My Journey With Pregnancy and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Writing personal posts are always slightly daunting. It’s hard to know where to start or how much detail you want to get into. But when it came to today’s post on pregnancy and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), I knew it was a topic I wanted to explore. I was diagnosed with RA at a very young age after watching both my mother and my Nana succumb to the disease. It can be very debilitating causing so much inflammation in the joints that deformities arise. That was the case with my Nana who was diagnosed in a time where the best they could muster up in terms of drugs were some lightweight anti-inflammatories. I’ll always remember her gnarled fingers, her tiny feet and inflamed wrists and ankles. To a young granddaughter though, Nana was Nana…the deformities weren’t deformities in my eyes. It wasn’t until I grew up that I realized how challenging her day to day was. She was incredibly strong to deal with so much pain.

I, however, can be considered lucky because the advances in medicine have made my journey so much less painful. As long as I take the medication, you would never guess I had RA at all! That is until I decided it was time to start planning for a family. I didn’t anticipate how difficult it would be to change my medication and no, I am not writing this expecting any measure of sympathy. In the earlier days of this journey, I would have given anything to simply talk with someone going through the same issues. I couldn’t find anything except boring medical posts to read online and once you’ve read one, they all seem to say the same thing. All I wanted was to read another woman’s story, relate to them or be able to ask a question or two.

And so, this post on pregnancy and rheumatoid arthritis is simply a small contribution to what I hope can be a larger conversation, even if it ends up being just one conversation with another woman. That’s worth it, right?!

My biggest struggle was getting mixed signals…”stop taking all the drugs at once”…”no, this one you need to be off for 3 months and this one for 1 month”…”this drug might actually be safe, here read a bunch of medical data”…It was confusing! And, in the end, I didn’t get it right whatsoever. I went cold turkey, dropping all my meds and the first few months of us trying for a baby resulted in a huge flair up that left me in so much pain I could barely function. At my worst, I needed help squeezing a tube of toothpaste! It was probably the lowest I’ve ever felt. But having a very understanding husband was honestly my saving grace!

Without getting into too much medical mumbo jumbo, I ended up switching to a newer drug. And though the research isn’t nearly as extensive because of its age, its makeup of larger proteins means it does not penetrate the placenta the same way that other RA medications do. After a lot of contemplation and looking at the alternative (being in so much pain and inflammation is not good for a baby either), I decided to take it, hoping that a natural remission would result in my second trimester. Would I have wanted a completely drug free pregnancy?! Absolutely! But after seeing just how damaging the disease could be, I wasn’t willing to gamble.

So, where am I at today?

Unfortunately, I am not like most women and I have not gone into a remission at this stage of my pregnancy. The baby is more than healthy and for that I am very grateful! But I on the other hand, am still struggling with a few major joints and a lot of general stiffness. If you look closely at this picture below, you may be able to see that the swelling in my wrist causes me to hold it at a more awkward angle. Coupled with a very inflamed elbow, my right arm is pretty much useless right now. It was actually a huge struggle to even touch my hair like that! I joke that by the end of the pregnancy, I’ll be ambidextrous because I’ve had to use my left hand for so much…so no judgement if my makeup looks lopsided or my writing extra messy, ok!!!

I’ve chosen not to take any pain medication. One drug in my system is enough for me. But I’ve found other ways to manage the pain. A few weeks ago, I started swimming which is a great form of exercise during pregnancy anyway! It is the one activity I can do that puts no strain on my joints and allows me to feel somewhat normal again. And I always come away feeling a lot better and less inflamed. I’ve changed the position that I sleep in, how I go up and down stairs (sideways a bit if you’re wondering lol) and am trying to eat a well thought out diet. Turmeric, ginger and cinnamon have also been added to my daily routine since they’re great for reducing inflammation. Oh and I truly believe I owe my pregnancy to acupuncture! 

Anyone with any sort of preexisting condition can probably identify with me and my journey thus far. It is never easy but at the end of the day, worth it. The baby comes first!

If you have any advice for me I would love to hear it! If you’ve gone through a similar situation or are currently experiencing what I am, I would gladly talk more and answer any questions you may have! I’d love to keep the conversation going!

Love, me and the little bean xo

Thanks to Behind the Blush for photos!