Pregnant + Celiac Sickness Advice...please!

[little00blondie]

I was diagnosed with celiac disease nearly two years ago, and I am currently 12 weeks pregnant with my second child. My celiac symptoms first "flared up" when pregnant with my daughter in '06, and only got worse after delivery...which eventually led to my diagnosis. I really thought my sickness would be decreased this time- because I know not to eat gluten now, etc.... However, I am feeling miserable.

It is not typical mourning sickness and nausea that would be hard to deal with (although I have that, but luckily Zofran makes things more tolerable and I haven't lost any weight this pregnancy), but its a series of other more "celiac" related symptoms. My joints and muscles hurt so bad by the end of the day that I can barely sleep. I lay in bed with just the worst "flu" feeling possible all over my body- and I also have unbelievable fatigue (the abnormal celiac kind, not the "i'm just pregnant" kind). This is nothing that a few cat naps, "taking it easy" or eating more seems to fix (as suggested by others). I also have had such awful blood sugar problems that I have to drink juice throughout the day just to be able to focus or eat a real meal...

My midwives gave me the usual "these are normal pregnancy symptoms" advice- which is hard for me to swallow, because my many pregnant friends deal with sickness and fatique...but NOTHING on this level. To me it feels like its celiac related, but I'm not getting contaminated...??

Has anyone had pregnancy make their symptoms feel worse or flare up? Does this sound familiar for anyone? Has anyone felt like maybe their "beaten down" celiac body just has a really hard time with pregnancy? I'd love to know I'm not alone in this...thanks!

[HiDee]

I don't think I had it as bad as what you're describing when I was pregnant but it sounds like you might benefit from more protein (especially with the whole fatigue thing). That was my pregnancy life-saver, protein snacks every one to two hours (I know it's a lot of eating but they're just small snacks), and a big one right before bed so that I wouldn't wake up sick as a dog. The fruit juice will just shoot up your blood sugar level and then it'll crash a little while later. If you add a protein snack (nuts, cheese, eggs, meats etc.) with the juice it should help your blood sugar level be a little more constant and you'll have more energy for longer and it helps with the nausea too. At least it did for me anyway. I don't know what to do about the muscle and joint aches but I had restless leg syndrome like crazy when I'd lay down at night to go to sleep while I was pregnant. Not much helped with that, stretching before bed helped a little and going walking every day - that might help you too. (I think the exercise also helped my second baby come a little early which was such a relief!) Hang in there and good luck!