Pregnancy -- Husband & 1st Child Have Celiac

[betsy7]

My husband and son (18 months) were both recently diagnosed with Celiac disease. Doctors have told us it's unlikely that our son was born with Celiac b/c it's an autoimmune disease, but we've been contemplating the idea of me (the non-celiac wife) going gluten free during our next pregnancy... we're not pregnant yet.

I realize that it probably sounds like no big deal going gluten-free for less than a year, but I had terrible, terrible morning sickness with my first and could only keep down crackers, apples and water for several weeks. So, I just want to be sure that it might be helpful to be gluten-free before living on a diet of rice cakes, etc.. while being very sick.

Our son was small at birth and always at / near the 10th percentile. Now, a month after gluten-free diet, he's starting to go up in %ages -- he should be taller based upon my and my husband's heights. Can't he have been born with Celiac b/c he was exposed to gluten in utero? Or, is this not possible?

I've also wondered if my morning sickness may have been so bad b/c my son has celiac...

Thanks, in advance, for your advice!

Betsy

[Guest nini]

gosh, I don't know. I mean it's entirely possible that you have undiagnosed Celiac too. It may also be helpful just for your husband and your child for you to keep an entirely gluten-free home anyway. If you want to eat gluten when out somewhere that would be your call... As far as the baby being exposed to gluten in utero and it aggravating or activating Celiac, I suppose it's possible, anything's possible right? The gluten-free diet is a very healthy diet if done right and there is no reason NOT to do it while pregnant. You may find that you feel better off of gluten too! Bonus!

[CarlaB]

I had very bad morning sickness, 24/7 for 5 months. All I could eat was bread, at least that's what I thought!! Looking back, I'd say the bread was only making me sicker. One day a friend came over and cooked dinner for us; that was the only time I was healthy enough to sit up in a chair for a while. I actually felt good! There's always a chance that you have a gluten sensitivity as well and just don't know it yet.

[Nancym]

Yeah, I can't imagine a way to better support your husband and child than by going gluten-free. If you're not there's more of a risk of contamination and they have the foods they probably miss being paraded before their eyes every day reminding them of their oddity.

There are plenty of non-gluten alternatives to eat so you won't starve.

[TCA]

this is just my theory, but I was actually thinking of this the other day...

I had very bad toxemia with my 1st pregnancy and morning sickness like you wouldn't believe. My son was born skinny and always has been. at 3 he was diagnosed with celiac. At 6 weeks old his stools were bloody. After much testing, it was determined that he had a dairy allergy. I was breastfeeding, so I went dairy free and the blood cleared. He had a lot of other issues though and was tested for everything, including celiac. The celiac disease test was negative, but I now wonder if the stress put on him during the preganancy triggered the celiac.

My daughter was born 2.5 years later. The pregnancy was very uneventful and normal. When she was born she was plump and looked healthy. A few hours later we learned she had a heart defect. She nursed like a champ at first and seemed to just be getting fatter. At 9 days old she had her first open heart surgery. her health plummeted after that. She had blood in her stools at 9 weeks old, so I eliminated dairy again and it cleared, but she was just soooo sick all the time. After a while I tried the gluten-free diet for her and she is now responding well to me being on a gluten-free diet. I think the open heart surgery triggered her celiac disease.

I now think the blood in both of their stools was actually because the body couldn't handle the dairy due to the celiac. Both have had dairy since being gluten-free and neither have had blood in their stools.

I was reading that doing the rotation diet during pregnancy might help prevent food allergies in kids, but I haven't seen any real proof of this. You eat all you want of one food in one setting, like wheat or dairy, but you don't eat it again for 3 days. The allergist I talked to recommended doing this with all the major allergens. I'm not sure if it's accurate or not.

[betsy7]

Thanks, everyone.

I guess I should have mentioned that we are all gluten-free at home -- which is probably 95% of my meals. I guess it's that other 5% that I'm thinking about... can I eat what I want at a wedding, party, etc... after I get pregnant? Or, will any gluten impact the fetus like it would a celiac?

I've been tested twice -- once very recently -- I am a carrier, but don't have celiac. I'll have to be tested every year or so though.

TCA -- it sounds like you think your son may have had celiac since birth (or before). Based on your theory, maybe my son got it when I had severe morning sickness -- or a brief uti that I had really early in my pregnancy.

Do others think that their children were born with celiac -- that the disease was triggered before birth?

