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Bowels and Babies

The Effects of Chronic Bowel Disease on Pregnancy

By Jennifer Lacey

Bowel problems are nothing new for millions of moms-to-be. But imagine what it feels like to enter into a pregnancy with a chronic bowel disease. The strains this condition brings to an expectant mother during the course of her pregnancy are diverse. The health of pregnant women with chronic bowel disease should be carefully monitored in order to achieve a healthy pregnancy and delivery.

Inflammatory bowel disease is a group of disorders that bring inflammation to the digestive tract (which include the small and large intestines, rectum and anus). Symptoms of IBD include diarrhea, constipation and abdominal pain (such as gassiness, bloating or a combination of the two). The exact reasons why IBD occurs in some people are unknown. However, certain factors such as infections, lifestyle and hormonal changes may cause the above symptoms to increase.

Some individuals diagnosed with IBD discover their immune systems react negatively to normal bacteria found in the intestines. This reaction causes the intestines to inflame. People who suffer from IBD experience different degrees of severity and length of symptoms with their condition. Some may experience only mild symptoms and then may go into a remission only to see their symptoms resurface. Others may suffer from severe attacks that only medication and/or surgery can relieve.

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are two major types of IBD. They both tend to share the same symptoms, which include abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, loss of appetite, fever and weight loss. What separates Crohn's from ulcerative colitis is that individuals who suffer from Crohn's may develop tunnels or openings (known as "fistulas") between parts of the intestine, bladder and/or vagina. Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation in the lining of the large intestine, causing the colon to empty often, which results in diarrhea.

Crohn's disease often difficult diagnose because the symptoms of Crohn's are similar to IBS and ulcerative colitis. Crohn's disease, unlike ulcerative colitis, can be hereditary. According to the Bethesda, Md.-based National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), 20 percent of people diagnosed with Crohn's disease have a blood relative with some form of IBD.

IBS affects the bowel (also known as the large intestine), and it causes cramping, diarrhea, constipation or a combination of both. What should be understood about IBS is that it is not categorized as a disease. Unlike inflammatory bowel disease, many doctors describe IBS as a function disorder, since it does not inflict any damage on the bowel upon an internal examination.

IBS can be quite painful for some women and for others, just a slight annoyance. Common causes of IBS are stress and/or intake of certain foods that can cause diarrhea and/or constipation, such as chocolate, alcohol, caffeine and carbonated drinks. Women who suffer from IBS tend to experience more symptoms during a menstrual cycle.

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