There are so many reasons why a pregnancy is a blessing. A baby is a gift that brings so many great things into your life. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) affects around 1 percent of all adults, with considerably more cases reported in women than in men. Anyone with RA knows it’s a struggle, and women with Rheumatoid Arthritis may have an added gift that comes during pregnancy. It’s not uncommon for many women to have significant improvements in their arthritis flares during pregnancy. After all, you have enough going on with pregnancy, and luckily, arthritis may be something you don’t have to worry about during pregnancy. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen in every pregnancy. There are many very interesting things that happen to a woman’s body with Rheumatoid Arthritis during pregnancy.

Approximately 70% of women with Rheumatoid Arthritis report improved symptoms during their second trimester. These improvements can last through the first 6 weeks after delivery. There are many theories as to why this may be the case. It almost sounds counterintuitive. Swelling ankles and hot flashes sound like they would make your symptoms worse. Rheumatoid arthritis gets worse with swelling. However, there are multiple reasons why these improvements occur in the body.

When a woman carries a baby, there are many fascinating effects the human body goes through. One of these effects is an increased level of anti-inflammatory cytokine levels. These levels finally help the body combat Rheumatoid Arthritis. Hormonal changes could create many unexpected changes in the body. With these changes, many women find their RA symptoms decrease, while there are still others who see no change at all in their symptoms.

Predicting which new mothers experience fewer symptoms is still unclear. It is even more unclear if some women are experiencing fewer symptoms of RA or more symptoms of pregnancy, as some symptoms of pregnancy overlap their symptoms of RA. These include fatigue; swelling of hands, feet, or ankles; joint pain; shortness of breath; and numbness or pain in one or both hands. It’s often difficult to distinguish where these symptoms are coming from.

Talk to a Doctor Before your Pregnancy

Despite these symptoms, there is no evidence that women with RA experience any increased risk to the baby during pregnancy. There are some reports that women who suffer from a very active RA may suffer from premature or smaller infants.

If you have Rheumatoid Arthritis and are looking to become pregnant, it is important to speak to your arthritis specialist and an obstetrician before trying to become pregnant. There are medications you may be on that can cause issues during pregnancy, like some steroid-based medications. There are many alternative medications that can be taken safely during pregnancy.

Methotrexate should not be taken less than a month before your pregnancy. The manufacturer suggests you stop three months before conception. This gives the body enough time to purge the medication from your body. Leflunomide lasts even longer in the body and is recommended not to be taken two years before conception. Medications like this are not uncommon with RA. It is vitally important to discuss your medications with your health care providers.

Rheumatoid Arthritis After Pregnancy

Your body needs time to recover after your pregnancy, and women with RA have more to handle than those without. Approximately 90% of women experience a flare during the postpartum period. Usually, this occurs in the first 3 months after pregnancy. During the postpartum period, it is common to have arthritis flares. This could make breastfeeding difficult. However, there are multiple benefits to breastfeeding for the mother and infant, and your RA should not prevent you from breastfeeding. Many medications are fine to continue two weeks after you give birth to help ease your symptoms. Continue to discuss your medications with your obstetricians to make sure you can breastfeed with them.

Some medications, like low-dose aspirin, are recommended after pregnancy. However, many know that aspirin is not enough. Prednisone can be taken in low doses, below 20 mg a day. Although you still have to pump four hours after ingestion, It has already been discussed that Methotrexate and Luflunomide should be avoided during breastfeeding. Luckily, Azathioprine, Hydroxychloroquine, and Sulfasalazine are compatible with nursing, as are tumor necrosis factor inhibitors such as etanercept and infliximab.

If you do decide to get back on birth control after your pregnancy, you should know that there are many options out there. In fact, most birth control options are safe for women with RA and should not create any added side effects.

Tackling RA Without Medication

Having a baby is a beautiful blessing. Even if you suffer from symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis, there are tons of things you can do to help. If you’re looking for non-medical remedies for your rheumatoid arthritis, there are many answers here at ArthritisFreeLiving.com. With exercise, stretches, and a proper diet, there is no telling how good you can feel.