New here: Questions about SCD, pregnancy and breastfeeding and weightloss

May 23, 2007

Hi,

I'm new here. I have had ulcerative colitis for 10 years which has

mostly been under control through medication. I am currently 30

weeks pregnant and still taking meds as my doctor advised me to stay

on them(with the risk of miscarriage if I stopped taking them).

Initially we were going to try and stay on the meds(6MP and colazal)

and breastfeed. There has been a lot of research going on with some

positive outcomes, but recently my doctor found out some more info

that no longer makes me comfortable to stay on these meds and

breastfeed. So I plan to get off them prior to delivery(at least a

month). I was lurking around the internet and found out about this

diet. I just wonder if anyone knows whether babies have had trouble

digesting complex carbs after being breastfed by a mother on this

diet.

Secondly, I wondered if anyone had weathered pregnancy on this diet.

Is it complete enough for the growing baby? Obviously I'm almost

done with this one(10 weeks left!!!!), but I'm already thinking of

the next!

Lastly, kind of a stupid question, but do most people lose weight on

this diet? I'm somewhat thin(well pre-pregnancy) and really would

look terrible if I lost a lot of weight on this diet. Are there

ways to ensure that I don't? I pretty much live on carbs right now.

I love them and can eat pretty much whatever I want and not put on

weight. And the u/c has been under control for 5 years, so I have

doubts that that is what is keeping me from gaining weight. Thanks

for helping!

May 23, 2007

,

I don't know if anyone has breastfed and then weened their child to a standard

American diet with lots of complex carbs or not. Here's my thought on the

matter though. If anything, you will be giving your child a better opportunity

for digesting complex carbs later on because you have withheld them...allowing

him or her to receive just the simple carbs in her breast milk diet for however

long you decide to nurse. For example, all of my brother's children have a

difficult time with dairy barring yogurt and certain cheeses. My sister-in-law

now understands that it has to do with the lactose and all because she has

learned so much watching my son recover from autism with SCD and other

treatments. She just had her sixth child two months ago. In talking with a

lactation consultant, the consultant recommended that she steer clear of liquid

dairy(milk, cream, ect.) while nursing, and also hold off on letting the baby

eat those foods until closer to age two or three years. This will give the

baby's digestive system more time to mature, and should help rid any more

children of the problem with dairy. Her second child still has a very sensitive

GI system, but had many, many issues at around age two. He tested allergic to

almost everything, and she now knows that it is because she began to give him

difficult to digest foods starting at around eight months. She gave him raw

fruits, salads, and other difficult to digest things. Because his body wasn't

mature and ready to digest those foods, it has cause a lot of problems for him.

All this is to say that if anything you would be giving your baby a stronger and

more stable GI system for transitioning to some complex carbs one day if you

choose to allow that. If it were me, I would go ahead and switch to SCD right

away. Just make sure that you read all of the info thoroughly to be certain to

begin the diet properly from the start. It is absolutely safe to use SCD during

pregnancy. I am 17 weeks pregnant, and have done strict SCD off and on

throughout. I have no GI disorders, so I am not always strict...although I am

well aware that I really should be because it is the healthiest option for me

and my baby. You will not be depriving the baby of any nutrition. You can get

all of the vitamins and minerals needed from meats, eggs, dairy(SCD legal forms,

of course), fruits, and vegetables. I know that a lot of people think that you

just don't have a balanced diet if you are leaving out those complex carbs, but

it simply isn't true. If you are concerned about being under weight, remember

to include some good fats in your diet such as avocado, coconut oil, and other

good fats. There is no limit on the amount of food that you can eat. Just be

sure to eat a balanced diet. I think that you will be very pleased with the

diet from a health stand point for yourself and your new baby. Have a happy

delivery, and be sure to ask more questions if you have them.

Meleah

New here: Questions about SCD, pregnancy and

breastfeeding and weightloss