[tiffjake]

I don't have children yet, but we are trying (kinda) and I am gluten-free and my hubby is not. But when we are home, he eats what I eat, which is all gluten-free. I would go gluten-free if I were you, if for no other reason, then because it is easier to plan meals and to do family stuff. I won't pretend to know what it is like to be preggers, but I will say that when I have been sick, I have enjoyed crackers by Ener-g. They are really close to saltines, to me, and I really like them. They are just called Ener-g wheat free, gluten-free crackers. Maybe that would help with the morning sickness. Just wanted to throw my opinion in. I hope your husband and new child are doing well!

[Ursa Major]

If you are a carrier of the celiac gene, you would do well being on a gluten free diet anyway. Why wait until you actually get sick?

And since your husband has celiac disease, and you're a carrier, there is a high risk of ALL your children having celiac disease. I do believe that what you eat will affect your unborn baby. How can it not? You're eating for the baby, too! He/she 'eats' whatever comes through the umbilical cord. If the baby is gluten intolerant, you might give birth to a sick baby. Why risk it?

Anyway, just my opinion, of course.

[Guest nini]

I do believe that my daughter was born sick because of me being so ill while pg with her. I was gluten-free for the first trimester but ate plenty of gluten after that. Had such complications from it and she was preemie... I remember her being so colicky in the hospital...

since you don't think you have it and aren't sick, it probably wouldn't hurt to eat some occassionally when you are out, but again, you may find that even a little bit bothers you after being totally gluten-free. You probably won't have to be as vigilant as your hubby and child, I don't know. I'm not a Dr. Just a mom with Celiac and have a kiddo with it.

[Satori]

Do others think that their children were born with celiac -- that the disease was triggered before birth?

My first dd was born with active celiac and was failure to thrive by 4 months but she had the nasty gluten diarrhea from birth from my eating gluten. I gave birth 2 weeks ago and this new baby has the same nasty diapers and I've been mystified until I saw something from clan thompson today and discovered that 3 things I've been eating are not gluten-free:( I'm taking her to the Dr tomorrow to see if I passed the gene on to her.

[Girl Ninja]

I was pregnant once before I had my son. I had HORRIBLE "morning" sickness. It lasted all day. I'd get sick like every 10 minutes. I only ate saltines and watered down apple juice. I ended up losing 40 lbs in about a month and miscarrying. It was before I ever heard of Celiac or had symptoms myself. Now I have all sorts of questions about it. Could that have triggered my intolerance? (probably) Was it possible that that child was Celiac? I didn't have any of the problems with my son, which adds more questions. I was vegetarian with him and starting to really develop symptoms like hives and headaches. I didn't get sick once through the whole pregnancy, though and he shows no signs of any trouble with gluten.

Now that I know it's possible any child I carry could be Celiac, I will be super careful if I get the opportunity to try again. I wouldn't want to risk any of the problems I encountered the first time. I really thought I might die and now I think that it was probably no easier for that baby.

[Miss Dana]

My mom, uncle, great aunt, myself and my brother are all gluten-intolerant (maybe celiac - no official diagnoses, but all respond to gluten-free diet). My brother and sister-in-law are having a baby - due in October. Sister-in-law is not gluten-intolerant. Should she be gluten-free anyway for the remainder of the pregnancy in case the baby got celiac from my brother? What about when she breastfeeds? Thanks.

[qtgrl]

I was pregnant once before I had my son. I had HORRIBLE "morning" sickness. It lasted all day. I'd get sick like every 10 minutes. I only ate saltines and watered down apple juice. I ended up losing 40 lbs in about a month and miscarrying. It was before I ever heard of Celiac or had symptoms myself. Now I have all sorts of questions about it. Could that have triggered my intolerance? (probably) Was it possible that that child was Celiac? I didn't have any of the problems with my son, which adds more questions. I was vegetarian with him and starting to really develop symptoms like hives and headaches. I didn't get sick once through the whole pregnancy, though and he shows no signs of any trouble with gluten.

Now that I know it's possible any child I carry could be Celiac, I will be super careful if I get the opportunity to try again. I wouldn't want to risk any of the problems I encountered the first time. I really thought I might die and now I think that it was probably no easier for that baby.

Celiac is in your DNA. Not everyone has typical symptoms. So relatives are fooled into thinking they have nothing wrong until other illnesses appear. A child should be tested by age of 2 but speak with your gastroenterologist who specializes in Celiac.