My Blog

2 Different Pregnancies With Psoriatic Arthritis – it’s just a bad day, not a bad life!

The following post is an old draft written in 2020 that was never published! It’s hilarious to read this now on my 4th pregnancy. But important information to pass along to the psoriatic arthritis community regarding different pregnancy experiences.

———————————

As I near the end of my second pregnancy, I can’t lie and say I’m disappointed in myself that this is the FIRST blog post I’m writing about it.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I regularly share in my Insta Stories and then periodically on my feed as well.

There were many similarities to my first pregnancy during this one – the constant throwing up for the first 20+ weeks, the lack of energy, the heartburn, the general-ness of feeling awful.

But there were definitely differences with this one too. I showed a lot earlier, the end of this pregnancy has been a WORLD of difference (my body is absolutely preppin’ way more for this labor – in a great way), I got stretch marks, and started having contractions at 31 weeks (yikes: that was scary).

Here are 4 ways this pregnancy has been different from my last pregnancy:

Psoriasis

My first pregnancy, in the first trimester, I had more psoriasis than I’ve ever had before. Granted, it wasn’t horrible (I’ve never been one to get a TON of psoriasis), but it was the most I’ve ever had. This time I had ZERO psoriasis outbreaks. None at all. So that was a nice surprise!

Joint Pain

But with the no psoriasis came a TON of joint pain. Prior to getting pregnant, I was really contemplating getting back on medication because my joints were really bothering me. I was trying to get pregnant first because 1) my first pregnancy I had pretty much zero joint pain and 2) I really wanted to get pregnant not on medication.

As this pregnancy went on, I’d say the second trimester was the worst. As the weather fluctuated my joints were not happy at all. And the thing that sucked the most was that I couldn’t necessarily turn to pain meds to help. So I’d slather on deep blue, relax and try to bear through it. In talking with a high-risk pregnancy doctor he assured me that if I wanted to start taking meds I would be fine to do so. I chose to just grin and bear through it and not take anything. But when it would hit, I’d take the day off of work and honestly just do some yoga and rest as best I could.

Fatigue

Of course, with pregnancy comes fatigue, but the kind of fatigue you have with an autoimmune condition is definitely different than anything at least I’ve experienced. Meaning, I can typically tell the difference. This time, on top of just overall pregnancy exhaustion, I definitely had fatigue from my PsA showing up. I think it had to do with the fact that I was eating a lot of rice products throughout my pregnancy. For me, typically fatigue is food-induced.

Food Intolerances

I’m someone who keeps a strict diet to reign in my fatigue and joint pain. If I keep a diet mostly of veggies, fruits, nuts, fish, and poultry I typically feel the best. I do ‘cheat’ with non-gluten grains such as rice, oats, etc every so often. (Usually in the form of cupcakes and the like! haha)

With throwing up all the time, you need something bland to keep in your system. That’s why last time and this time I turned to gluten-free breads to try to just have something in my system. (Potatoes are my other go-to!)

There are a few totally grain-free breads, but to be honest, I’ve yet to find one I really truly love. I love Pagels (which are grain-free) and eat those daily #SadButTrue – but I definitely have eaten more gluten-free grains this time.

And it’s definitely had a direct effect on my body. I know that that’s why I was fatigued and I’m SURE it had to do with my joint pain too. You’d think then I’d stop eating it, but it didn’t. It’s hard – when you’re nauseous and throwing up, the last thing you want to do is eat a salad.

All in all, psoriatic arthritis wise this pregnancy was a lot different and I had problems. But nothing that won’t be worth this little babe at the end of it all!

Wishing You A Pain Free Day!

Julie Croner, Certified Holistic Health Coach, Yoga Instructor, Patient Empowerer, Autoimmune Warrior (Psoriatic Arthritis), Avascular Necrosis, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome | itsjustabadday.com


Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *