Getting Pregnant But Not On The Diet

[KatieB]

I'm new to this whole Celiac thing...

I have no syptoms and the only reason I was ever tested was because my mom has it and pushed for me to be tested. So needless to say, I'm not on the diet. I know, I know... my mom lectures me about it all the time but because I have no symptoms (I don't appear at all under-nurished and am actually over weight) it is very hard to get motivated to cut out gluten.

Now things are changing... My husband and I are wanting to start trying to get pregnant. I want to be as healthy as I can for a baby but I think it is going to take a while to actually get my discipline down to be fully on the diet. So, my questions are (if anyone can help me)...

With this disease and trying to get pregnant what supplements and how much should I be taking?

If I do start trying to go on the diet does that change the amount of vitamins and minerals I should be taking?

Is there any books that actually answer these kinds of questions?

Thanks for any help and resources you can give me. I'm just trying to figure all this stuff out.

Katie

[tarnalberry]

Vitamin deficiencies don't show symptoms until they're serious! Relying on symptoms to tell you if you're healthy or not really just isn't reliable - as you know from being an asymptomatic celiac. (You're intestines are being damaged and you aren't fully absorbing your food, but your body doesn't tell you it doesn't feel well.)

As for pregnancy, untreated celiac is a cause of spontaneous miscarriage, because the body isn't getting the levels of nutrition it needs. Not everyone experiences this, of course, but it is a risk factor.

You *absolutely* need to go gluten free and stay gluten free. You should probably be tested for vitamin deficiencies to address any particular problems if they exist. Beyond that, a regular prenatal vit (with plenty of folic acid), and calcium/magnesium/D is usually 'sufficient'.

[Teacher1958]

I was not on the diet when I became pregnant. I had been diagnosed with irritable bowel, nervous stomach, etc. Therefore, I assumed it was okay for me to get pregnant. Well, I went into premature labor at 32 weeks and had to spend a month in the hospital before my son was born at 36 weeks (a month early). He spent a week in the NICU and is fine now (he just graduated from high school with honors). Anyhow, the doctors were never able to tell me why I went into early labor, but I now know that it was the gluten sensitivity/Celiac Disease, because it causes miscarriages and repeated premature labor. Of course, I only found out about this two months ago. My point in telling you this is that you absolutely have to stick to the diet if you're going to have a baby. I certainly don't want you to go through what I went through. It was a very stressful experience.

[Guhlia]

I'm new to this whole Celiac thing...

I have no syptoms and the only reason I was ever tested was because my mom has it and pushed for me to be tested. So needless to say, I'm not on the diet. I know, I know... my mom lectures me about it all the time but because I have no symptoms (I don't appear at all under-nurished and am actually over weight) it is very hard to get motivated to cut out gluten.

Now things are changing... My husband and I are wanting to start trying to get pregnant. I want to be as healthy as I can for a baby but I think it is going to take a while to actually get my discipline down to be fully on the diet. So, my questions are (if anyone can help me)...

With this disease and trying to get pregnant what supplements and how much should I be taking?

If I do start trying to go on the diet does that change the amount of vitamins and minerals I should be taking?

Is there any books that actually answer these kinds of questions?

Thanks for any help and resources you can give me. I'm just trying to figure all this stuff out.

Katie

If you're planning on getting pregnant you absolutely need to be 100% gluten free, for your baby's sake. Untreated Celiac in pregnant mothers can cause infertility, recurrent miscarriages, birth defects, preterm labor and delivery, as well as many other serious conditions. Taking vitamins will likely be next to useless depending on the condition of your intestines. If your villi are blunted, which they likely are, it's probable that you won't be able to absorb the nutrients within your vitamins. Nutritional deficiencies can reek havoc on a fetus. Maintaining a gluten free diet will severely decrease your risks for complications.

Please note that I'm not saying that you can't have a normal, healthy baby with untreated Celiac, but your chances definitely aren't as good as they would be if you were on the diet. Is that added risk really worth it?

[New Mama]

I haven't been tested, but I believe I am gluten intolerant. My 22-month old son was tested though, and it came out positive.

I had trouble getting pregnant (I didn't ovulate on my own) and we did in vitro -- I found out later that not getting a period was a major symptom of celiac disease/gluten intolerance. I went gluten free and took major supplements and I now get my period.

My son was healthy BUT he has a small "hole" at the base of his tailbone. It was scary for a while until his doctor was able to see the bottom of the hole and assure us that it wasn't a problem. An unclosed hole can indicate a problem with the spine, and even a closed hole can become infected with a cyst and require drainage. It's related to spina bifida -- and we know that spina bifida is often caused by a folic acid deficiency in the mother.

I'm sick about this, but so, so grateful it wasn't worse. PLEASE go gluten-free, for the sake of your future child. And being gluten-free may also make it easier to get pregnant in the first place.

[happygirl]

check out the book in my signature...it has a chapter on pregnancy/celiac.

search on pubmed about celiac...to see how serious it is.

[alamaz]

i can't agree more with what every one has told you. I had two miscarriages before being diagnosed. we are trying again and i am on mega supplements and 100% gluten-free, casein free,soy free diet. Something for you to think about is if you can't or don't want to take care of yourself properly how will you manage if your child has celiac? I think getting the diet down and accepting it first would make it a lot easier down the road to manage with a child who could possibly be celiac as well. Good luck deciding what to do. It's a huge step and it sounds like you are on the right track!

