Troubles Getting Pregnant With Celiac... Please Help!

[Kelly9]

Hey guys I am new to this but here is the down low

My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for 7 months now and still haven't. I did hear from my husbands celiac mother that new research shows celiac can cause infertility, however there is not a whole lot of info that I could find on the web about it. It is my husband that has celiac and not me so I was wondering if anyone had advice or knows how I can get info on the topic. We are both young, 24 and I have never had any issues that I know of with my reproductive system. I know you're going to say don't think about it and up until now I can honestly say that I haven't really and have not been stressed. Our doctors won't even consider sending us to a gyno until we've been trying for a year so in the mean time I guess I do what I can to keep it off my mind.

Any help would be appreciated!

[ldesrocher]

Hey guys I am new to this but here is the down low

My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for 7 months now and still haven't. I did hear from my husbands celiac mother that new research shows celiac can cause infertility, however there is not a whole lot of info that I could find on the web about it. It is my husband that has celiac and not me so I was wondering if anyone had advice or knows how I can get info on the topic. We are both young, 24 and I have never had any issues that I know of with my reproductive system. I know you're going to say don't think about it and up until now I can honestly say that I haven't really and have not been stressed. Our doctors won't even consider sending us to a gyno until we've been trying for a year so in the mean time I guess I do what I can to keep it off my mind.

Any help would be appreciated!

Hello. How stressfull! I can understand how trying this is. Were you taking birth control before you decided to start trying? Birth control can take up 6 months to leave the body completely. Also, I had read somewhere that the average time for trying is around 6 months before you become pregnant. I am not sure of the risk of infertility of men with celiac disease. I'm obviously not a doctor but I wanted to give you some reassurance. Your body has it's own timing and in my experience you get pregnant when you stop trying lol.

[Mother of Jibril]

Welcome!

A really good resource is the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Wechsler. You can use it to figure out how long your cycle is, whether you're ovulating, if you're making enough "high quality fluid" for successful fertilization... or maybe you're fine and the problem is with your husband.

If you track your cycles for a few months and you're still not having success, then do schedule an appointment with a fertility specialist! Even though you're young, it can take a while to figure out what the problem is (if there is one) and go through treatment.

[Kelly9]

Thanks, I will look into that for sure. I haven't been on the pill for almost a year and when I was on it it was only for 1.5 years. Unfortunately they won't take us in for any testing till we have been trying for a year. Less then a week to find out for this month if I am pregnant... fingers crossed.

[Adelle]

We found out last year (DH was 24 and I was 22 at the time) that we have infertility that's pretty much untreatable (DH had a 0 motility). I know what it's like to have problems finding a doctor who will test you. We'd been trying 16 months before we were able to be tested. Don't bother with an OB/GYN, they won't listen. Find a Reproductive Endocrinologist. They will probably test you. We had 3 regular doctors roll their eyes when we said we'd been trying as long as we had. One actually asked if I was secretly using BC and asked my husband if we were having sex at all (yup we were trying by abstaining.... ). Anyway, Once we found a RE (we called the LARGE hospital about 1.5 hours away) they agreed that at our age we should be able to get knocked up passing each other in a small hallway so something was obviously wrong. They sent me for my tests (but that takes time since they have to be done on certain days of your cycle), but we did DH's SA (Semen Analysis) that day! It only cost $100 (I know that can be a factor, since insurance doesn't cover infertility stuff). But make sure you ask for a "full" count. Some places will only look at count (how many sperm exist), but you really want motility (how many are moving in the right direction), morbidity (dead ones), count, volume, and any other information you can get. After we got the awful news we went to a Urologist to make sure DH didn't have a varicecole (I think I spelled that wrong) and I did all of my tests.

Ok so for us the news was bad. But for you it might not be. It could be a varicecole (which is fixable) or a small hormonal imbalance (which is also fixable). But it could be bad news and I think you need to prepare yourself for that in some small way. Last year was the hardest year of our lives, but actually.... things are getting better. There IS life after infertility. I hope sincerely that it's something small and fixable (or that you get pregnant during the wait). But if it's not just know that you aren't alone, I didn't know that and that's what hurt the most.

Oh and it can take a while to get an appt with an RE so call in advance (our wait was 4 months). And know when you OV, how many days your typical cycle is, what day of your cycle you'll be on when you have an appt, etc etc. They'll want to know and you'll need to be able to tell them!

Good luck!

[Kelly9]

Thanks so much for your response Adelle!!!! I took my husband to the doctor yesterday (by the advice of another Dr. From a walk in, who told me if I specifically requested a full semen scan that my family dr. could not say no) so I requested a full semen exam for him and surprisingly she finally agreed. So his appointment is march 10th/09 and it covers every aspect of the semen exam. It is also covered free of charge as we live in canada. I am not going to bother with testing for myself until we hit the one year mark as I have nothing in my family that could cause infertility nor do I have any underlying conditions. I did have blood tests done though for my thyroid and iron levels among a few other things and they discovered that while everything else is perfect I had a severe vitamin D deficiency. Normal levels are between 80 and 200 and mine was a 20.6!!!! So now I am taking 0.8 mg's of folic acid a day and 1000 ui's of vitamin D. I also read that men and women with celiac have a tendency towards low vitamin D levels which can cause fertility issues. So my husband is also taking Vitamin D every day now. Fingers crossed that he'll get good results back!!! and in the mean time we are still not using birth control but are not trying as actively to get pregnant, after having waited this long I have decided to go back to school in sept for nursing so we're just gonna take it as it comes not use BC and see what happens.

