Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Claire-I'd be interested to hear more...

Kerrie,
I really feel for you going through the stresses of IBS as well as the added stress of trying to get pregnant. Do you at least have an understanding partner? I do hope so.
To answer your questions, firstly, my IBS was a bit all over the place throughout my pregnancy. I remember the more pregnant I got I became quite constipated and had a really awful wind and gas problem which was unusual for me because I usually have diarrhea. I remember that I could not have big meals and would have to graze throughout the day and stop eating at least 3 hours before going to bed as if not, it sounded like fireworks were going off in my stomach. It was made even more uncomfortable as, everytime I ate, the baby would go mad and start kicking followed by a good ten minutes of hiccups!
To be honest, I think because my attitude was different, my symptoms didn't seem that bad, even if at times they were. I was just so happy to to be having a baby that when things got bad I would remind myself that it was worth the discomfort and for nine months. I didn't consider my symptoms to be due to IBS but to the fact that the was an extra weight pushing on the tubes and pipes and it was therfore normal to be suffering from indigestion, constipation and wind. I think IBS is such a frustrating condition as there never seems to be a reason for attacks and symptoms occuring. When I was pregnant I had a reason - my little baby girl and that was a damn good reason too.
As for my past menstruation problems, my periods stopped for good when I came to France, though they had been very irregular for a few years before that. It was proably due to the fact that at 18, I had lost a lot of weight (and was anorexic for some years after) and I think the huge stress of leaving England and moving here to join a my boyfriennd who I had only met 2 weeks before affected my hormones. I really thought that I was infertile and could never have children only to fall pregnant 3 years later. I didn't have any treatment and I feel so so lucky but I did have a miscarriage which led me to take progesterone treatment to help the second pregnancy to go well.
My periods have been regular since for 3 months now (and Juliette is now nearly 8 months old). I get awful PMT (as I mentioned in my last mail, but at least I can more or less control the IBS around the bad times. As for ad's, I was given a prescription to take fluroxetine which I was told to stop as soon as I discovered I was pregnant the first time. I don't know whether they have helped as far as my periods and IBS is concerned (since being prescribed them 4 months after she was born - I had to stop breastfeeding which was difficult) but I will trust my doctor to decide if and when I should stop them and that will give me the answer.
I will never know if my IBS would have been better in my pregnancy if I had discovered Heather's books, but I know for sure that they are helping me now. How long have you been following Heather's diet? Has it helped you?

Again, I can't give you and advice but I am glad to answer any questions on my experience if it will be of any help.

I really hope you are feeling better and that the treatment you are taking works to produce the baby I'm sure you deserve.
Bye for now,
Claire

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