Coeliac disease during pregnancy

[TashLou90]

Me and my husband have decided that we want to try for a baby. After getting excited about the idea of having a baby in the house, I have been diagnosed with coeliac disease. Has anyone else been diagnosed before trying for a baby and if so, were you expected to eat gluten free for a certain length of time before trying to convince? How was your pregnancy impacted by having to eat gluten free? Any complications you might have had that are direct result of having coeliac disease? My heads all over the place and I’ve gone from being excited to being worried in the space of 24 hours. Obviously I will be speaking to my doctor & a dietician but thought anyone here that has been through the same might be able to help.

Celiac won't affect anything.

Have you cut gluten out?

Fellow coeliac here. Has 0 impact on baby and usually won’t make any difference in your pregnancy. The only thing I’d say I did was take folic acid (pregnacare I believe the brand was) just to up those levels a bit.

I'd have a chat with your doctor. My cousin had multiple miscarriages and ended up adopting. She was then diagnosed with coeliac and her doctor suggested she tried again, implying she was less likely to miscarry as a controlled coeliac. (She didn't as she felt her family was complete with her adopted dc). But this was a long time ago so advice may well have changed.

Yes I have now cut gluten out completely. I was only diagnosed a few days ago but have since been shopping for gluten free.

Thank you! I'll make sure to get some.

I was diagnosed last year and am currently 20 weeks pregnant. I would advise speaking to your GP because I’m on a higher level of folic acid than normal and I have to take it for my whole pregnancy, I had to get this prescribed and was told to take it whilst TTC. I was also prescribed aspirin at 12 weeks that I need to take for the remainder of my pregnancy and I’ve got extra scans to check my placenta. This is all purely precautionary because there is a link between some autoimmune conditions and a higher risk of preeclampsia, but as far as I’m aware there’s no proven link between coeliac disease and preeclampsia, they’re just extra careful with any autoimmune diseases.

Other than that my pregnancy has been no different to by two previous pre diagnosis pregnancies and it’s reassuring to get the extra checks. Good luck!

My mum struggled with her fertility until she was diagnosed with coeliac disease and went on the diet so it can have an impact, but once you're on the diet and your body has healed it shouldn't have any effect. I have it as well and have had two healthy pregnancies, midwives and OB said nothing about it needing any special consideration.

Just be aware that you should get your child tested for coeliac disease when they're a bit older as their risk is greatly increased because you have it, tested both of mine at 4 years old, DD was positive and DS was negative (but will need to be tested again in the future, he has the farts of death now just like his sister did)

I was prescribed high dose folic acid, I was very deficient. It's worth asking your GP to check your levels and prescribe you some before you ttc.

I've been celiac for 29 years. I had no trouble TTC and got pregnant very quickly. I take the normal pregnancy vitamins and had a meeting with an obstetrician in the beginning of my pregnancy just to comfirm it's controlled. I'm currently 27 weeks. I've had no complications but was diagnosed with hyperemesis which has nothing to do with celiac. If you've been diagnosed you will have to keep to a gluten free diet for your sake. I've not had any gluten related issues with my pregnancy, just making sure I stick to it and follow the normal advise for pregnant women when it comes to food. I've even gone abroad on holiday this week without any issues. The Internet is full of scaremongering about being celiac and pregnant, please don't think it will happen to you, it is usually related to undiagnosed celiac disease and pregnancy.
Being worried is only natural, especially in the beginning and based on what you can read on the Internet. But rest assured that you'll be fine as long as you stick to the diet and follow advise from midwife/doctor about general foods pregnant women should avoid.
Hope you've been given some good advise to give you some piece of mind. Being cealic is much easier these days as most things will be gluten free, and the free from section has a lot more to offer now than when I grew up.

Celiac mums - Did you have a c section or vaginal delivery.
My consultant mentioned to me, during my last pregnancy (which sadly ended with an MMC) that he had never delivered a baby to a celiac mother that was not a planned for or emergency C. Section. Not sure why, didnt really think to ask but they fully recommended that I was booked for a C Section on the celiac grounds only.

I am just thinking about a good for future pregnancy and birth and wondering about this.

Coeliac. No extra scans. Normal delivery for one, other was breech so c section was chosen by me. just was prescribed 5mg folic acid in pregnancy by dr.

not under hospital for coeliac no dietician appointments, once diagnosed.
so much easier than when I was diagnosed nearly 20 years ago with more products available and better labelling thankfully.

My mum has been coeliac for over 40 years but had a long period where she was undiagnosed, people thought she had anorexia because she was so malnourished. My brother was born during the time of her being undiagnosed so she was eating gluten and she had a really bad pregnancy, midwives didn't believe she was in labour as she didn't have a bump and he was very small. She hemorrhaged after birth and took a long time to recover. I was her first baby after diagnosis (but also 10 years after my brother and different dad's so there's a lot of variables here) but she was very well through the pregnancy and I was 9lbs 7. So if coeliac did play a part in her pregnancies, it was in the way that controlling it gave far better outcomes than not.

Thank you both. I am currently on 2000 iu of folate, as opposed to folic acid, and 4000 iu of vitamin D so hopefully I am healthier than I was. I guess I will just have to play it by ear with the birth itself when I get to that, hopefully eventually.

Two babies. Several years after being diagnosed. No problems at all, I took the usual vitamins and stuck to my gluten free diet. Warned the hospital in advance of special diet but to be honest , best to get your DH to provide the food if you're in for any length of time.

@Objectiontime I don’t mean to cast aspersions on your consultant but I really find that a very strange thing to say! I’ve had two babies, both delivered vaginally; no one said anything to me about any other scenario and it seems vastly improbable to me that there is ANY link at all between having coeliac disease and going on to having a C-section. Next time you see them please do interrogate them on this! Good luck with your pregnancy x

(My comment I suppose is concerned with mothers who are on a gluten free diet already and are otherwise healthy, not those who might have been sick until later in their pregnancy, in which case, I suppose, it could lead to complications. But it doesn’t sound like that’s the sort of case your doc was talking about.)

Oh and OP, sorry, not to spam your thread but the only way having coeliac disease affected either of my pregnancies was an inability to eat any of the hospital food! Defo take snacks if you’re in for a while (I was in for hours with my second- induction)

Thank you for your replies, I am not actually pregnant again yet but just want to be prepared. My mother had two sections for both myself and my brother and when I told her what the consultant said she did say that whilst it was all very well if there was a good reason but the recovery was pretty painful and exhausting so I dont want to have one for the sake of it. Guess I had better wait till I am actually pregnant and see how things go.