Pregnancy, childbirth and onset of IBD in mother (not child).

[Eternal_Howl]

While I've been having GI issues on and off since Ovarian Cancer surgery almost 10 years ago, nothing was diagnosed or found. Now things are starting to 'show' on scans and tests.

What I was wondering is this: Can the traumatic event of pregnancy and child birth trigger one of the inflammatory bowel diseases? I have done my 'googling', but keep getting the wrong answers to my question when I search. Usually the answers are about children with it, or having a child when you already have Crohn's etc - not about the mother that may not have been diagnosed, or flare-ups prior to pregnancy weren't extreme enough to warrant further investigation and the previous investigations may not have found anything.

 

[DustyKat]

I don’t really know the answer to your question but can recount observations from the forum.

I have over the years seen a number of posts where women have found their way here after being diagnosed with IBD following a pregnancy. IIRC the symptoms generally appeared during the pregnancy, with perhaps some niggling things present prior to it, and in some cases symptoms intensified following the birth.

This is lifted from a document about IBD and pregnancy. I know you are undiagnosed but if you scroll to page 20 and onwards it does discuss how the disease generally responds through the different phases of pregnancy and after:

Episodes of acute disease occur more frequently during the first six months of pregnancy and during the puerperium (childbed). As in Crohn’s disease, the majority of women who conceive during an active disease phase usually continue to have active disease throughout pregnancy

http://www.drfalkpharma.de/uploads/tx_tocfpshoperw/S82e_12-1-09.pdf

I hope this is of some help to you in finding answers.

Just some personal musings: Many women find that their symptoms intensify when they menstruate so it would be hard not to think that there are hormonal influences for some. Since during pregnancy hormones are very much a high and controlling factor I personally can see that for some it may well be the trigger for something that is already simmering away under the surface.

Dusty. xxx

 

[Eternal_Howl]

Hi DustyKat,

Thanks for the link to the article. I had a look at the bits I thought pertained to me.

I had a relatively unremarkable pregnancy. I didn't even get morning sickness! Terrible third trimester heart burn, but that was about it. The birth was complicated right at the moment of birth and after, but otherwise, as I said, unremarkable. The complications came at the point of delivery and the second or third labor as they call it never happened. I needed to have surgery afterward to remove the placenta. Immediately after baby was born, I had no hassles with my stomach (other than it being huge from a bit too much pregnancy indulgence) for a while and then bam! It all started again. I was having issues on and off before and then it disappeared, but I couldn't say for how long. I generally didn't think about it until it happened. Now days are different. I'm expecting a flare-up of pain every 2-3 weeks. I haven't noticed any issues during menstruation either. Just normal.

 

[theOcean]

Hello there! I'm moving your post to our OB/GYN section in case some other women on the forum can chime in with some advice or opinions.

I've heard of a number of people going into flare-up after pregnancy, though.

 

[Eternal_Howl]

I didn't even think of it, but it makes perfect sense. Thank you!

 

[mama21princess]

My IBD started after I had my daughter. She was born in 2010, and I started to really notice symptoms in 2011. I started with abdominal pain, then started having diarrhea. I was finally diagnosed with UC in May of 2013.

 

[Amanda89]

Agreed with TheOcean, I've heard it's fairly common straight after childbirth for you to go into a flare. Hope you feel better soon, sorry I couldn't help more.

 

[Domsmom]

This isn't fact, but I do notice a correlation between stress and my Crohn's flares. It sounds like you had some trauma/stress during labour and having a new baby can be very stressful so it makes perfect sense to me.