Baby or No Baby?

[CynthiaBW]

I am 37 and was diagnosed with IC last April 08.
I am now on bc to help with IC symptoms. I have
one son, and I really wanted to try for another
baby, but I'm really scared. I'm afraid my IC
symptoms will get really bad if I come off of bc.
Also, I'm not sure my bladder could handle the
extra pressure of pregnancy. Is there anyone
out there who has experienced pregnancy with
IC and how bad was it?

[ICNDonna]

If you check the old posts on the pregnancy boards, you will find lots of stories from those who have had babies with IC.

Donna

[Judith56]

Everyone is different, but when I was having my children, my symptoms actually got better. Before I got pregnant I asked my uro if I would have to pee more. He told me that I was urinating so frequently that it wouldn't make much of a difference! He was right. This was 28 years ago and at that time the treatments were different, or I should say that the options were very limited. I wanted children so badly that I didn't care how bad my symptoms would get. My main concern back then was that I would pass it on to my children, but never happened. Go with your heart and what your doctors advise. Good luck!

[melanie626]

Hi-
I went through a really rough pregnancy with my IC but have a great little girl. I would do it again. I wrote an article for the IC Optimist this past year about this and took medications which was the choice that worked for me. I am happy to share anything that will help, please feel fee to ask away, or PM me.

Some women get better while pregnant, I think a majority do, esp depending on the severity of disease. I have severe disease and did not, but I got through it and am happier then ever.

Cheers.

melanie

[sister]

I have a seven month old and my symptoms were not as bad during pregnancy.

It is pretty common for autoimmune conditions to be less severe or go into remission during pregnancy.

[Briza]

I am a few years older than you (and oh, my bday is just one day after yours!!:)) and I have no children and probably not any prospects in the near future or far future for having a baby and I have one scarred/blocked fallopian tube (meaning only one good tube) and I have IC, VV, generalized Vulvodynia and PFD.

I say if you want another child while you are at the age you are at now, make it happen:) if you want have the ability and the partner to make it happen, do so!! Such was not the case for me but I would not want others to be in my position, especially if they wanted a second child. Having had one already you know very special mommy things that I do not about having a baby and that is why I say make it happen if you want to. I cannot miss or regret what I have not had or experienced, but you have and can and may!!

I am almost 41 now but I have not taken bcp since my twenties and very a few times here and there in my early 30s and my first IC symptoms hit when I was 35, so I can not say how that type of bc method would affect my symptoms at this point. I use condoms...well I always did, even w/ bcp since I grew up in the age of AIDS 80s!!! I never really liked bcpill when I took them....I seemed more mental/hormonal/physical symptoms more often on monthly basis than when I do not take that form of bc....I have 35+ day cycles without bcpills so I like that benefit of the longer cycle.

So no, I cannot tell you what it would be like to have IC and be pregnant, but I can tell you what it can be like to have IC and being at that age where it is unlikely that I will have a baby, IC or not. IC was not ever a reason that I chose not to get pregnant...I just did not because the right for me opportunity never arose. Well, sometimes I think now would've have been best had I gotten knocked up in my 20s when I was very healthy and my eggs were young and ripe! lol but at that time I was in college or working on my career and the thought just didn't cross my mind. Now sometimes I wish it had...and even when I was at the relatively young age of 35 and first starting with my IC symptoms, I wish it had. I so much hate to read of women struggling with this decision whether because of their age or their IC or both. I say go for it...IC you have the rest of your life to get under control, but there is a window of time when you are able to conceive or wanting to conceive, and I wish I had had that window and an appropriate partner at the time!! Take care and best of luck! I say make babies while you want to and while you can!!:lmao:

[hensleyi]

Cynthia,

I was diagnosed with IC in 2006 and shared your same concerns about having a baby. My fear was coming off of Elmiron and being in so much pain and not being able to take anything for it. I read other posts about IC improving during pregnancy, but was concerned that would not be the case with me. However, I am happy to report that my symptoms improved immensely during pregnancy to where I was almost pain-free. I still had a lot of frequency but I'm not sure if that was due to the baby or the IC. My symptoms returned about 6 weeks postpartum, which was sort of a bummer. I had forgotten what a drag this thing can be. So in my experience, pregnancy with IC was not a bad experience at all.

[CynthiaBW]

Thanks for all the positive, encouraging replies. I'm still really afraid about it.
Would I have to come off of Elmiron?
How bad is the frequency during pregnancy?
Wouldn't a baby put a lot of pressure on the bladder?
I know I sound like a big chicken, but it's a big decision.
The hardest part would be talking my hubby into it. I think he's really more
afraid than I am.

[mrachel]

My husband was very nervous about how my bladder would handle a pregnancy. When we decided to get pregnant I was doing well following an InterStim implant that I had for a few years and was only on Elmiron and occasionally attarax. He feared that I would go back to severe pain, total retention and constant UTI's. My dr. talked with us extensively about what medicine options we would have during pregnancy if I needed them and we decided to go ahead and try. I was nervous because I had to go off my Elmiron and turn off my InterStim at least for the first trimester. I was shocked that I didn't have more trouble during the pregnancy. I had some flares but I was able to take Lortab for pain short term and do heparine/marcaine bladder instils when needed. Within 3 weeks of giving birth I started having bladder pain but it was hard for me to know what was from the c-section or the bladder. I turned my InterStim back on and kept taking the Lortab a few times a day and I was fine. I wanted to breastfeed so I stayed off of everything else and was soon able to cut out the Lortab too. I haven't had to go back on my meds as of yet and now that my son is 2 years old we are trying to concieve again. I never thought this was possible because I had such a severe case 6 years ago and was on total bed rest with 12 drugs in the routine. Not everyone has the success I have had but many do seem to get better with pregnancy. Talk to your dr. and your husband and have a plan of action for possible hurdles if they arise. Good luck in your decision!

[kssunflower75]

i have had ic since 04 i do believe and i took herbal medication and cleaned my system out and i took those for 2 yrs. now i dont have to take any kinds of medications for my ic i just watch what eat and drink and the only things that makes my bladder flare up is chili and pop but i can drink sprite but i dont over do it. and i am about 6 weeks pregnant. i am kinda nervous to see if it will make the bladder bo ok or if it will be flared up all teh time. the key thing is to know what you can drink and eat and if you do flare up take a very hot bath and put ice pack on for 20 mins and what helps me also is to lay on my back so the pressure aint on my bladder i havent had a flare up for like 3 yrs now.. anybody have any suggestions about ic and pg so far i am reading a good mix on the subject..thank you

[llwd]

I've had 3 pregnancies. During the first pregnancy that ended in miscarriage (m/c), I had severe symptoms during the first trimester. During the second pregnancy, I once again had severe symptoms during the first trimester and milder symptoms for the most part during the remaining 2 trimesters. I was diagnosed with IC 4 months after my daughter was born. Before my most recent pregnancy, my symptoms were mild. The symptoms did not worsen during the pregnancy. Is it because my meds had finally worked on whether every pregnancy is different, I don't know. The frequency was bad during the first trimester, mild during the second, and worse during the third trimester--but nowhere near as bad as the first. I had no pain meds during the first two pregnancies except pyridium.

Both my IC specialist and ob-gyn said it is okay to take elmiron. Every doctor is different, though. BTW, I am 37, too.

[mary124]

Really can't help you here, but I say if you want another baby go ahead and have one, as we have all found out we are all different. Apparently, for some symtoms are better. When I had my 2 babies, I was not dx with IC but probably had the tell-tell signs of IC. My dx was about 5 years after the 2nd baby. It has now been almost 20 years since dx.