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Do Celiacs Have A Harder Time Getting Pregnant?


Skittles

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Skittles Enthusiast

Hello, my fiance and I plan on getting married and two years and we plan on trying for children right away. I will be just turning 28 at the time. I would love to have children now but I still have a year left of school. It has taken me a little longer to finish my schooling, due to celiac related difficulties I went through before being diagnosed. I know 28 isn't old but it is older than I wanted to be for having my first child. And we want to have atleast two children. So, I would like to hopefully get pregnant right away. However, I am doing some research online and seeing a lot about celiac women being infertal and not being able to get pregnant. This terrifies!! I am even scared that the stress of thinking I can't get pregnant will effect my not getting pregnant! Can anyone tell me what they know about women who are celiac not being able to get pregnant?


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1desperateladysaved Proficient

If you heal up by following your diet, I believe that you may be blessed with  children.  I had untreated celiac during my childbearing years.  I miscarried my first child, after that I had 5 healthy children.  My pregnancies were naturally 2-3 years apart and then I lapsed into infertility. 

 

It is possible to have children when you have celiac disease.  Wait, I think, until you have a marriage with their father, so you will both stay commited for those dear ones yet tobe.

Skittles Enthusiast

If you heal up by following your diet, I believe that you may be blessed with  children.  I had untreated celiac during my childbearing years.  I miscarried my first child, after that I had 5 healthy children.  My pregnancies were naturally 2-3 years apart and then I lapsed into infertility. 

 

It is possible to have children when you have celiac disease.  Wait, I think, until you have a marriage with their father, so you will both stay commited for those dear ones yet tobe.

 

So how long were you on the gluten free diet before you had your first child?

1desperateladysaved Proficient

I was undiagnosed the whole time!  I was kept alive in famine and very blessed.  I would have taken in more babies if I could have.  :)  I do recommend going gluten free first!

mamat78 Apprentice

I am interested in this thread too as I am undiagnosed, waiting for blood screening, and 35 with no biological children. We were always under the assumption that it was my husband as his sperm count isnt the best...its not the worst either and we have been trying for almost 15 years. We were blessed with 4 children through adoption so infertility for me was a blessing in disguise. I do wonder, however, if celiac is related to my inability to get pregnant. Good luck with your young marriage and your adventure with having a family. Those are the best years!! 

mushroom Proficient

From my reading of others' posts here on the board, once on the gluten free diet fertility tends to normalize.  Those who have been unable to conceive, as well as those who have had multiple miscarriages, seem to have been able to carry healthy children to term once their own bodies are healthy.  So just relax and let it happen  :) 

kareng Grand Master

Here is some info about infertility & Celiac -

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link


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Skittles Enthusiast

This is all very helpful information! Thanks everyone :)

nvsmom Community Regular

I know celiac disease can affect fertility but it doesn't always, just like not everyone experiences the same gastro or neurological symptoms in this disease.  I think that untreated celiac can lead to other health problems (like PCOS or Hashi's or lupus) that causes infertility though.... but not in everyone.

 

I have had three children and one, very early, miscarriage. Considering that about 25% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, that puts me at very average. I was an untreated celiac until my youngest turned 5 years old yet I never had difficulty (thankfully and luckily) becoming pregnant.  Trying for a pregnancy took from 1 month to 5 months, which is good considering that I was in my very twenties and early thirties during that time.

 

Best wishes to you.  :)

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