How things change....

It has been a while since I have been able to blog. Beside teaching and living I also have gotten married. We have thrown back and for the idea of becoming pregnant. Which is a good thing but for those of us with Crohn's comes a bucket of concerns and planning is KEY.  I have been on 6MP for a long time now, 3 years I believe.  I have made the educated choice to go off my medication.  My doctor felt strongly that I stay on 6MP through my pregnancy.

Her reasons:

That I could loose the baby. The common flare ups occur 2-3months after conception or 2-3 months after birth.

If I have complications or infection I could loose the baby.

I would have to go on medications that could possible cause a miss carriage or loss of baby.

There focus is on the mother and her life not to save the baby first.

My reasons:

I do not believe that any medication is safe while pregnant if you can help it.

I have been on 6MP since my surgery and I have no idea if the medicine is keeping me from flare ups or if my diet, exercise, and over all health is keeping me from flare ups. 

I feel BREAST FEEDING is essential and if you can possibly do it you should. It helps with bonding, cancer prevention, helps to curb post pardon, and if I have to have these awfully huge breasts that have inhibited my athletic endurance for years I would like to find a real purpose for them.

My doctor always gives the darkest worst case scenario. She does this to cover her but also to make me think. After the initial shock and with reasoning I did a lot of research. I talked to my family and friends to make an educated and informed opinion. It does not effect only me but my husband, family, and friends that support me.

My doctor has agreed to stay as my physician even though we disagree about the 6MP. It is unethical for her to make me stay on a medication while pregnant. There is little evidence that 6MP hurts the baby but you cannot breast feed which is a not only an issue because I want to breast feed but also that it condenses in your breast milk and they advise not to. If that is the case why is it safe in vetro?  Also, all I read is that women ( the majority) feel the best they have ever felt when pregnant and some time after they give birth. 

So I have tapered my intake of 6MP to the point that now I am not longer on 6MP. I am now seeing my physician every month to be safe but feeling well. I am sticking to a diet of no wheat, no sugar, and lots of home made yogurt and pro biotic cabbage.  I eat whole foods that are local and organic. I have also added live fruit and veggie smoothies.

I have tried now to get pregnant for three months. I wanted to get pregnant during the honeymoon phase of going off 6MP so I can move straight into pregnancy where by body ( hopefully) is more concerned about caring for a baby that attacking me.  Not pregnant yet. If it is meant to be it will happen.  

Otherwise I am happy I feel healthy. Happy to be married. Happy it is summer.