Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Baby Planning

I am approaching 30 in June & am nearing that "family"stage. Being an AS sufferer since my early 20's I have managed to avoid the morning stiffness & flare ups with Indocid.
My Doctor has told me to go off the drugs before & during pregnancy.
Any suggestions on what I can do to stop the morning stiffness & aching?
(I am not on any special diet and currently eat all food groups if that helps???)

Natalie

Hi Natalie,

for information on the low starch or starch free diets see the forum for these. I believe others are also trying a gluten free diet, though there is probably little experience of this amongst kickas users.

Best wishes

Hi, Natalie,

Welcome to KickAS!!

Gentle stretches in the morning will help with stiffness. And just getting up and walking around. I don't know how many this happens to, but for all my pregnancies, my AS went into remission. The morning pain and stiffness just weren't there. I hope it is like that for you.

But talk to your doctor, it may be possible for you to take a milder NSAID when you need it. The No/Low Starch Diet may help your AS, but you'll want to discuss any diet changes with your doctor first. Nutritional needs are different for pregnant women, and you don't want to put your baby at risk.

Good luck and keep us posted on how it all goes with you.

Hugs,

Cindy

Hi Natalie

Sorry can't help with the pregnancy part.....but I would like to WELCOME you to KickAS!!!!!

You'll find the best people here with answers to all your questions!!!!

I'm an Aussie too!!!!! From little old Adelaide!!!!!!

Take Care
Ann


"If you judge people, you have no time to love them." Mother Teresa

Welcome Natalie,

I can't say much about the pregnancy thing but I can telll you that you have come to the right place to find all of the answers you will need. And all the support you will need. Welcome to the best family in the world, KickAS.

Take care my friend

Daniel

Keep on keepin on Kicking some AS

Hi Natalie!
Welcome, Welcome! Keep asking questions, I find this is one of the few places where many of my questions are answered. Try surfing around the site and reading other old posts, different sections, peoples stories, etc. This many times answers my questions!
As for pregnancy I think that Cindy is right on target. I was only recently diagnosed with AS, but I have had symptoms on and off for 10 years. While I was pregnant my back pain and morning stiffness was much improved. If you read elsewhere on the internet the suggestion is that our bodies are designed to protect the baby during pregnancy therefore little or no "flares." Now I have read in some older posts that many women have rather big "flares" after the baby is born so that is something you need to be aware of!
Again Welcome to the group!
Janet

Welcome Natalie,

In regards to what Janet said about flares after childbirth I can attest to that. I have had symptoms of AS for about 8 years. Only after I had Ethan last August did I have a bad flare. I had him c-section and associated the pain with the c-section. I kept going to my Ob-Gyn and he kept telling me it was referred pain. He did an ultrasound and found nothing. He gave me Vioxx 50 mg qd and told me that it should relieve the pain. NOT! Anyways it lasted about 6 months. I finally went to an Orthopaedist had xrays and a bone scan which led him to believe it is AS. I have recently started Vioxx and it is helping.

Good luck.
Cara

"I've learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile." Andy Rooney

Exercise/Stretch as much as you can, try and be as active as possible but as safely as possible so you dont do yourself or little baby harm.

I would suggest the no starch diet, its always worth trying new things, but I dont know what harm a no starch diet would be for a growing baby, someone may know more than I can possibly tell you about.

Good luck, I hope to hear an announcement on the board soon!!!!

Daz

Hi Natalie,
WELCOME TO KickAS
I hope you keep coming here, you will find alot of support. I agree that the NSD diet may help, but as Cindy said be sure and discuss it with your doctor because of the different needs while being pregnant.

Take care,

Pam

"Just like moons and like suns, with the certainty of tides. Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise." Maya Angelou

There may well be substantial risk to a diet that will restrict carbohydrate intake during a pregnancy, since published research in animal models suggest that carbohydrate restriction is detrimental to fetal development:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7711173&dopt=Abstract
Kubow S, Koski KG.
Maternal dietary glucose-lipid interactions modulate embryological development
in vivo and in embryo culture.
Biol Reprod. 1995 Jan;52(1):145-55.
PMID: 7711173; UI: 95226562
"We suggest that a carbohydrate-free maternal diet with apparently adequate levels of essential fatty acid can contribute to embryonic growth retardation both in vivo and in vitro by perturbing embryonic essential fatty acid metabolism."


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=6822899&dopt=Abstract
Taylor SA, Shrader RE, Koski KG, Zeman FJ.
Maternal and embryonic response to a "carbohydrate-free" diet fed to rats.
J Nutr. 1983 Feb;113(2):253-67.
PMID: 6822899; UI: 83111210
"…whereas the remaining embryos succumbed to embryolethal conditions more directly related to the metabolic consequences of carbohydrate deprivation."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3772523&dopt=Abstract
Koski KG, Hill FW.
Effect of low carbohydrate diets during pregnancy on parturition and postnatal
survival of the newborn rat pup.
J Nutr. 1986 Oct;116(10):1938-48.
PMID: 3772523; UI: 87035911
"…The data demonstrate that maternal dietary carbohydrate is required for fetal growth, normal parturition and postnatal survival of rat pups. The results indicate that late gestation, parturition and the neonatal period may be especially vulnerable to maternal carbohydrate deprivation."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7218040&dopt=Abstract
Romsos DR, Palmer HJ, Muiruri KL, Bennink MR.
Influence of a low carbohydrate diet on performance of pregnant and lactating
dogs.
J Nutr. 1981 Apr;111(4):678-89.
PMID: 7218040; UI: 81169930
"…but fewer pups from bitches fed diet 2[carbohydrate free] were alive at birth (63%) than from bitches fed diet 1 [control diet with carbohydrate] (96%). Only 35% of the pups whelped by bitches fed diet 2 were alive at 3 days of age…. We concluded that pregnant bitches require dietary carbohydrate for optimal reproductive performance."

Edited by Evelyn on 04/04/02 10:37 AM (server time).