Celiac And Infertility

[WhimsiKay]

Hey, everyone! I was doing some research on this for potential future plans, and a skim didn't show me what I wanted. (This probably only means I'm blind, not that it's not out there. )

Does anyone know about roughly how long your body takes to get back into the swing of things after you go gluten-free? Is it like, for example, going off depo-provera -- they say it could take upwards of a year before you can get pregnant again. Or is it more of an immediate thing?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[Ursa Major]

You would do well to not even try getting pregnant for at least six months after going gluten-free, a year is better. The reason is, that until your villi are healed, you will not absorb essential nutrients very well. Meaning that neither you nor the baby would get what you need until you can absorb foods properly again.

I have heard of people getting pregnant within a couple of months after going gluten-free after years of trying before. But as I said, that is not really a good idea.

[Lockheed]

Yeah, I was going to ditto on the year comment. I was gluten free for three years before I became pregnant and no complications there.

[KristaleeJane]

Hey, everyone! I was doing some research on this for potential future plans, and a skim didn't show me what I wanted. (This probably only means I'm blind, not that it's not out there. )

Does anyone know about roughly how long your body takes to get back into the swing of things after you go gluten-free? Is it like, for example, going off depo-provera -- they say it could take upwards of a year before you can get pregnant again. Or is it more of an immediate thing?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Hi

My doctor told me that since I am not showing deficiant in any vitamins that I can go ahead and start trying. Now I am not recommending this, but If you have never had any real issues with malnourishment, like I haven't, then isn't that the only real concern as to why you should wait.

We tried for 6 months before I knew I had celiac with no luck, then I found out that I had celaic, we stopped I got a ton of bloodwork done,everything looks good, so we are trying again. I am so scared that its not going to happen, you hear of so many people that cannot have children due to their celiac.

My doctor said she cannot send me to a fertility specialist until I have been trying for a year.

Good luck

K

[WhimsiKay]

Thanks very much, that's exactly what I needed to hear! =)

Cheers!

(And for those of you who have succeeded: congrats! Those of you trying: wishing you all the best of luck in the world. )

[Ursa Major]

Hi

My doctor told me that since I am not showing deficiant in any vitamins that I can go ahead and start trying. Now I am not recommending this, but If you have never had any real issues with malnourishment, like I haven't, then isn't that the only real concern as to why you should wait.

We tried for 6 months before I knew I had celiac with no luck, then I found out that I had celaic, we stopped I got a ton of bloodwork done,everything looks good, so we are trying again. I am so scared that its not going to happen, you hear of so many people that cannot have children due to their celiac.

My doctor said she cannot send me to a fertility specialist until I have been trying for a year.

Good luck

K

You know, I think you have an ignorant doctor. Just because you don't show to be deficient in those few vitamins you have been tested for does NOT prove that you are not deficient in other important nutrients! For your sake and your future baby's sake, I hope you don't manage to get pregnant before you have been on the gluten-free diet for at least six months.

[Lockheed]

I have to ditto Ursa again. Especially when it comes to your calcium. Because your blood calcium will stay the same but if you are deficient in calcium in your blood, your body will start to rob it from your bones in order to keep your blood level the same. Calcium is extremely important, especially when trying to grow a baby. An old wive's tale is that you'll loose a tooth for every child, and I'm a firm believer that this is why. Do be sure to give your body enough time to heal from celiac disease by adhering to a gluten free diet and also to make sure that the gluten is really your only issue before trying to conceive. It will be at least 9 long months (and if you breastfeed probably more like 2 years) before you can really do anything significant medically other than alter your diet and do blood work. I'm ready for baby number 2 but I'm going to wait until I get my next bone density scan done first. It's really important to take care of yourself so you can take care of that baby.

[KristaleeJane]

Thanks for the imput, It makes sence to wait, but obviously doctors don't see that, mine anyway. Just curious though about the bone density scan, I have asked before about this. At what age should you have this done, I am 28, is that too early?

