Pregnant And Eating Gluten

[jlynn]

I had a positive blood test for Celiac, negative biopsy(after being gluten-free for two weeks), back in January 06'. I went off gluten and really never noticed any changes. I had diahreah for months. Once I started taking the immodium A.D. things finally started firming up. I am recently pregnant(3 months), and with the terrible nausea have found myself grabbing anything(usually with gluten, i.e. pretzel, bagel, etc.) when I am out. I have not gotten diahreah so far. My question is this: Is my body just protecting itself because I am pregnant or could I just really not be allergic to gluten? Has anyone had a similar experience while being pregnant? Any advice or thoughts would really be welcome. I don't want to do damage to my body or my baby.

[Ridgewalker]

Congratulations of your pregnancy!

Celiac symptoms can be tied to hormonal changes. There is another member here who only HAS Celiac symptoms when she is pregnant.

If you had a positive blood test, then you have Celiac.

Have you tried gluten-free pretzels? They taste exactly like regular ones. Then there's fruit, veggies, gluten-free bars, cereal, chips, anything but gluten! Eating gluten when you're pregnant not only damages your small intestine, but unfortunately can lead to problems for your baby.

Have you talked to your OB about the severe nausea? For most women, the nausea should begin to ease by the end of month three. As a matter of fact, the gluteny foods you're snacking on are quite likely aggravating your "morning" sickness. (Or all-day sickness, as I like to call it!)

[ravenwoodglass]

If you had a postive blood test you need to be gluten free. The biopsies are really hit and miss but the blood test when it shows a postive is pretty conclusive.

One reason to be gluten free is that if your baby carrys the gene, and you have a difficult delivery the baby can have the disease triggered at birth. I am pretty sure this happened with my DS and then he of course had subsequent excaberations.

Another reason is that some of us have problems with miscarriage.

Right now it is important for both your health and the babies that you get back on the diet and stay on it.

Oh and if you want to see what years of medicating the D with antidiarheals will get you just look at my signature. You were lucky and showed up in blood work, I don't. I did over 10 years of daily Immodium to control the D while the autoimmune process destroyed my body and brain, all because I didn't show positive in blood work.

I do hope you will reconsider getting back on the diet, you have found a great place for info and support. It is hard at first but it is so worth doing.

[dbmamaz]

I'd read somewhere that your immune system is suppressed during pregnancy, to keep you from rejecting the baby. This lowers your celiac reactions, since that is also an immune system response. You may not be getting as much damage from the gluten during pregnancy as you would otherwise - however, you and your baby will both probably feel better if you try to stay on your diet. Try rice cakes or corn chips. I read lemon slushies are great for morning sickness!

[jlynn]

Congratulations of your pregnancy!

Celiac symptoms can be tied to hormonal changes. There is another member here who only HAS Celiac symptoms when she is pregnant.

If you had a positive blood test, then you have Celiac.

Have you tried gluten-free pretzels? They taste exactly like regular ones. Then there's fruit, veggies, gluten-free bars, cereal, chips, anything but gluten! Eating gluten when you're pregnant not only damages your small intestine, but unfortunately can lead to problems for your baby.

Have you talked to your OB about the severe nausea? For most women, the nausea should begin to ease by the end of month three. As a matter of fact, the gluteny foods you're snacking on are quite likely aggravating your "morning" sickness. (Or all-day sickness, as I like to call it!)

I was soooooo hoping that I had just gotten better. I just hate the unknown of that negative biopsy. It's like I feel like I will never know for sure!!!!!! Thank you for your email.

[Kaycee]

I'd just like to say, I was diagnosed by positive blood tests, and my biopsy was negative.

Also, I feel so much better being gluten free, most of my symptoms have dissappeared by following the diet. But I know how you feel about not knowing for sure, and it has made me wonder whether to test the theory or not. But it did take time to really notice big differences. I still had diarrhoea for quite a few more months, but little things improved more or less overnight, like a rash I had, and hayfever, along with sleeping better. I was a bit of a mess initially, but that was just getting my head around things.

But hang on in there, things will get easier. Actually I wasn't gluten free when I had my children, but I was oh so hungry all the time and ballooned in weight while pregnant. The only other time I got so hungry was just prior to going gluten free in my late forties. This makes me wonder if by eating gluten I was not absorbing all the nutrients I needed so my body decided it was still hungry and I ate to excess. Maybe if you cut out the gluten containing foods you might find out you are not so ravenous.

You could always be prepared when you go out, take something to munch on with you.

Good luck with your pregnancy and congratulations.

Cathy

[jlynn]

I'd just like to say, I was diagnosed by positive blood tests, and my biopsy was negative.

Also, I feel so much better being gluten free, most of my symptoms have dissappeared by following the diet. But I know how you feel about not knowing for sure, and it has made me wonder whether to test the theory or not. But it did take time to really notice big differences. I still had diarrhoea for quite a few more months, but little things improved more or less overnight, like a rash I had, and hayfever, along with sleeping better. I was a bit of a mess initially, but that was just getting my head around things.

But hang on in there, things will get easier. Actually I wasn't gluten free when I had my children, but I was oh so hungry all the time and ballooned in weight while pregnant. The only other time I got so hungry was just prior to going gluten free in my late forties. This makes me wonder if by eating gluten I was not absorbing all the nutrients I needed so my body decided it was still hungry and I ate to excess. Maybe if you cut out the gluten containing foods you might find out you are not so ravenous.

You could always be prepared when you go out, take something to munch on with you.

Good luck with your pregnancy and congratulations.

Thank you for your post. I am going to go back on my gluten free diet. I have just also been feeling extremely tired, emotional, very nausious, etc. It is hard to know if that is the gluten, or the pregnancy and hormones. So, I will test and see how I feel. I will have to buy a new toaster ....... again!!

Cathy

[jhow32000]

Yikes. With the unreliability of celiac disease testing I would not, not, not, eat gluten while pregnant if you don't KNOW you are NOT a celiac. The reproductive and gestational implications of doing so if you do have celiac disease are serious. Some of these include spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, premature labor, and shortened duration of lactation. This is not something to mess around with. My mother had 13 miscarriages before her first live birth because she was on gluten and didn't know about her celiac disease. I would def do some soul searching before deciding to give in to he urges. You have to consider the fact also that if you are a celiac you could very well have a celiac baby and if you plan to nurse (crossing my fingers) which is extra important for a celiac disease baby, you can pass gliadin/gluten through your breastmilk and make baby sick. So not only would you be making baby low birth weight even in the womb, you'd be basically guaranteeing that it would fail to thrive by destroying its intestinal villi before it had a chance to experience true health. This may also increase the colic baby experiences, and believe me, you do not want a colicky baby. One other incentive for you to stay gluten-free may be some anecdotal evidence by Dr. Motha Gowri OB/GYN that women on gluten-free diets have much faster births. I had my first and currently only son in 3 1/2 hours without complications.

[hannahsue01]

Congrats on the baby! As already said due to your blood results you do have celiac. Many of us have different symptoms. I don't want to upset anyone here but PLEASE go gluten free NOW!!! I did not know untill after my second child was born that I was celiac. My first daughter was fine....just small. But my second daughter ended up being born at 29 weeks and they believe it was due to celiac....basicly I didn't have enough nutrients to support the baby. If you look through other pregnancy posts on here there is a number of woman who have had premature babies and miscarages....others have never had a problem....but why take the chance. There are gluten free pretzels and crackers out there...some better than others....I don't know why but the all natural cheetos seem to help my tummy. Good luck....and again congradualtions on your pregnancy.