I first found out I was pregnant in early March. It was such a huge surprise because even though I wasn’t taking contraception, many people had warned me about the difficulties of fertility after bowel surgery.
There’s a lot of scaremongering online that lead me to believe I must be infertile, which is why me and partner began trying for a baby earlier than we anticipated.
My surgeon had previously explained to me that proctectomy surgery (rectum removal) does not affect female fertility. But it can sometimes impact conceiving naturally if someone has lots of adhesions that stop the sperm getting where it needs to go.
Holly Fleet AKA Stomababe
Person Living with Ulcerative Colitis
The main misconception I had was that people who have stoma surgery or proctectomy surgery can not conceive. It can be harder for some people, and some people may require IVF, but it is completely possible. Having abdominal surgery without complications should not impact your reproductive organs.
I also found out that egg freezing is not offered on the NHS for abdominal surgeries like it might be for some cancer treatments.
I don't want to scare anyone, as I know pregnancy is different for everyone, but I was really surprised by the horrible physical and mental symptoms I experienced. Around week 7 I began to feel very unwell with sickness, abdominal pain and fatigue that peaked around week 11.
I have since been put on medication to help manage these symptoms, but it has been a real daily struggle. Pregnancy has definitely affected me mentally. The constant feeling of being unwell has made me feel depressed and anxious. I’m usually a very active person. But I’ve had to really taper back my socialising and exercise which has made me feel isolated and lonely.
I feel it's so important to speak about mental health, especially during pregnancy when it is still so taboo. It’s a really challenging time for many women as your body is going through massive changes and your hormones also take a big shift.
You can feel very emotional and easily overwhelmed. It’s really important not to be too hard on yourself. Your body is growing another life. If you feel tired, don’t be afraid to have a power nap. I find by about 3pm each day I am absolutely shattered and usually have to rest. It can all be a lot to manage as your body goes through extra stress, especially if you have an illness or a stoma.
Your bowel habits can change during pregnancy, and my stoma output has rapidly increased. This means I have to empty my bag a lot more and this can be exhausting going back and forth from the toilet (especially at night time).
I wear the largest size stoma bag available and can’t use overflow stoma bags as my output is too thick to go in to them. I’ve also tried gels and they made my output worse.
My one wish would be for someone to design a product that helps ostomates have better sleep. Sleep deprivation can impact your mental health and daily life in a negative way. as the mornings are a write off for me. I am of course apprehensive about how this will work when I’m a mum, as I’m aware there are lots of early mornings ahead!
My advice to other expectant mums would be to try and not read too much online or compare your experience to other peoples! Everyone and their health journeys are so different that it’s pointless measuring yourself up with someone else. Even if you struggle to conceive naturally, find out if fertility treatments could help.
Want to find out more about Pregnancy & IBD?
Click the button to find out more on the impact of Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis and other forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) on pregnancy. It may also be useful for partners of women with Crohn's or Colitis.
