# IBS CONCERNS WITH PREGNANCY..(especially 1st trimester)



## Ilovebroadway (May 26, 2009)

Okay I have what is believed to be IBS. We have a family history of it in our family and the doc says before running tests that that is it. Anyways we are trying to start our family and wonder if that has any effect on the ability to get pregnant?Also the first trimester, all the stress from going from constipation to diarrea and back. Would that harm the baby? (I have the ibs where its back and forth between constipation and diareaha) Honestly this is the first bought of it I've had in 4 months. So its scary.So I just want to know how IBS affects pregnancy and becoming pregnant......and if its possible to have a healthy happy baby.Also I want to know what else I can do to lessen the IBS symptoms now and during that time. (I've been eating healthier so thats a start) I'm not on any medicine for the ibs


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Many IBS'ers find that their IBS symptoms can actually wane off during pregnancy. A few have flare ups but working with one's Doctor is the thing to do.If you are thinking of starting a family then why not make a visit to your GYN and ask these very questions. If you do a search of IBS and Pregnancy here I'm sure you will also find lots of info.And of course it is possible to have a healthy baby..... many, many of us have done so. All the bestBQ


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## MelissaSings (May 21, 2009)

Hello,I have the same exact concerns as you. I was diagnosed with IBS this past Friday. I brought those same concerns to my doctor, and he said that the IBS symptoms usually diminish if not disappear during pregnancy. Of course, everyone's different. But he said in general, not to worry. He also said the baby should be just fine and healthy. Hope this helps!!







Sincerely,"MelissaSings" to "Ilovebroadway"


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## Christian with a thorn (Mar 9, 2007)

Pregnancy and IBS--Wow where to start. I am currently 6mos. pregnant with our 4th child, am 34 years old, and have had IBS since about age 20. I believe this situation can be very different per person and per pregnancy. Personally, I have always gotten pregnant very easily, and thankfully have never miscarried despite feeling I often would I was so sick. The first trimester has always been very bad for me and my IBS. I too am a bouncer between C and D. The worst for me was the horrific cramping, and so scared something was wrong with the baby. Not being able to go while I'd cramp for hours followed by a final release-hours of going, and often holding a garbage can to vomit simultaneoulsy. Not to scare you, as I have heard some women's IBS gets better in pregnancy, but mine always gets worse. This 4th time was soooo bad I had to miss work constantly. My boss does not understand IBS and I subsequently almost lost my job. Now some tips that I have found really helped me after 4 times going through this: Most OB's I've had are pretty clueless about IBS and my digestive dr. won't touch me when I'm pregnant, so I was forced to experiment on my own. If you could find an OB or digestive dr. who specializes in vice versa or at least can help that would be a Godsend. Fiber pills have really helped me somewhat to stay more regular. The best luck I had was with a prenatal vitamin with a stool softner in it. I take 4 500mg. of methylcellulose daily, and a prenate elite. These are all natural so safe in pregnancy. Best of luck! Regardless of how hard it can be, a baby is always worth the blessing that they are!


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## Ilovebroadway (May 26, 2009)

Christian with a thorn said:


> Pregnancy and IBS--Wow where to start. I am currently 6mos. pregnant with our 4th child, am 34 years old, and have had IBS since about age 20. I believe this situation can be very different per person and per pregnancy. Personally, I have always gotten pregnant very easily, and thankfully have never miscarried despite feeling I often would I was so sick. The first trimester has always been very bad for me and my IBS. I too am a bouncer between C and D. The worst for me was the horrific cramping, and so scared something was wrong with the baby. Not being able to go while I'd cramp for hours followed by a final release-hours of going, and often holding a garbage can to vomit simultaneoulsy. Not to scare you, as I have heard some women's IBS gets better in pregnancy, but mine always gets worse. This 4th time was soooo bad I had to miss work constantly. My boss does not understand IBS and I subsequently almost lost my job. Now some tips that I have found really helped me after 4 times going through this: Most OB's I've had are pretty clueless about IBS and my digestive dr. won't touch me when I'm pregnant, so I was forced to experiment on my own. If you could find an OB or digestive dr. who specializes in vice versa or at least can help that would be a Godsend. Fiber pills have really helped me somewhat to stay more regular. The best luck I had was with a prenatal vitamin with a stool softner in it. I take 4 500mg. of methylcellulose daily, and a prenate elite. These are all natural so safe in pregnancy. Best of luck! Regardless of how hard it can be, a baby is always worth the blessing that they are!


