Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Celiac And Infertility

WhimsiKay

Recommended Posts

WhimsiKay Apprentice
WhimsiKay
Posted

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. :rolleyes: )

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!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

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 Apprentice
Lockheed
Posted

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 Contributor
KristaleeJane
Posted
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. :rolleyes: )

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 Apprentice
WhimsiKay
Posted
  • Author

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. :D )

Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted
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 Apprentice
Lockheed
Posted

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.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


KristaleeJane Contributor
KristaleeJane
Posted

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 Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted
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 Contributor
KristaleeJane
Posted

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 Enthusiast
Adelle
Posted

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!! :lol: Hey at this point, I have to laugh about it!

Good luck!!

cloesb Newbie
cloesb
Posted

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 Apprentice
WhimsiKay
Posted
  • Author
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!

  • 2 weeks later...
Amelia01 Rookie
Amelia01
Posted

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

  • 3 weeks later...
MinRalph Rookie
MinRalph
Posted

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 ;)

  • 3 weeks later...
Amyleigh0007 Enthusiast
Amyleigh0007
Posted

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 Apprentice
slmprofesseur
Posted

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!

  • 2 months later...
oldee Newbie
oldee
Posted
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 Newbie
Roberta
Posted
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. :rolleyes: )

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.

  • 2 weeks later...
Wellkeptsecret Newbie
Wellkeptsecret
Posted

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!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,393
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    HeckelCrazy
    Newest Member
    HeckelCrazy
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Shingles - Could It Be Related to Gluten/ Celiac

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I had the same thing happen to me at around your age, and to this day it's the most painful experience I've ever had. For me it was the right side of my head, above my ear, running from my nerves in my neck. For years before my outbreak I felt a tingling sensation shooting along the exact nerves that ended up exactly where the shingles blisters appeared. I highly recommend the two shot shingles vaccine as soon as your turn 50--I did this because I started to get the same tingling sensations in the same area, and after the vaccines I've never felt that again.  As you likely know, shingles is caused by chicken pox, which was once though of as one of those harmless childhood viruses that everyone should catch in the wild--little did they know that it can stay in your nervous system for your entire life, and cause major issues as you age.
    • trents
      Blood tests low iGA 4 years later digestive issues

      By trents · Posted

      Keep us posted.
    • Clear2me
      Gluten free nuts

      By Clear2me · Posted

      Thanks for the info. I recently moved to CA from Wyoming and in that western region the Costco and Sam's /Walmart Brands have many nuts and more products that are labeled gluten free. I was told it's because those products are packaged and processed  in different  plants. Some plants can be labeled  gluten free because the plant does not also package gluten products and they know that for example the trucks, containers equipment are not used to handle wheat, barely or Rye. The Walmart butter in the western region says gluten free but not here. Most of The Kirkland and Members Mark brands in CA say they are from Vietnam. That's not the case in Wyoming and Colorado. I've spoken to customer service at the stores here in California. They were not helpful. I check labels every time I go to the store. The stores where I am are a Sh*tshow. The Magalopoly grocery chain Vons/Safeway/Albertsons, etc. are the same. Fishers and Planters brands no longer say gluten free. It could be regional. There are nuts with sugar coatings and fruit and nut mixes at the big chains that are labeled gluten free but I don't want the fruit or sugar.  It's so difficult I am considering moving again. I thought it would be easier to find safe food in a more populated area. It's actually worse.  I was undiagnosed for most of my life but not because I didn't try to figure it out. So I have had all the complications possible. I don't have any spare organs left.  No a little gluten will hurt you. The autoimmune process continues to destroy your organs though you may not feel it. If you are getting a little all the time and as much as we try we probably all are and so the damage is happening. Now the FDA has pretty much abandoned celiacs. There are no requirements for labeling for common allergens on medications. All the generic drugs made outside the US are not regulated for common allergens and the FDA is taking the last gluten free porcine Thyroid med, NP Thyroid, off the market in 2026. I was being glutened by a generic levothyroxin. The insurance wouldn't pay for the gluten free brand any longer because the FDA took them all off their approved formulary. So now I am paying $147 out of pocket for NP Thyroid but shortly I will have no safe choice. Other people with allergies should be aware that these foreign generic pharmaceutical producers are using ground shellfish shell as pill coatings and anti-desicants. The FDA knows this but  now just waits for consumers to complain or die. The take over of Wholefoods by Amazon destroyed a very reliable source of good high quality food for people with allergies and for people who wanted good reliably organic food. Bezos thought  he could make a fortune off people who were paying alot for organic and allergen free food by substituting cheap brands from Thailand. He didn't understand who the customers were who were willing to pay more for that food and why. I went from spending hundreds to nothing because Bezo removed every single trusted brand that I was buying. Now they are closing Whole foods stores across the country. In CA, Mill Valley store (closed July 2025) and the National Blvd. store in West Los Angeles (closed October 2025). The Cupertino store will close.  In recent years I have learned to be careful and trust no one. I have been deleberately glutened in a restaurant that was my favorite (a new employee). The Chef owner was not in the kitchen that night. I've had  a metal scouring pad cut up over my food.The chain offered gluten free dishes but it only takes one crazy who thinks you're a problem as a food fadist. Good thing I always look. Good thing they didn't do that to food going to a child with a busy mom.  I give big tips and apologize for having to ask in restaurants but mental illness seem to be rampant. I've learn the hard way.          I don't buy any processed food that doesn't say gluten free.  I am a life long Catholic. I worked for the Church while at college. I don't go to Church anymore because the men at the top decided Jesus is gluten. The special hosts are gluten less not gluten free. No I can't drink wine after people with gluten in their mouth and a variety of deadly germs. I have been abandoned and excluded by my Church/Family.  Having nearly died several times, safe food is paramount. If your immune system collapses as mine did, you get sepsis. It can kill you very quickly. I spent 5 days unconscious and had to have my appendix and gall bladder removed because they were necrotic. I was 25. They didn't figure out I had celiac till I was 53. No one will take the time to tell you what can happen when your immune system gets overwhelmed from its constant fighting the gluten and just stops. It is miserable that our food is processed so carelessly. Our food in many aspects is not safe. And the merging of all the grocery chains has made it far worse. Its a disaster. Krogers also recently purchased Vitacost where I was getting the products I could no longer get at Whole Foods. Kroger is eliminating those products from Vitacost just a Bezos did from WF. I am looking for reliable and certified sources for nuts. I have lived the worst consequences of the disease and being exposed unknowingly and maliciously. Once I was diagnosed I learned way more than anyone should have to about the food industry.  I don't do gray areas. And now I dont eat out except very rarely.  I have not eaten fast food for 30 years before the celiac diagnosis. Gluten aside..... It's not food and it's not safe.  No one has got our backs. Sharing safe food sources is one thing we can do to try to be safe.        
    • Mmoc
      Blood tests low iGA 4 years later digestive issues

      By Mmoc · Posted

      Thank you kindly for your response. I have since gotten the other type of bloods done and am awaiting results. 
    • Aretaeus Cappadocia
      Gluten free nuts

      By Aretaeus Cappadocia · Posted

      I wanted to respond to your post as much for other people who read this later on (I'm not trying to contradict your experience or decisions) > Kirkland Signature Super Extra-Large Peanuts, 2.5 lbs, are labeled "gluten free" in the Calif Costcos I've been in. If they are selling non-gluten-free in your store, I suggest talking to customer service to see if they can get you the gluten-free version (they are tasty) > This past week I bought "Sliced Raw Almonds, Baking Nuts, 5 lbs Item 1495072 Best if used by Jun-10-26 W-261-6-L1A 12:47" at Costco. The package has the standard warning that it was made on machinery that <may> have processed wheat. Based on that alone, I would not eat these. However, I contacted customer service and asked them "are Costco's Sliced Almonds gluten free?" Within a day I got this response:  "This is [xyz] with the Costco Member Service Resolutions Team. I am happy to let you know we got a reply back from our Kirkland Signature team. Here is their response:  This item does not have a risk of cross contamination with gluten, barley or rye." Based on this, I will eat them. Based on experience, I believe they will be fine. Sometimes, for other products, the answer has been "they really do have cross-contamination risk" (eg, Kirkland Signature Dry Roasted Macadamia Nuts, Salted, 1.5 lbs Item 1195303). When they give me that answer I return them for cash. You might reasonably ask, "Why would Costco use that label if they actually are safe?" I can't speak for Costco but I've worked in Corporate America and I've seen this kind of thing first hand and up close. (1) This kind of regulatory label represents risk/cost to the company. What if they are mistaken? In one direction, the cost is loss of maybe 1% of sales (if celiacs don't buy when they would have). In the other direction, the risk is reputational damage and open-ended litigation (bad reviews and celiacs suing them). Expect them to play it safe. (2) There is a team tasked with getting each product out to market quickly and cheaply, and there is also a committee tasked with reviewing the packaging before it is released. If the team chooses the simplest, safest, pre-approved label, this becomes a quick check box. On the other hand, if they choose something else, it has to be carefully scrutinized through a long process. It's more efficient for the team to say there <could> be risk. (3) There is probably some plug and play in production. Some lots of the very same product could be made in a safe facility while others are made in an unsafe facility. Uniform packaging (saying there is risk) for all packages regardless of gluten risk is easier, cheaper, and safer (for Costco). Everything I wrote here is about my Costco experience, but the principles will be true at other vendors, particularly if they have extensive quality control infrastructure. The first hurdle of gluten-free diet is to remove/replace all the labeled gluten ingredients. The second, more difficult hurdle is to remove/replace all the hidden gluten. Each of us have to assess gray zones and make judgement calls knowing there is a penalty for being wrong. One penalty would be getting glutened but the other penalty could be eating an unnecessarily boring or malnourishing diet.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.