Ulcerative Colitis

Hello

I have been in hospital for the last 4 days with a flare up Ulcerative Colitis and while here found out I was 5 weeks pregnant :) But the nurses have confused me on what I should be eating.

Obviously with UC there are certain foods that irritates the bowel such a spicy food and insoluble fiber, but now I'm pregnant I'm told to eat more fruit and veg.

And to add to it my blood sugar is high so I'm having to monitor it to prevent gestational diabetes. The nurse said to avoid sugar and carbohydrates. But surely I need these to have a healthy baby.

I'm so confused. I have had 3 miscarriages before abduction am determined to do every thing I can to prevent another. But the info I'm getting is conflicting and not very helpful!

Any reccomendations/advice?

[Renee Radenberg]

Suggest you eat 5-6 small meals a day and eat regularly. That helps with digestion and you will be able to get more nutrients into your body. Stay with the foods you can tolerate so you do not have attacks and eat low fat foods, too. Do you have issues with dairy products? If so, then use Soy products which are good substitution for dairy products. Increase fiber in your diet slowly and drink water (6-8 cups) daily. You can use Benefiber  which is a natural fiber dissolved in your food or drinks. Recommend a Heart Healthy diet which is a moderate fat diet and will help you with control of your sugar levels. You need approximately 2200-2500 calories per day which is spread across 5-6 meals a day. Moderate fat diet means = use polyunsaturated (omega 3, corn oil, nuts, etc) fats and monounsaturated (olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, etc) fats, no saturated fats (high fat snack foods, butter, fat spreads) and no trans fats. Eat low fat meats (chicken, fish, loin of pork) or non-meat sources (soy products, nuts), low fat vegetarian combinations, as tolerated (rice & beans, pasta & beans, low fat cheese & pasta), low fat and substitute dairy products, if tolerated (1% milk, low fat/fat free yogurts, low fat soy milk/soy yogurt), use plant oils, non trans-fat margarines, and eat fruits and vegetable, again as tolerated.  Once your digestive system has calmed down, suggest eating daily high fiber breads and cereals (oatmeal). Recommend reaching out to a Registered Dietitian from Academy of Food & Nutrition (eatright.org) for further counseling. Hoped this helped you.