<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

First of all, thank you to all of you!!!!  I had an overwhelming number of
responses, and all of you have been helpful and encouraging!  These support
groups that exist for CD and EG are absolutely amazing - I really cannot
thank you enough!!!

To summarize the feedback, since some were interested:  

Every single reply said that I should NOT re-introduce gluten into my diet
because of the potential for malabsorption issues, miscarriage, and pre-term
delivery.  Even if the symptoms may lesson from gluten consumption while
pregnant, the consensus was that the damage is still being done and the risk
is high to the baby because of it.

Many recommended seeing a dietician and/or bumping up my appt with the
obgyn.  (I actually have seen 2 different dieticians - once when I was first
diagnosed with CD, and again last year with the EG diagnosis.  I cannnot say
that either of them helped me in the ways I would've liked - I was hoping
for some comprehensive meal plans to use as samples etc.  All I got was 1
visit with each and some general discussion about nutrients.)  There were
also some suggestions to get the docs to consider me a "high-risk" pregnancy
in order to see the doctor rather than nurses each time.

Many people also stated that the baby will take from me what it needs, so
the risk is not so high to the baby from eating my restricted diet but to me
instead.  A few women replied stating that they had not eaten meat in
pregnancy and had healthy babies.  Others replied that I should be watching
my vitamin B-12 if I am avoiding meat, and that I should ask the docs to
check my nutrient levels (calcium, vitamin-D, folate, etc.) again.  Others
indicated that the total number of calories is most important to a healthy baby.

Some women had also eaten other foods (such as dairy) that normally would
cause them digestive problems but did not during the pregnancy.  So, there
were many suggestions to go ahead and introduce the non-GF foods that may
contribute to the EG if I am craving them and see how I feel, or to eat them
every few days. (Note, my hesitancy to do this is that the we still haven't
figured out what specific foods are causing my EG, but that it obviously
does get better when I restrict my diet.  My main symptom with the EG is
protein malabsorption, which eventually leads to iron and vitamin B-12
malabsorption as well for me.  I actually seem to have more malabsorption
issues due to the EG than I ever did with the CD - my blood protein hasn't
been "normal" in 2 years.  I had lots more GI symptoms with the CD than I do
with the EG. I test positive to almost all food when allergy tested, so the
elimination diet seems my only option vs steroids to figure out the EG.)

One suggestion was to figure out what is in real (i.e. non GF) bread
nutrient-wise from wheat, and approach eating those vitamins/minerals to
satisfy the cravings for bread.  Another suggestion was to drink more water.

I had a few dieticians/nutritionists (and women who had seen nutritionists
during their pregnancies) respond recommending double doses of prenatal
vitamins and higher doses of calcium, as well as offering their help. 
Others suggested alternative meats (like rabbit, buffalo, etc).  Some
vitamins they suggested:

Sisu Supreme Multi Expecting
Prenate DHA

A few recommendations for websites / articles etc that were suggested:  

www.celiacdisease.net   (The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center -
the director of this center also emailed me and suggested Prenate DHA as a
GF prenatal vitamin, and a dietician emailed and offered her services)

http://bananasncoconut.wordpress.com/  (A blog from a woman who also has EG
and follows a GF diet)

http://www.glutenfreeworks.com/ (contact Cleo Libonati, RN/BSN and ask her
my questions)

Google "celiac pregnancy"

Google "elisabeth hasselbeck" since she has CD and is also currently pregnant

"Eat to Live", by Joel Fuhrman MD

http://www.childrenshospital.org/clinicalservices/Site2166/printerfriendlypageS2166P12sublevel50Flevel82.html

http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/infertilityandmiscarriage2

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070907102114.htm


Angie

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