I am sorry things did not work out for you, are you going to consider adoption or donor sperm?

[Mother of Jibril]

You can safely take a lot more vitamin D than 1,000 iu per day... I take 4,000. This website (www.vitamindcouncil.org) has some excellent advice backed up by research. It's amazing how many things in your body can be affected by a vitamin D deficiency!

[Adelle]

I really hope your DH's results are good! I'm glad your family doc agreed to test! Usually once you know what his results are you can figure out what your odds are and what you want to do, but you'll still have to do tests to make SURE there aren't any problems on your end. But I think it's better to do the men's test first.

Oh and load up on that vitamin D! That's definitely not helping (it might even be the whole issue, you never know!). Good luck!

[MammaG]

I didn't find out I was Celiac until my second child was born. Although there were signs which no one told me about like my first born was underweight - that is a sign that the mother is Celiac. Anyway, it took us over a year to get pregnant with our first. And now after having gone gluten free (after my second child) my periods are considered normal and heavy. During that year of trying doctors were wanting to call me infertile because I got my period only every other month and it was light too. I think had I been gluten free, the pregnancies and breastfeedings and subsequently the babies' sleeping routines would have been much easier! So if you suspect yourself at all then get tested.

[MammaG]

Welcome!

A really good resource is the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Wechsler. You can use it to figure out how long your cycle is, whether you're ovulating, if you're making enough "high quality fluid" for successful fertilization... or maybe you're fine and the problem is with your husband.

If you track your cycles for a few months and you're still not having success, then do schedule an appointment with a fertility specialist! Even though you're young, it can take a while to figure out what the problem is (if there is one) and go through treatment.

I second this book recommendation. It is a bit overwhelming at first but I am surprised at how well the ovulation observations work. For our second child we got pregnant the first time we "tried" we figured it would take a while. Good luck! Oh and have Fun

[Kelly9]

well I know I am not celiac inclined for sure I have never had any issues with gluten. It's my husband who has it and I read that celiac males who have fertility issues have problems with the DNA in their sperm being faulty. We go in for his semen analysis in 3 days so we're close to knowing if there are any issues! I am nervous but also feeling more relieved that we will soon know.

We're going on month 9 of trying. It's day 28 in my cycle today but I normally run 3 or 4 days later then a regular 28 day cycle. My cycles are always 31 to 32 days and normal flow etc. I do have an appointment for x-rays for an unrelated issue on the 12th of march so if no period by the 10th I will test to make sure I am not pregnant just incase since radiation is bad for fetuses.

Fingers crossed guys and I'll post our results once we know!

[diannalynn0711]

The doctors told me when I was diagnosed 5 years ago that the damage was so bad that I might not be able to have kids. It seems that I am not able to so far. I have tried to find research on this, but as has already been said doctors aren't so eager to do testing...

I wish there was some definite study that said whether or not this was an issue.

Does anyone know if it takes a longer time for your reproductive system to recoup after going gluten free? I have not had any major contaminations, I've had maybe one small one a year.

Thanks and GOOD LUCK to everyone.

[Thommy-girl1]

The doctors told me when I was diagnosed 5 years ago that the damage was so bad that I might not be able to have kids. It seems that I am not able to so far. I have tried to find research on this, but as has already been said doctors aren't so eager to do testing...

I wish there was some definite study that said whether or not this was an issue.

Does anyone know if it takes a longer time for your reproductive system to recoup after going gluten free? I have not had any major contaminations, I've had maybe one small one a year.

Thanks and GOOD LUCK to everyone.

I think it would depend on how long you were off gluten completely (compared to how long you were consuming gluten), your body type, et cetera (how long it would take for your reproductive system to recouperate.) This is something I am very curious about as well. My husband and I have been trying for a while as well, with no luck. I'm only twenty three, and it would really tick me off to be infertile this early.

[Mrs. Smith]

Hey guys I am new to this but here is the down low

My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for 7 months now and still haven't. I did hear from my husbands celiac mother that new research shows celiac can cause infertility, however there is not a whole lot of info that I could find on the web about it. It is my husband that has celiac and not me so I was wondering if anyone had advice or knows how I can get info on the topic. We are both young, 24 and I have never had any issues that I know of with my reproductive system. I know you're going to say don't think about it and up until now I can honestly say that I haven't really and have not been stressed. Our doctors won't even consider sending us to a gyno until we've been trying for a year so in the mean time I guess I do what I can to keep it off my mind.

Any help would be appreciated!

I hear you girl! I tried for 3yrs! The one time I did get pregnant I was taking evening primrose oil and it seemed to make me more fertile. If you do take it and you get pregnant you have to stop taking it, but it seemed to work while trying! Good Luck! Im going to try again when I have one year gluten free.

