Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: Colitis And Pregnancy

Question:
My wife has colitis and has just become pregnant. Has anyone with colitis gone through a pregnancy?  I would like to know if pregnancy aggravates colitis.  I am also concerned about the use of drugs prescribed for colitis (prednisone, etc.) while one is pregnant.  Has anyone been in this situation?

Answer:
I have ulcerative colitis in the entire colon; I am 18 weeks pregnant with our second child.  Our son is 21 months old and very healthy.  No problems in the 1st pregnancy, so far no problems with this one, either.  I have been in remission since Sept. '93, with no relapse either during pregnancy or postpartum.  Prednisone is supposed to be safe during pregnancy because it doesn't go through the placenta, but I am just as happy to have avoided that whole issue.  I have been on 6 Asacol a day since achieving remission; Asacol is considered safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding (my 21-month-old still nurses). I have heard that the risk of postpartum flare is actually quite low, though I can't provide documentation--it was mentioned during a CCFA seminar and I wasn't taking very good notes.  CCFA (Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America) has some very good literature on pregnancy and IBD I just recently received a brochure from the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America on this very topic.  Apparently, if one's disease is in remission or if there are very few symptoms when one becomes pregnant, there is a good chance that the UC will not be exacerbated by pregnancy.  I've heard that some people even get a little better during pregnancy.  However, it may be a somewhat different story if your wife's symptoms were really severe when she became pregnant.