Heather or anyone else...giving birth = no IBS?
#301434 - 03/05/07 06:54 AM
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jules
Reged: 06/17/03
Posts: 1140
Loc: Michigan
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Hi Heather,
Jules here.
I gave birth to my second child on Feb. 23. The second she was born, I could tell that my IBS symptoms (bloating/gas/mostly C) were gone. The same thing happened when I had my son in July 05. My IBS was gone for eight months. It returned when I returned to work after maternity leave.
The same thing is happening now. I can eat whatever the heck I want without any issues. I'm not complaining, but I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I've started seeing a psychologist to work on some issues, and she's pretty certain that I will need to go on an AD after I'm done breastfeeding for some obsessive/compulsive tendencies, which may have impacted my IBS.
I'm very happy to be IBS-free, but am wondering why you think that it's gone for now. I know hormones play a lot into it, but I experienced such sudden relief, it was amazing. I'm maintaining it by eating three packets of Metamucil wafers daily, and taking GI-prescribed Dulcolax. Do you think my new routine (started the day we got home from the hospital) is causing my relief? I don't want to be laxative-dependent, but if it keeps me feeling like this, I will not hesitate to continue.
I have an appointment to talk to my GI this afternoon to find out when I should be doing now, and if I should continue the Dulcolax.
Just wanted to know your thoughts...
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~jules
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I can't give you any scientific evidence but I can say that when I breastfed my daughter my IBS symtoms were much better...not gone like yours...but they came back full force when I stopped nursing. The other contributing factor may be the added stress of going back to work too. I found that when I started to "adventure out" with the baby after being "safely in my home" for all those months most of the time, my anxiety increased thus so did by IBS. Just a thought...may be different for you. Yes, I definitely thinkt he hormones have something to do with it. In the meantime, enjoy!! But I wouldn't go overboard so that that ball doesn't drop earlier than you would like. 
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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I breastfed both my children for a year, and during that time I had no IBS symptoms ar all - pain or anything else. I ate all sorts of junk - custard doughnuts featured almost daily - and had no problems. I thought I was cured, too. But, after I stopped breasfeeding, the IBS came back, and I also had depression which wasn't diagnosed, but I believe was delayed post-natal depression. Like line415, I had alot of anxiety, especially about social situations, and I had lost a lot of self-confidence. I am not telling you this to worry you - we are all different, and my hormones have always given me trouble (still do, 15 years on!). But I don't think IBS ever really goes away - it can be managed, but it is still there. On the plus side - you know how to manage it, thanks to Heather and this website. I really wish I had known all this stuff about IBS years ago - and had the support of this board. I think things would have been a lot brighter for me.
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For me, the IBS was gone while I was pregnant, but came back the second the babies were born, then got worse to longer I breastfed. My second was allergic to formula, so I had to breastfeed for a long time and the IBS just got worse and worse. It got a little better when he weaned, but never cleared up.
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My symptoms are definitely reduced during my pregnancy but are not completely gone. I dare not eat dairy but some things don't bother me quite as much. We'll see what happens once baby is born.
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Flipada - IBS-C "It's a gas, gas, gas"
**Lauren**
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Jules- I just gave birth 3 1/2 months ago and my symptoms were almost gone the last 3 months of pregnancy and for the 2 months I breastfeed. Now the last 3 weeks have been awful and I know that it is compounded with the stress of knowing I am going back to work next week. I said that it would be great if they could generate a hormone pill that duplicated those in pregnancy for IBS'ers. I am very close to going back to a doctor to see about something for anxiety. I am also getting my period this week so that has made it 10 times worse. It is so much harder to go back to being strict on the diet. I can't even seem to touch soy ice cream or other soy things just yet.  All I can say is enjoy your symptom free months. I would have breastfeed longer but my daughter was having trouble digesting my milk.  Still not sure as to why since I ate nothing that would give her bad gas. Not even soy!!
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