[annabell]

Hey guys I am new to this but here is the down low

My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for 7 months now and still haven't. I did hear from my husbands celiac mother that new research shows celiac can cause infertility, however there is not a whole lot of info that I could find on the web about it. It is my husband that has celiac and not me so I was wondering if anyone had advice or knows how I can get info on the topic. We are both young, 24 and I have never had any issues that I know of with my reproductive system. I know you're going to say don't think about it and up until now I can honestly say that I haven't really and have not been stressed. Our doctors won't even consider sending us to a gyno until we've been trying for a year so in the mean time I guess I do what I can to keep it off my mind.

Any help would be appreciated!

Hi,,im Annabell,

In his book on celiac disease, Dr Green discusses the effects of celiac disease on women and how it affects pregnancy. Basically, he says that celiac disease can prevent a woman from becoming pregnant and going on a strict gluten free diet can in some cases allow a woman with celiac disease to get pregnant.

[Allysmommy]

Hey guys I am new to this but here is the down low

My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for 7 months now and still haven't. I did hear from my husbands celiac mother that new research shows celiac can cause infertility, however there is not a whole lot of info that I could find on the web about it. It is my husband that has celiac and not me so I was wondering if anyone had advice or knows how I can get info on the topic. We are both young, 24 and I have never had any issues that I know of with my reproductive system. I know you're going to say don't think about it and up until now I can honestly say that I haven't really and have not been stressed. Our doctors won't even consider sending us to a gyno until we've been trying for a year so in the mean time I guess I do what I can to keep it off my mind.

Any help would be appreciated!

Kelly,

This may or may not be helpful (and it's not going to be "don't think about it and it will happen", that response always angered me!) but I have infertility directly related to my celiac disease. When my husband and I started trying, it took YEARS to get pregnant. We had several m/c and one still birth. Then my dd was born a primee but healthy. When she was 13 months, she showed symptoms of celiac disease and was finally dx with celiac disease in June of 08 when she was 20 months old. We turned our house gluten-free because it was easier. After a few months, both my husband and I were both tested and found out we BOTH have celiac disease and never knew it. The GI sent me to an RE and low and behold...celiac disease caused the infertility problems! We still are considered "infertile" and have to use IUI (fingers crossed that the IUI in May takes!!) to become pregnant. But knowing has made it seem easier. You mentioned your celiac disease MIL, so I am assuming you husband has celiac disease as well. celiac disease causes infertility in some women, and if you know you have it, you can begin to try other options than just the ole "wait and see". An OBGYN will have other options that may be helpful. Just remeber though to ask for gluten-free meds, if they are perscribed! I didn't for a med called clomid (they do make a gluten-free version) and couldn'y understand why I was so sick and weak taking it.

I hope this helps!! I wish you all the luck and lots of babydust!!

MacKenzie

***stop by www.sugarbeez.etsy.com for the sweetest tutus around. 5% of all proceeds goes to www.celiaccentral.org!!!

[Mrs. Smith]

Kelly,

This may or may not be helpful (and it's not going to be "don't think about it and it will happen", that response always angered me!) but I have infertility directly related to my celiac disease. When my husband and I started trying, it took YEARS to get pregnant. We had several m/c and one still birth. Then my dd was born a primee but healthy. When she was 13 months, she showed symptoms of celiac disease and was finally dx with celiac disease in June of 08 when she was 20 months old. We turned our house gluten-free because it was easier. After a few months, both my husband and I were both tested and found out we BOTH have celiac disease and never knew it. The GI sent me to an RE and low and behold...celiac disease caused the infertility problems! We still are considered "infertile" and have to use IUI (fingers crossed that the IUI in May takes!!) to become pregnant. But knowing has made it seem easier. You mentioned your celiac disease MIL, so I am assuming you husband has celiac disease as well. celiac disease causes infertility in some women, and if you know you have it, you can begin to try other options than just the ole "wait and see". An OBGYN will have other options that may be helpful. Just remeber though to ask for gluten-free meds, if they are perscribed! I didn't for a med called clomid (they do make a gluten-free version) and couldn'y understand why I was so sick and weak taking it.

MacKenzie

***stop by www.sugarbeez.etsy.com for the sweetest tutus around. 5% of all proceeds goes to www.celiaccentral.org!!!

Thank you!! The same with me! I heard that everyday! Stop thinking about it!! I could not get preg to save my life and when I did it did not stick and I was so weak and starved!! I had Celiac all along!

[Skeet]

My hubby and I tried for 2.5yrs before we got pregnant via IUI. He's a confirmed celiac, and his motility and morphology were HORRIBLE. His count was fine, but his sperm were deformed and slower than molasses! After trying for a year he went completely gluten-free. It still didn't help his boys though. (Sorry for that bit of bad news)

I also found out I had stage 3 endometriosis - I had no idea since I had ZERO symptoms! It was only after seeing an RE and him asking to do a laproscopy that it was found.

We got pregnant on our third IUI after the lap; Simon was born in Sept of 08. We'll be trying again this month!