Re: RA

[Guest guest]

Wendi,

I do not think it is being quick to judge to state that RA is a nutritional issue and I am sorry that you felt offended. It is sadly quite common for women to develop RA after birth--both of the women I mentioned did so as well. It is not a valid argument to say that all women would have RA where you live if nutrition is the issue--we all have our tipping points. Some people eat crap, smoke cigarettes, drink like a fish and seem healthy their entire lives. Others seem so fragile and sensitive to everything. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle. As I said both mothers do take some ibuprofen for pain, so they did not have full resolution, but both were told that they would require intensive medicating to manage their pain, which was not true by any means.

I have a very dear friend who developed Lupus after the very traumatic birth of her daughter. There is a family genetic predisposition. She has been hospitalized often, so terribly sick with infection and inflammation and pain. The one time she did a complete dietary clean-up, her symptoms disappeared. She is the first to admit that she "should do it again", but she doesn't.

I have seen the most amazing healing when people really get clean in their bodies and homes. I think that unless you have made this effort with no results, you cannot know it is not a significant factor. And, the thing is---people can eat quite well and still develop auto-immue diseases. Compared to the average person, I ate an amazingly good diet, trained intensively in martial arts and used no toxic products in my home or on my body. I got so sick 7 years ago, that I could barely function. I had celiac disease--with NO gut symptoms! It took over 4 months on a gluten-free diet before I began to heal. So, you can easily consume foods that are harmful to you, while fine for others.

So, I am not coming from judgement, only experience. I hope this helps in some way.

Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA

Posted by: "Wendi Rebholz"

wrebholz@...

wendiibclc

Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:53 pm (PDT)

FYI.I also had been told by a Rheum, that I would have to quit breastfeeding

to go on a certain "new Med".Didn't mean there weren't other older ones out

there that could work, until I /we was/were ready to wean. I didn't have RA

before I had my child, but I did afterward.

But, an important thing to point out.

I got RA, due to the traumatic birth (red flag #1) I endured, PIH (red flag

#2) , kidney's failed (red flag #3), had (forced) to go on Mag Sulfate

(biggie scarlet red flag #4)

(after seeing my brown urine in the foley bag).

Then, after retained placenta (red flag #5) and manual removal, large EBL

(red flag #6) and then hemorrhaging a week later.You get the picture. I

really don't think the RA was due to my diet. If this were true, Where I

come from, everyone would have RA if diet was the main factor.

So, again, Let's just be careful how we are judging others, please.

I'm definitely agreeing that it plays a factor, but we must take in that

whole HISTORY!

And that there are many, MANY ways to achieve our breastfeeding goals!

Thanks for the time -

Wendi RN, IBCLC (the nurse w/the curse)

Midwest WI (the land w/the cold, but still, very happy cows!)

[Guest guest]

Not necessarily " the " anti-inflammatory diet, but the same principles, yes. I

learned just how important the essential fatty acids are. And the importance of

eating a colorful diet. In the sense of red, green, yellow, orange, purple, etc.

Good variety of fruits and vegetables. Avoiding processed foods and refines

starches. Lean proteins, with good fish in there. Eliminating cow's milk & cow's

milk products was one thing that made a HUGE difference, just all by itself.

Another was getting rid of most all wheat. Using whole grain brown rice, etc.

One big difference between what I do, and the anti-inflammatory diet, is that I

don't really increase my soy, and that is because of my thyroid. I get a fair

amount of tea, greens and occasionally oolong, in there. I also take a Vit D

supplement, and a really good fish oil supplement.

,

IBCLC, RLC

[Guest guest]

,

There isn't one " anti-inflammatory diet " per se, but, in general, you have to

eliminate all animal milks, all grains and all the allergen triggers for

you--which can change over time as your body heals. For some people, this could

mean nuts or foods high in oxalates or animal products. You have to then eat

foods very high in phytonutrients so that you can become well-nourished and heal

your body. And for most people, the weight melts off. The idea that weight loss

should be slow is ridiculous.

Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA

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> Subject: Re: RA

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> Date: Friday, March 19, 2010, 9:49 AM

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> At the risk of getting more off topic, I would just like to toss in my limited

experience with this, in affirmation that diet can certainly play a part. And

there is a bit about breastfeeding, so it isn't strictly off topic.

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> After the birth of my first child, I had a huge horrible flare and was

diagnosed with Lupus. The symptoms had been present many years before, and

likely contributed to my miscarriages prior to her birth, as I also have

Antiphospholid Syndrome secondary to the Lupus. I was started on numerous

medications, and my diagnosis was eventually changed to Mixed Connective Tissue

Disease, because I also have antibiodies and a couple of issues that belonged

under the Systemic Schlerosis heading. My disease was such, that I was told not

only not to breastfeed, but not to have any more children, as I would surely

die. I followed on with the medical regimen, because as a nurse I knew I should.

I continued to have new problems as disease progressed, and new medications to

help with side effects of old medications. I researched and researched, as a

curious nurse/patient does, and asked about various other treatments that might

help. But I was worried that I would not

> see my child grow up.

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> After my very miraculous second child, I was determined to breastfeed. I was

forbidden because I must get back on my meds " or else " . I persevered. I had one

specialist who spent no less than 30 minutes yelling at me on three different

occasions that I was killing myself just to breastfeed, and that if I didn't get

sterilized, he would no longer see me because he didn't want to attend my

funeral.

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> About this time I met a very interesting M.D. who was advocating some very

crazy ideas about inflammation, auto-immune disease, and how diet was

responsible for much of it. He gave me some reading material and contacts to

people with more severe disease than mine who had seen remission with diet

changes and maybe one or two medications for off-label use.

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> As a nurse, I was HUGELY skeptical. But I agreed to try it. Much, much, much,

to my surprise, I had remission of my symptoms. And I was able to get off all

but three of my medications. I can't begin to say how much better I feel. My

antibody titers have significantly decreased and remained low. I haven't had a

single TIA since making the changes. And I was able to have a third child, and

breastfed him until he weaned himself a little after two.

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> So yes, I am now a big believer that diet can make all the difference in the

world. Even changing a couple of things, can sometimes make a huge difference.

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> And when you consider how much we know about how much difference it makes to

an infant who gets breastmilk, verses one who gets formula, and that we very

likely have only seen the tip of the iceberg in that respect, it isn't such a

radical thought that our diet as adults can make as big a difference.

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> IBCLC, RLC

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