Thanks

KM

[Ursa Major]

Thanks for the imput, It makes sence to wait, but obviously doctors don't see that, mine anyway. Just curious though about the bone density scan, I have asked before about this. At what age should you have this done, I am 28, is that too early?

Thanks

KM

If you have celiac disease, it is never too early. We have members that had osteopenia or osteoporosis already as children or teenagers!

Lots of people with celiac disease have osteoporosis already in their twenties.

Make sure you have enough calcium, magnesium and vitamin D. They all work together. Without vitamin D you can't use your calcium.

[KristaleeJane]

Wow I had know Idea, I am going to tell my doctor next time I am in that I think I should have one, and see what she says, I guess it is especially a good Idea if you are planning on having children in the near future.

Thanks Ursa for the information

KM

[Adelle]

It's not true that your doctor has to wait a year before sending you to a fertility specialist!!! Multiple doctors told DH and I that we couldn't possibly need fertility testing (they said we were too young to have kids at 23 and 25), FINALLY we just went to a fertility specialist on our own, no referral. That doc said that you can do fertility testing at ANY time, they recommend waiting but if you have a reason to think you *might* have a problem, it's always good to check it out! We did a basic workup (blood work and an HSG for me and a Semen Analysis panel for Ryan). It's NEVER too early to get checked out, just in case.

We waited about 5 months of gluten-free before trying, but I was also coming off Depo so we figured it'd be a while before we could get pregnant anyway. 18 months later, it turns out it's not me. Ha, finally I'm the healthy one!! Hey at this point, I have to laugh about it!

Good luck!!

[cloesb]

i just want to add - that i agree you should wait as long as you can stand it. i've btdt w/ 2 pregnancies...its not just about getting pregnant b/c i easily got knocked up easily both times. (i guess i was lucky) its about the difficulties of the actual pregnancy. for my first, i had no idea i had celiac and was in and out of the hospital about 10 times due to various complications. i ended up spending 14 weeks on bedrest with a pump in my leg for contractions. it was not fun at all but thank god everything turned out okay. for my second, i was 2 1/2 years gluten free & the pregnancy was a million times easier with no complications. you really need to make sure your villi are fully healed before your body undertakes such a huge change....for your health and the health of your baby.

good luck - btw!!!

[WhimsiKay]

i just want to add - that i agree you should wait as long as you can stand it. i've btdt w/ 2 pregnancies...its not just about getting pregnant b/c i easily got knocked up easily both times. (i guess i was lucky) its about the difficulties of the actual pregnancy. for my first, i had no idea i had celiac and was in and out of the hospital about 10 times due to various complications. i ended up spending 14 weeks on bedrest with a pump in my leg for contractions. it was not fun at all but thank god everything turned out okay. for my second, i was 2 1/2 years gluten free & the pregnancy was a million times easier with no complications. you really need to make sure your villi are fully healed before your body undertakes such a huge change....for your health and the health of your baby.

good luck - btw!!!

Thanks, Cloesb!

As an update to this: Husband and I have talked it out and we're going to wait at least a year, if not two. So for everyone else out there trying, good luck! I'll be watching this board tons to pick up any good advice before we try ourselves.

Cheers!

[Amelia01]

I have to add my experience to this thread. Up until 5 months ago I was desperately looking for the same answer.

In our case (pretty much unexplained infertility, 4+ years of ttc and many assisted reproduction tecniques) it took 10 months gluten-free to fall pg (naturally!).

I attribute the problems with untreated celiac disease to inflammation and the body's inability to initiate a pregnancy. Even though my biopsy showed totally healed villi after only a little over 2 months gluten-free (all blood tests were negative from the beginning) I think we just needed more time (and some inflammation reducing omega 3s) to conceive.

Best of wishes to all who are battling infertility -

Amelia

[MinRalph]

I have never had a problem conceiving, infact, the two times I have I was on 2 different forms of bc... However, both ended badly (the 1st with a still birth and the 2nd with a misscaraige) and I agree that it isn't just conceiving that's a major problem, it's the pregnancy itself. At least that's what it is for me.