You see what scares me the most is I do go from Constipation to diahrea to constipation and back to diahrea. And that takes a toll on my body. Whats that going to mean for a baby. I had about 4 months where I was fine. Now funny enough this whole mess really showed up after I quit the Birth control and started taking prenatal vitamins. My regular doctor said Prenatal vitamins can mess with the digestive system and being that I was already having mild IBS symptoms it could have just triggered it more. So for about 5 months I was in IBS Hell.Then about 2 months ago, I stopped taking the Prenatal vitamins (I planned on going back on the pill) when my husband lost his job. and after 4 months of no IBS problems at all. All the sudden I started having bad IBS symptoms again.Well my husband got a new job, a better job. So we decided against going back on the Birth Control and just let whatever happens happen for now. My OBGYN still wants me on the Prenatals though (she feels every woman of child bearing age should be taking those regardless) and honestly the IBS is starting to calm down a bit.I was reading about the Vitamin I'm taking and it says that it may cause irregular bowel movements at first. (including constipation and diarea)Both docs feel the vitamin may have triggered the IBS or intensified it. I've been dealing with IBS since I was 14.....never diagnosed until about 5 months ago. (I'm one of those who won't go to the doctor unless its absolutely necissary and it became necissary)So we will see what happens but its a bit scary


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Most of the IBS diarrhea and constipation may be a bit emotionally stressful, and certainly any pain you have is a physical stress but it is not the kind of physically damaging sort of thing you see with acute diarrheal diseases that effect the system a lot more.IBS diarrhea does not cause nutrional deficiencies and usually doesn't even upset the water balance in the body by much if at all so it really isn't going to do a lot of damage to the baby. I the whole constipation means massive doses of horrendous toxins coursing through your blood is just scare tactics to sell laxative.Really, if IBS was so horrendous on your body every one of us would have all sorts of abnormalities on all sorts of blood tests. The really annoying thing about IBS is that you feel that bad and every single medical tests shows you are disgustingly normal and healthy.If it can't even mess with anything in your blood work it isn't going to damage your fetus. Heck even most of the disorders that will screw up your blood work can be monitored and managed to make pregnancy safe for you and the baby.Vitamin supplements do tend to upset the GI balance, but not in any dangerous way. Stressing out about everything probably is way more unhealthy than anything the IBS will do to you.Typically when people alternate the most important thing is to take enough fiber and water and maybe eat a few prunes or drink some apple juice (if you want to stick to all natural while you can get pregnant) so you keep going. Usually if you can keep from getting constipated the diarrhea takes care of itself. Usually you cycle because your body will use some loose stools to push out the hard to pass stools.


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## Christian with a thorn (Mar 9, 2007)

All true based on my experiences Kathleen. Amazingly, my bad IBS has never once affected any of my four pregnancies other than feeling miserable myself. My babies have always been big and healthy. My last 2 girls were both over 8 pounds at birth. Fiber is defenetly one of the best things you can take to stay regular and keep from bouncing back and forth. You can get just plain fiber over the counter in pill form even if you dread drinking those powder liquids like I do. I would definetely look at the prenatal vitamins you are on. These can make a huge difference I have found. Prenatals with too much Iron or Calcium can be very constipating thus kickstarting that vicious cycle. I too bounce badly, and the Prenate Elite vitamin with a stool softener in it has done wonders for me. My sister who also has mlld IBS that gets a lot worse when she is pregnant also does really well on this vitamin. Who knows? You may get lucky and being pregnant may sort of help to regulate you as it does for some. Don't give up! Keep working with the doctors to find the right natural answers for you. Sometimes it can be as simple as your eating habits too. Try to keep track of trigger foods and avoid those if possible. Best of luck!


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