The RA Pregnancy Chronicles: Guide To My Second Pregnancy

CONCEPTION: Getting Pregnant In the First Place

If you have RA and are thinking about starting a family, here are some things you should consider and some tips that might help. Read more...

WEEK 4: My Second Pregnancy Begins

I am excited to share stories from my second pregnancy on RheumatoidArthritis.net. I can’t promise that my story will always be uplifting, but I can promise that it will be honest. And though it may not be an easy task, I can promise that I will show it is possible (& wonderful!) to start a family while living with RA. Read more...

WEEK 6: Life Without RA Medications

Being a parent is all about sacrificing your own needs for the needs of your children. It’s a challenge that every parent faces. But, for those of us living with chronic illnesses like RA, there are all sorts of extra scarifies, difficulties, and doubts we have to face. Read more...

WEEK 9: Morning Sickness and Other Unpleasantness

Life with RA can sometimes feel like a constant Catch-22, a paradoxical set of circumstances where you find yourself forced to make a decision where it feels like you lose no matter what option you choose...In a strange way, I think these experiences make women with RA uniquely qualified to deal with the completely bizarre things that happen to your body while you are pregnant. Read more...

 

WEEK 12: The Magic R-Word

Despite more than five years of living with RA, sometimes the R-word still seems too magical to say/type! But if you’ve ever read anything about RA and pregnancy, you’ll have read some statistic about the possibility of going into remission while pregnant. Read more...

WEEK 14: Pregnancy-Safe RA Relief

I'm finding my symptoms to be even more frustrating because there are so few options for addressing aches/pains while pregnant. I've been brainstorming what I can do instead & wanted to share my ideas. Read more...
 

WEEK 18: RA-Friendly Baby Gear

Buying the right baby gear can be overwhelming for anyone, but even more so if you're also dealing with RA. In this article I share my recommendations to make life as a parent with RA a little easier. Read more...  

WEEK 19: Making The Most of Breastfeeding

Women with RA can find breastfeeding to be challenging for many reasons. Here are some tips to help you make the most of breastfeeding! Read more...

WEEK 23: Sometimes Being Pregnant With Arthritis Is Hard

Unfortunately I don’t think it can be denied any longer: my RA is officially flaring. I'm also waking up with the most extreme morning stiffness I have ever experienced – it feels like I have been run over with a steamroller. And the fatigue (combined from the RA flare, difficult pregnancy, and chasing a toddler) is beyond soul crushing. Read more...

WEEK 30: Balancing Acts & Difficult Decisions

Life with RA can be a near constant balancing act. You balance the benefits of medications against the potential risks. You must balance exercise & continued movement against pain and fatigue. You even have to balance your desires & dreams against your realities & capabilities. Read more...

WEEK 32: The Post-Birth RA Flare

It is common to experience an RA flare postpartum, but there are several things one can do to make this period of time easier. Read more...
 

WEEK 34: Birth Positions

The birth instructor kept talking about “using what nature provides” to make the birth process easier, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how unfair it was that nature had provided me with a bunch of inflamed joints and the ability to get fatigued more easily than other women, which wasn’t going to make the birth process any easier! Read more...

SIX WEEKS POSTPARTUM: The Birth of My Second Baby

It is time for me to go back on the methotrexate because at this point I have been living with partially treated RA for FOUR years. Though I must say it has been totally worth it for my two beautiful boys. Read more...