Having a Gluten Reaction While Pregnant

I got glutened this week. Ugh.

Having a gluten reaction in normal life is bad enough, but having one while pregnant was enough to stop me in my tracks. So. Not. Fun.

My physical reaction to it was so bad that it prompted my husband to say, "Okay, that's it. You are only eating food that we cook here at home from now on until the baby's born."

In my 23 weeks of pregnancy, I hadn't gotten glutened once. I was fastidious. We visited friends who were also fastidious. Yet this week I fell prey to some hidden gluten nonetheless. And I learned, once again, that the only 100% safe food is the food I prepare myself.

What type of reaction did I have, you may ask?

Well, the same symptoms that usually happen, but ramped up a notch--severe digestive issues, extreme fatigue, foggy-headedness, a crazy headache--but now with an added delight. Contractions.

I've done some research and haven't found much about pregnancy and Celiac disease, except the obvious instructions to continue "sticking to a gluten free diet" (duh...). The good news is that with treated Celiac disease, most, if not all, of the dangers associated with fertility and pregnancy disappear. Since I've been gluten free for nearly three years, my body is back to normal, as long as I don't accidentally get gluten in my system.

Yet I've occasionally come across the scary warning that gluten reactions can send a gluten sensitive mama-to-be into preterm labor. Yikes.

My guess is that the digestive cramping brought on by a gluten reaction is similar to the digestive reaction a woman gets when she takes castor oil--an old wives' method for kick-starting labor. Digestive cramps can start up contractions which can start up labor. Why anyone would take castor oil on purpose is beyond me, but that's what some women do.

It's been a stressful day of trying to rest, relax, and drink enough fluids that the contractions stop. They were never severe and not regular, just Braxton-Hicks (which are normal after 20 weeks) but they were still unsettling. I had only had one or two of them before, but during the gluten reaction I had two or three an hour for an entire afternoon.

I'm now nearly 24-hours past the onset of symptoms, and I can feel my body starting to settle down. The contractions have stopped, the digestive issues are starting to lessen, and despite a full night's sleep, I am exhausted.

I've been extra careful with food, but now I'm going to be even more so. I will not go through this again.

Has anyone else had a gluten reaction while pregnant? What was it like? Did anything help get you through it?

There's not much information out there on gluten and pregnancy, but here are the most helpful links I've found:

National Institute of Health - Celiac Disease and Pregnancy
The Gluten Doctors Blog
Maternal Fetal Medicine - Mothers with Undiagnosed and Diagnosed Celiac Disease

Has anyone come across any helpful articles about gluten reactions during pregnancy?