Crohns, fissures and pregnancy

[Sasha]

Hello everyone,
I was hoping to get some feedback on experiences conceiving, carrying, and birthing a baby. I have crohns of the ileum and have been on Entocort 9mg for just over the last three years.My husband and I have finally settled and are ready for children. I've recently had a visit with my GI and told him of my intentions. His thought was to stop the entocort and be on nothing at all unless my symptoms became so bad that I had to be on medication again. I unfortunately was unaware of the side effects entocort could have on a fetus so after his advice I ceased the medication. It's been almost 3 weeks and I feel okay. I've been managing the symptoms with over the counter medication as needed. I'm still awaiting my OBGYN appointment to get some prenatals.
My husband and I have been pretty loosey goosey about using any form of birth control ( including pull out method) since we got married in April '14. On one hand, I'm glad I haven't gotten pregnant because of my new knowledge of entocort but on the other hand I'm starting to question my ability to conceive. I know women can sometimes have trouble conceiving with crohns but can entocort also affect conception? what would you say is an average time lapse of getting pregnant from really trying ( using ovulation strips/ taking temperature) to getting a positive pregnancy test? has anyone ever had this correlation between conception and medication?

Once you have gotten pregnant, how have your symptoms been? as of now, my are okay, no current flare, but I'm consistently nauseous. My biggest fear would be that first trimester filled with morning sickness and nausea. I know compazine is the prefered nausea medication over zofran for pregnant women, but from experiences what would you say? has anyone encountered and over come this fear of mine? would you recommend just sucking it up? I have read on here that many women usually stay the symptom-wise during pregnancy as it was during conception, has anyone experienced anything out of the ordinary from that that would share so I can better prepare myself?

Since my diagnosis, I have had a handful of anal fissures. I know that in regards to fistulas a fissure is more treatable/ curable; has anyone ever experience a fissure during pregnancy or labor? is the treatment essentailly the same?

I know I could still be a ways from pregnancy but I like to be prepared and aware of all the possibilities and tricks to making it through. I also have an anxiety disorder that manifests as panic attacks and nausea. I won't be taking that medication during pregnancy due to its side effects but that's exactly why I want to know all possible incidences so I can avoid getting anxious.
any advice I could get would be very helpful and appreciated!
THANK YOU!!!

 

[KayleighMeek]

Hi,
I had a quick look and couldn't see anything regarding fertility and entocort (budesonide) and I would have thought it considered safe when trying and during pregnancy. It is one of the drugs that has been suggested to me as a back up in case I get ill. I was told as long as I am on remission then the chances of conceiving are the same as someone without IBD if you flare this is when it can make it more difficult.
I am 25 weeks pregnant now and was on cimzia when we conceived it took us 8/9 months which I was very surprised at as I was expecting it to take much longer. I only used ovulation sticks in the last month of is trying and I didn't get one positive and that was with testing at different times during the day for that month. It worried me but it didn't need to as I was a week late then took a test and found out I was pregnant. I tried to keep in my mind when trying that people without any illness' can take 12 months so i wouldn't get dissapointed if it didn't happen immediatley.

I did have morning sickness in the first trimester and it isn't very nice the exhaustion i felt was equal to being in a bad flare. I lost a bit of weight to begin with as all food seemed disgusting to me and nothing tasted right and then when I would eat I would be sick. It's not a fun time but now it seems like a distant memory and I feel much better. It helps now that I can feel baby kicking and moving around and it is the most amazing feeling it makes you forget anything horrible that has happened. If you did suffer with morning sickness like you said there are drugs you can take and if you feel like you need them you should ask your dr definatley don't just suck it up it's not worth suffering.

I haven't got experiance of treatment for fissures in pregnancy so can't comment on what that would be but I am having problems with a lump that's appeared in the last couple of days that has been sore but I am still waiting to hear back from GI. My crohns has stayed the same since becoming pregnant no better or worse but it is as good as it's going to get for me.
I hope this helps and if you have any other questions I can try and answer them for you. Good luck x