The dual challenge of pregnancy and IBD

This is a report by Healthwatch Essex. The project looked at pregnant women and Irritable Bowel Disease.

This was a qualitative study that aimed to explore the subjective lived experiences of women with IBD during pregnancy and the postnatal period. Data was collected using semi-structured one-to-one interviews. Interview transcripts were then analysed using the principles of thematic analysis. This study was a seed project that will form part of a larger workstream focusing on women’s health and their experiences living with long-term conditions.

A total of 3 women were spoken to in this project.

There are recommendations in this project.

1. Pre-conception and early pregnancy counselling should be available to all prospective mothers with IBD. 
2. Midwives, health visitors, and IBD nurse specialists should be well-informed about the impact of IBD on pregnancy and the postnatal period.
3. Healthcare practitioners should consistently adopt reassuring language when engaging with pregnant women with IBD.
4. Healthcare practitioners should recognise and respect the knowledge and expertise that people with IBD develop as a result of self-managing their condition.
5. Gastroenterology and maternity teams should seek to hold collaborative appointments at multiple stages of pregnancy. 
6. More information should be provided to women and pregnant people who use stoma bags at the start of their pregnancy journey.
7. Gastroenterologists should forewarn pregnant women with IBD that they may experience a flare after giving birth.
8. Health visitors and community midwives should provide additional support to breastfeeding women who are experiencing a post-natal flare. Hybrid and formula feeding options should also be discussed.
9. Individuals with IBD and their partners or close family members should be provided with contact details for IBD clinical nurse specialists and stoma nurses (if applicable). 
10. Outpatient appointments should be made more accessible to new mothers with childcare responsibilities.
11. It is important that information on maternal IBD is available in a centralised and publicly accessible format.

There are no follow up actions in the report. However suggestions for ways of conducting more research are explored.