Miscarriage

I've recently had a miscarriage at 8 weeks and I'm concerned that it may be due to my active, yet moderate untreated iflammation in my colon due to Crohns. I've had two healthy pregnancies while staying off meds for Crohns and given birth to two healthy full term babies. My Obgyn thinks its not because of my CD, but my GI doctor says there is an increased risk of miscarriage among women who have IBD compared to those who do not. This is my first and it's devastating. I really want to do everything in my power to prevent it next time. My husband and I only want one more child. I would love to heat any experiences good or bad from those who want to share. Thanks for reading!

Mom22sweeties,
Welcome to the forum.
I am very sorry to hear about your loss. May you soon feel some peace and hope about the future.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Why is your Crohn's untreated? Everything I've heard says it's better to be on medication than be in a flare during pregnancy.

I had an early miscarriage like that between my 1st and 2nd babies. Early miscarriages happen more than you would think, which I know doesn't make you feel any better, but keep in mind it happens to lots of healthy women, too. Usually a reason isn't found.

I now have three healthy children. Try not to let this get you down about being able to have more children. It is possible. It is a good idea to get that inflammation under control before trying again. Many Crohn's meds are considered safe for pregnancy, so you should have a discussion with your GI. I was on Asacol/Pentasa throughout all my pregnancies and Prednisone during one entire pregnancy and everything went fine (but the weight gain resulting from being pregnant and on Pred was not fun! ha)

Also, make sure you are getting enough folic acid and taking a good prenatal vitamin for at least three months before you try to conceive.

Thank you. My GI doctor has really left it up to me to decide whether I want to be on meds for it. All I've ever taken is Asacol and when I got pregnant with my first I had just been diagnosed with IBD and was taking Asacol. It helped me go into remission, but during the pregnancy I went into flare and got the idea that asacol was making things worse so I stopped it. After I stopped it I went into remission and 5 months later had a 9 lb 6 oz baby. I stayed off of meds after birth because I nursed him. Then about a year and a half later I got pregnant with my daughter and stayed off meds during that time too. My symptoms of cd were manageable. There was never any blood or mucous and about half way through I seemed to go into remission. She was born at 8 lbs and completely healthy. I also nursed her for a year and stayed off meds. Then we tried for the third and got pregnant within a month. Again, my symptoms are still mild to moderate. The only symptom I have is loose BMs. I started having miscarriage symptoms last week and went in for an ultrasound yesterday to find there was nothing left in the uterus. I had gone in last week and seen the baby and the heartbeat. My OBgyn says that we can try again after two cycles, and he says it would be best to stay off meds unless I really do need them. I'll be talking to my GI doctor next week about it.

I conceived while on prednisone, and my GI encouraged me to stay on it until my symptoms were under control. I'm not due until Feb 22, but so far the baby is healthy and on track per all the u/s and tests. I would encourage you to treat the CD! My GI and my OBGYN both concurred that treatment was better than no treatment. I don't have super bad symptoms either. It might be a good idea to get a 2nd opinion. In any case, I'm sorry to hear about your loss.

I am so sorry for your loss. It can be a crushing experience.

I have had 6 early losses (~5 weeks) while on remicade. My crohns was in remission but I think my immune system was reacting to the remicade causing me to miscarry. I ended up having a lupus like reaction to the remicade, and who knows how long that was going on. Its better to have your crohns under control while pregnant than to flare, because your body needs to be able to absorb nutrients.

I am now on imuran and I hope it calms down my immune system enough to stay pregnant. I plan to stay on my meds in the event I do get pregnant.

This is a really good video from the Mayo Clinic on crohns and pregnancy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osmQ0QsZjwM

Thanks Lydia, I watched that video and I really liked it. One thing about my disease that is unique is the fact that I'm able to absorb nutrients because the inflammation is only in parts of my colon (which is the water absorber). The small intestine is what absorbs the bulk if not all of the nutrients from food and mine is completely healthy. We discovered that this year after a small bowel x-ray. The reason I wanted to be med free is because I had two successful pregnancies basically med free. My first one I was on Asacol when I found out I was pregnant and doing fine, then I went into a little flare and stopped taking the Asacol because I could tell it wasn't helping. Immediately after that I went into remission for the rest of the pregnancy. My concern with taking meds while pregnant is that they really can't say how and if the baby is effected. My son who I was on Asacol for about 3-4 months of the pregnancy starting having IBD symptoms at 14 months and was diagnosed with UC. Since then he's had 3 colonoscopies, tried everything and every med. Now he's 3 and he doesn't have a colon because his disease was so severe and did not respond to anything we tried to put him on including biologics. I'm sure it's not related to the Asacol I took when I was pregnant, but it's still scary. It's probably just the gene that he picked up from me. My daughter is doing fine and she's about 13.5 months. She has had completely different bowel habits then he did when he was a baby. My son is such a young case they couldn't find a child as young as him in all of Northern California. Sorry for the long response. There is just so much information I didn't include in the first message. I tried to make it brief. I do agree that I should try and get into remission during this waiting period before we try again. Whether I'm going to be helped by Pentasa or Asacol I don't know. Thanks again.

I know what you mean. I was in med free remission when I got pregnant with my daughter. I wanted to do that again, but I cant hold on to remission without medication at this point. I am sorry to hear about your son. No child should have to deal with crohns.

I'm so sorry to hear about your miscarriage, it can be so devastating, I lost my first pregnancy at 9 weeks, I had just been married 11 weeks and in a bad flare at the time, wasn't planning a pregnancy because I was so sick but we were thrilled, my health suffered really bad and I clung to existence for a further 6 weeks just to get my sister's wedding out of the way. Boy was wrong!!! I ended up in hospital for 2 weeks very ill and the GI's gave me all the lectures you could imagine. "Don't get pregnant while in a flare, don't come off meds while pregnant" I couldn't even think about having another baby at that stage as I was so heartbroken, I cried the day that baby was due and have done every year since.

I did get my flare under control with pred and Pentasa and was ready to try again a year later, I stayed on pentasa throughout and had to take pred at 30 weeks to stop a flare developing after the baby dropped into position, My first was born 3 weeks early but very healthy, I had another miscarriage a year later while in full remission at 6 weeks, again heartbroken but more encouraged that time around. I tried 2 months later and pregnant again, my second daughter is now 17 months.
I would recommend being on meds as they put it to me, better to give yourself and baby a fighting chance than losing possibly both of us. Try to find something that works for you, pentasa is like asacol and very mild.

Your son is in my prayers, no one should have to suffer this horrible condition let alone a child, but he has a great mum to rely on.

Take care of yourself, get rest, I'm sending you a big hug.
Gwen, her two daughters and her two angel babies. xxx