[lob6796]

I'm new to this whole Celiac thing...

I have no symptoms (I don't appear at all under-nurished and am actually over weight) it is very hard to get motivated to cut out gluten.

I hate to sink your ship there... but being overweight actually IS a symptom in a lot of people with Celiac disease. Your intestines become damaged from the gluten, and because they now have such a hard time absorbing nutrients, they are absorbing whatever they can and holding on for dear life - which alot of times includes fat and water. My daughter was vomiting 3x a day, 5 days a week - and gaining weight. You need to go on the diet. Until you've been on it for a few months, I wouldn't attempt to get pregnant. A baby absorbs it's nutrients from your blood stream. Since your intestines aren't absorbing the amount they should, not only will your baby not get the amount of nutrients it needs, but it will be depleting YOU of those nutrients, which can lead to complications and illness. Do what is best for you and your soon to be baby - get healthy (truly healthy) and then conceive. Good luck.

[happygirl]

Open Original Shared Link

from the above story:

"I now felt encouraged to explore further. In August of 2000, I attended the 9th International Symposium on Celiac Disease in Baltimore, Maryland. The very first lecture solved my mystery. Not only is there a problem with fertility, repeated spontaneous abortions (yes, my miscarriages) and amenorrhea in untreated celiac disease patients, but celiac disease causes

[hannahsue01]

I can tell you from hands on experience to go gluten free well before you actually get pregnant.....like six months min. I was not aware with my last pregnancy that I was celiac. My precious little girl was born at 29 weeks wieghing only 2 half pounds and 13 in long. She had a long hard strugle and even today has glasses, a tube in her tummy to eat, leg braces, and is quite delayed. Many of the other parents we have met having preemies at this gestation....um well lets just say we've been to a few funerals. This is serious business. Not only does this cause infertility and miscarrages but you could be putting your future baby at a huge risk of problems and suffering or worse. I don't mean to be harsh or scare you but this is nothing to screw around with. If you want to have a baby in the near future you need to get serious and go 100% gluten free and stick to it. Make sure you are taking the vitamens and get checked for any defictiencies. I wish you and your husband good luck bringing a little one into the world and hope all goes well for you and your future baby.

[gfgypsyqueen]

First, good luck trying to get pregnant and welcome to the board!

Everyone has previous experience and tons of knowledge. In many discussions with non-celiac friends you are the person I feel the worst for. Someone with no bothersome symptoms but gets a postive diagnosis of Celiacs. Most of us have lost babies, lost weight or gained weight, but overall we have been sick for years trying to get a diagnosis. This can be a challenging diet at times, but you will find yourself feeling better in ways you never expected.

As for the pregnancy to be, take the advice of so many people here and try hard to be gluten-free the entire pregnancy. I was 100% gluten-free for 2 yrs before getting pregnant with my second child. I was glutened 6 times during that pregnancy and every time the baby would "flip out" for an entire day after the gluten and then the next day there was no movement at all. That is terrifying! She eventually came a week early due to another glutening. I was lucky and managed to not go into labor unti lthe very end.

Just another tidbit that has no medical backing to it: My kids have food allergies and no one in the family does. For each child, I either ate something excessively during the pregnancy or while nursing and the kids both ended up getting that food for an allergy. (One is allergic to nuts and the other to dairy and shellfish.) Everyone I know who has a food allergic child, has a similar story. I have no idea why. So, in my opinion, while pregnant and nursing, eat all foods in moderation.

I hope nobody scared you off with some of the very sad stories listed above, but we all just want to hear you and your future baby are happy and healthy. Best of luck

[Nancym]

If you are deficient in nutrients your baby will be too. Just taking supplements isn't going to fix it, because you won't be absorbing them properly either. You need to correct your diet and get as healthy as possible before you conceive so your baby will be a little bundle of perfection.

Being overweight doesn't mean you're healthy or have proper nutrient levels.

[Ursa Major]

My naturopathic doctor told me that being overweight can be a sign of malnutrition!

I had eight miscarriages and five very difficult pregnancies. I am very blessed to have five healthy children. I am convinced that the miscarriages were due to undiagnosed celiac disease.

Please, for your sake and any children's sake you may have, get serious about the gluten-free diet!

I agree that it would be better to wait for at least six months on a strict gluten-free diet before getting pregnant. Otherwise you risk losing the baby (if you can even conceive at all until you are healed) and get really sick yourself.

Also, a pregnancy can trigger full-blown celiac disease with all the awful symptoms of diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting etc. You don't want to go there!

Your mother is right, please listen to her. Start the gluten-free diet today, so you can soon get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy and beautiful, healthy baby.

[alamaz]

I just wanted to add that in no way is any one here coming down hard on you. We are all here to support eachother and we all want to be as healthy as we can be. I re read my post and realized it could have come accross as being mean or accusing you but it was totally the opposite. All of us want you to take care of yourself first so you don't have to experience what so many of us have. Trust me, the longer you wait to go gluten-free the harder it will be to repair the damage it has done to your body over the years. Bringing a baby into the world is a huge step and a very joyful one at that. No one would want to take that away from you. Good luck TTC and get off the gluten!