding while taking ). This is not the current evidence.

Speak to your team. If you're in a big centre there might be a consultant with an interest in maternal IBD. If you're interested, you could look through our guidelines - ECCO is probably the most readable...

Hi sinkymalinks thank you for your knowledge and advice, I shall definitely look into those guidelines :) ... We want to do what is best for both of us so are trying to soak up as much info as possible to make a good decision! Hope all is well with both of you and tums are nice and wiggly!!

Slinkymalinks, that's good news. I was half expecting someone to come along and tell me Id done something terrible!