Help, Pregnant, Possible Celiac, Alone & Scared

[AMC-1978]

I too may be celiac and am pregnant and I need help! For as long as I can remember, I have had trouble going the bathroom regularly...and I am talking around 30 days...I know most celiacs have the opposite problem but the research I have done on the Internet has said that severe constipation could be a symptom. I have had my blood tested and it has come up negative and i have seen two GI doctors...they just look at me like I am crazy and tell me to eat more fiber.

My experiences with GI doctors has been since 2005 and now I am 9 weeks pregnant. From week 4 (as soon as I found out) to week 7, I was completely, 100% gluten free and felt great and was regular. But then I went to my OB and told her that I was wheat free because, although I wasn't diagnosed celiac, I thought I was and it made things better. She told me, it is not a problem, and most pregnant women are constipated...she actually made me feel silly. So what did I do? I ate bread that night...and of course, my stomach got HUGE and uncomfortable and I haven't gone to the bathroom since.

Any advise out there? If I do eat wheat, what can it do to my baby? I am super scared. I have an autistic cousin and fear that since it is in my family, I too could have an autistic child, and with this...I just want someone to agree with me, that yes, I probably have celiac.

[Jestgar]

Stop eating gluten. You know your own body better than anyone else and if being gluten free makes you feel better, then don't eat it. You aren't doing yourself any harm, and many people find they eat healthier just because they aren't eating all the junk food (that's normally filled with gluten).

[brookline]

I agree with Jestgar.

None of us here are going to be able to say whether you have celiac or not, but I think that everyone would agree that -- whether we're talking about feeling better physically or just having peace of mind -- if it makes you feel better to avoid gluten, then you should do it.

I don't know what effect gluten consumption would have on the child of a celiac mother (would the child not get the proper nutrition?). However: avoiding gluten will do you neither you nor your child any harm, and it's true that you may very well find yourself eating healthier as a result.

[missy'smom]

I agree as well that you should go ahead and avoid gluten if it makes you feel unwell. Your OB may not be well enough informed about this, not to her discredit, it's just not her area of expertise. I was VERY constipated even though I had a bowel movement everyday. Pregnancy is what triggered celiac disease for me and after my son was born I still looked very pregnant and was asked if I was pregnant by strangers, and I am a very petite gal. When I mentioned it to my OB as seeming not normal, she told me just to do some sit ups.

I've found that some squeeze and release "exercizes" for the bowel region or a cup of caffienated tea helps my bowels move and yogurt help keep them well formed when gluten-free isn't enough.

[horsegirl]

You could always order the tests from Enterolab (www.enterolab.com) to see whether you have the genes for celiac, or for gluten intolerance, as well as other food intolerances. And don't forget that for a lot of people, dairy can cause constipation too.

Good luck, & let us know what happens.

And, congratulations on your pregnancy!

[goldyjlox]

Pregnancy seemed to hide my symptoms and I always felt great!!! Besides the constipation, mine was so bad that I was scared of pushing to hard as I might go into early labour. It was mentioned to me that I may have Celiac, but I was pregnant and didnt know it at the time, I decided to stay on the gluten diet as I thought it would be better for my baby.

Please dont panic as everyone has a different pregnancy but I had problems in the third trimester. If it was related to celiac I am not sure. At 28 wks I was put on bedrest....in HOT July with a 2 year old....lots of fun!!! the baby was not growing, I had IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Restriction), which I did read somewhere that this can happen with Celiac mothers and it also happened with my first but at 36 wks and I went full term with her. This time at 36 weeks I was induced with Preeclampsia (high blood pressure), my son weighted 4 lbs 3.5 oz and was in the hospital for 2 weeks, he was so tiny. Now of course at 12 months he is a monster.

I agree that you should go gluten-free, you can still have a perfectly healthy pregnacy without Gluten. I sometimes wonder if I was gluten-free if that all would have happened, but its in the past. And it was the hardest thing to go through and I dont wish it upon anyone.

So, I know this is probably not what you wanted to hear but its my experience. Try going without, you know your body better then the doctors do....its a healthier lifestyle...which I am still trying to convince myself.

Good luck with it. And congrats on the pregnancy.

Jess

[mftnchn]

Have you had the blood tests? You might want to do that before going gluten-free, because otherwise they'll be false negative.

[Adelle]

Welcome to the gluten-free club!!!

Most docs are clueless when it comes to celiac. Ignore her. YOU know what's best!!

Congrats on your pregnancy!

[NikkiM]

I have also suspected that I was celiac and am now 6 weeks pregnant. I have always had bowel trouble, but unlike you, mine is diarrhea, and I can not be too far from a bathroom. Last week I went gluten free and felt better than I had in years! My bowels were slowly becoming formed again! Then last night I had a piece of pizza and now this morning I have diarrhea again. It is just not worth it. I am going back on the diet! I don't need any doctors to confirm this for me, I have seen the difference! I say, do what makes you feel good!!! Good luck with your pregnancy!