What to do-Pregnant with Ulcerative Colitis?

just an fyi : I think that asacol was recently changed to class c, but other mesalamines such as lialda are class b. This is due to phthalates in asacol capsules.

Asacol is much less harmful to baby than prednisone actually. I have had 3 babies while suffering from colitis and am pregnant with my fourth. They have all been healthy, except that they spend their first two years balancing the bacteria in their intestines, because they receive such disrupted junk from me. I recommend drinking lots of Activia or some good yogurt to try to give them the best start there possible. You might ask your doctor about Lialda, it breaks down in the colon and has less absorbable by-products.

Thanks for asking alison. Yeah he is doing much better than he was. But it takes him a long time to get over infections. I am putting this down to his depleted immune system when he was born, doctors needed to build it up, because he didn't have immune system at all.
The doctors said that the reason I had a premature baby is because of my medical condition Ulcerative colitis and that my uterus was over reacting because the membranes were very infected. The underlying discovery were that I dilated 3 centimeters, this discovery was found on the vaginal ultrasound. During my hospital stay and my water broke they could not induce the labour for this would of been dangerous for Samuel and me. When the the day came of the intense labour (at 26 weeks getation) the waters were green This concerned the doctors. And that is when it affected my uterus. Samuel now cannot really verbally talk but he is trying. Samuel has Speech Therapy to help him along with his speech and Samuel also goes to kinda this helps Samuel with interation with other children. Samuel goes to kinda 3 days a week and he loves it very much.

Hi Michelle,
Thank you for sharing your story!

Did your doctors attribute the cause of your premature labor and delivery to your taking the drug?

I wanted to confirm, as I also had a premature baby with my first child (born at 33 weeks gestation), and was not on any medication...the reason was unknown. Many women do go into labor and delivery prematurely, and it can be attributed to certain medications or medical conditions; other times, there is no "cause and effect" relationship and the woman may have had a premature baby regardless if she was taking a certain medication. I wanted to be sure to provide the readers with the best information, so they can make an informed decision. Thanks so much!

How is your baby (now toddler) doing now?

I am Michelle Wicks. I suffer with ulcerative colitis and I had a baby in 2007 with the flare up. I wasn't taking that particular medication. But I believe once you are pregnant you shouldn't be taking that prescribed drug. I was taking sulfasalazine and my baby ended up being born premature. You should ask your doctor to monitor you closely. You could end up with infection in the membranes andif this is not detected early your baby will be born premature. You might need amnio sentesis test but that has alot of risks, or nother option is vaginal ultrasound. That would be the only way to detect any deformity. You might be the lucky one to not experience any of those. But you need to be aware that if you are over the age of 39 you are at risk of genetic disorders. Don't let the percentages put you off. Your out come might not have affect what so ever on your unborn baby. Please look after yourself and that unborn baby and make sure you excercise with apropriate methods for pregnant women. You see it all depends on your age whether or not your baby will be born prematurely, and again please don't let this put you off. Good luck!

I was pregnant with ulcerative colitis 15 years ago at the age of 22. My doctor said that it seems as some women see improvements in pregnancy while others struggle with it. I have a long, extensive story. While this story may seem scary or overwhelming, it changed my life for the better! I will try and be succinct. To begin, I will let you know that I have a beautiful, healthy daughter.

During my fourth month of pregnancy, I was put in the hospital and placed on heavy steroids b/c my condition was worsening. I was in the hospital for a month and a half or so before they decided I needed to have surgery at Mayo or the University of WA. I lost a lot of blood and my colon was deteriorating. The pain was excruciating. I was airlifted to U of W where I had emergency surgery. They removed my entire colon!! I was told I was fortunate to survive since they stated it was falling apart. I had peritonitis less than one week later and was told my baby would not survive as I was in the beginning stages of labor. They were able to prevent labor. I had a temporary illeostomy (small intestine hooked up to abdominal cavity). I had a vaginal birth and surgery 6 weeks after the birth to reconnect my bowels.

I am completely healthy and living now without ulcerative colitis. That is the beauty. The reason I wanted to share this story was the fact that I took A LOT of drugs during pregnancy and my daughter and I are now both alive and healthy. The best thing to do is keep faith and keep the anxiety down. I wish you the very best and hope for remission. However, remember that things can still turn out okay even in the midst of tough times :).

Cool, Denell, I'm so glad the information helps. It's difficult to have conflicting information and to have to make decisions not only for your own health but also for the health of your baby, isn't it?

Take care, and may your pregnancy be blissfully free of complications this time around. And don't hesitate to come back if you have more questions about anything.