We want to start trying soon and I have been scouring the net for info on Celiac and pregnancy and what might help. I wanted to also thank all of you who previously replied. You answered a lot of my questions as well

[Amyleigh0007]

I got pregnant with my first child within months of going off the pill. It took me 5 YEARS to get pregnant with my second. There are 7 1/2 years between my two kids!

[slmprofesseur]

I have to agree with everyone else. My 2nd pregnancy was full of complications: especially growth issues for the baby. At 30 wks I was diagnosed with an intrauterine growth retardation. Baby delivered at 33kws due to fetal distress (by this time I had stopped growing and was in the hospital on an IV). Baby was 4lbs and took one month to gain a 1lb. I wouldn't want you to have to go through what happened to me. I couldn't hold my baby after he was born, I could only touch him through the arm holes of an incubator. He had a feeding tube and an IV (in his head!). He also had breast feeding jaundice and had to go under the bili light. The saddest part was leaving the hospital without a baby.

Baby and I went Gluten-free after wheat allergy diagnosis. I feel great- no more asthma! I am going to start ttc next month. I have been Gluten-free for a year. My doctor won't test me because of his ignorance. My baby was just tested for celiac on Mon cause we have a new allergist.

Good luck!

[oldee]

If you have celiac disease, it is never too early. We have members that had osteopenia or osteoporosis already as children or teenagers!

Lots of people with celiac disease have osteoporosis already in their twenties.

Make sure you have enough calcium, magnesium and vitamin D. They all work together. Without vitamin D you can't use your calcium.

I agree. I am 30 and had dental bone loss at age 18 and suffered a fracture a couple years ago. NOt sure extent of problem, but those are indications. Plus, my joints sound like a bowl of rice crispies.

[Roberta]

Hey, everyone! I was doing some research on this for potential future plans, and a skim didn't show me what I wanted. (This probably only means I'm blind, not that it's not out there. )

Does anyone know about roughly how long your body takes to get back into the swing of things after you go gluten-free? Is it like, for example, going off depo-provera -- they say it could take upwards of a year before you can get pregnant again. Or is it more of an immediate thing?

Thanks in advance for any help!

I'm not sure if anyone has talked about this yet, but before I was diagnosed I became pregnant 6 times and had a miscarriage each time. Finally in 1997 I became pregnant (still not diagnosed) and had my now 10 year old son in 1998. He was 4# 13 oz. I believe due to my undiagnosed celiac.

People need to know not to broadcast the "+" sign on the home pregnancy test to the entire world before knowing everything is ok.

[Wellkeptsecret]

Hi, my name is Kelsha. I turn 25 in March. My husband and I have been married for 5 years in Feb. We never used birth control, and managed to get pregnant a year and a half after we got married, but miscarried at 10 weeks. It was that following summer that I started going to my Dr. and he told me that my body was allergic to grains...Well, I "tried" to stay away from wheat...Managed to loose 30 lbs...but, just really mentally/emotionally was not ready to give up the ego part of me that said I should be able to eat every gosh darn thing "everyone" else was...

At that time my dr. had told us that he wanted us to commit to the life style change, and be on Birth Control for 6 months...

A year and a half went by, of struggling to just maintain weight...Gained back 20 lbs...Finally, in Feb 2008 me and my husband decided we were just going to do it. Stop the excuses, we had recently moved away from all family and friends...so, we knew it was a good time to start since we wouldn't be going to all the family things...

I am now down 30 more lbs from that weight.

Well, the beginning of July I had emergancy surgery for an ectopic pregnancy...I was 3 and a half months along! Which would have meant that I got pregnant a month and a half after not eating wheat anymore..Which, then my husband and I felt dumb, remembering THEN that Dr. Porter had said we should give ourselves 6 months to be healthy enough to carry...

So, now here we are...I do have more hope for getting pregnant now...I do wish I would have followed Dr' orders, and let my body heal a bit before we got pregnant...Now I am down to one tube....

Hope this helps lift some spirits!