Written by Dr. Antonia Repollet, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Certified School Psychologist
Pregnancy and early parenthood bring meaningful change, including shifts in digestive health. For those living with a GI condition or ongoing symptoms, the body may feel more sensitive, less predictable, or more reactive than usual.
Much of this can be understood through the gut–brain axis, which is the ongoing communication between the digestive system and nervous system, which becomes especially active during times of transition.
From preparing for pregnancy to navigating symptoms during pregnancy and adjusting to parenting, this connection plays an important role in how symptoms show up and how supported you feel managing them.
Planning for Pregnancy: Building a Supportive Foundation
If you’re considering pregnancy while managing a condition like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or a disorder of gut–brain interaction (DGBI), it’s common to want clarity and stability beforehand.
This stage often brings questions about symptom control, potential flares, and how your condition may evolve. While those concerns are valid, preparation is less about eliminating all symptoms and more about creating a strong support system.
This might include:
- Coordinating care across your providers
- Understanding your current treatment plan
- Identifying early strategies to manage stress and symptom reactivity
Anticipatory anxiety often increases during this stage. Thinking ahead to what might happen can increase physical sensitivity, especially in the digestive system. Supporting the gut–brain axis early—through awareness, coping strategies, and regulation skills—can help you feel more grounded and confident heading into pregnancy.
If you’re looking to prepare more confidently, Prenatal Planning with IBD or DGBIs: What Your Care Team Should Know offers a deeper look.
During Pregnancy: When Symptoms and Anxiety Interact
Pregnancy introduces a range of physical and emotional changes that can directly impact digestion. Symptoms like nausea, bloating, or changes in bowel habits are common; however, for those with a history of GI concerns, they can feel more intense or harder to interpret.
At the same time, it’s common for anxiety to increase during pregnancy. There’s more to monitor, more uncertainty, and often a heightened awareness of bodily sensations.
Because of the gut–brain axis, digestive symptoms and anxiety are closely linked, and can begin to reinforce one another:
- Stress can heighten gut sensitivity
- Physical discomfort can increase worry or vigilance
- The system becomes more reactive overall
This doesn’t mean symptoms are “in your head.” It reflects how the body processes and responds to both internal and external signals.
A gut-brain therapist focuses on helping individuals feel more regulated within this system. Evidence-based tools such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for GI, gut-directed hypnotherapy, and nervous system regulation strategies can help reduce symptom intensity and the fear that often accompanies it.
The goal is not to eliminate every symptom, but to help you feel more steady and capable in how you respond to them.
For more on how anxiety and GI symptoms interact during pregnancy, see Managing Anxiety and GI Symptoms in Pregnancy.
Parenting with a GI Condition: Finding Balance in Daily Life
As you move into parenting, the focus shifts again—toward balancing your health with the needs of your child.
Living with IBD or other GI conditions while parenting can bring unique challenges. Fatigue, unpredictable symptoms, and the demands of daily life can feel at odds with how you want to show up as a parent.
It’s common to experience:
- Fluctuating energy levels
- The need to adjust plans or routines
- Thoughts about whether you’re doing “enough”
At the same time, many parents find that living with a chronic condition builds strengths that carry into their parenting. Adaptability, empathy, and attunement often grow through these experiences, supporting meaningful, connected relationships.
From a gut-brain perspective, parenting is not about pushing through symptoms or ignoring your needs. It’s about learning to work with your body—pacing energy, responding to symptoms with less fear, and allowing flexibility where needed.
This approach supports both your well-being and your ability to stay present in the moments that matter most.
For a closer look at navigating life as a parent with IBD, explore Parenting with IBD: How to Show Up for Your Kids While Caring For Yourself.
Balancing the Gut–Brain Axis Across Stages
Across planning, pregnancy, and parenting, the gut–brain axis remains a central factor.
It influences:
- How symptoms are experienced
- How the body responds to stress and change
- How quickly the system settles after discomfort
When the nervous system is more activated, the digestive system often becomes more reactive. When the nervous system is supported, digestion tends to feel more stable and predictable.
The key takeaway is that the skills you build along the way (like understanding your patterns, calming your system, and responding differently to symptoms) carry forward with you.
You are not starting over at each stage. You are building on what you’ve already learned.
Support That Addresses the Whole System
Managing GI health during pregnancy and parenting involves more than addressing symptoms—it requires understanding the full system behind them
Working with a gut-brain therapist alongside your medical care can help you:
- Reduce symptom-related anxiety
- Improve digestive stability
- Feel more confident navigating each stage of life
With the right tools and support, it’s possible to feel more balanced—not only in your symptoms, but in your overall experience of pregnancy and parenting.
GI Psychology
GI Psychology is a national telehealth practice specializing in evidence-based, gut–brain–focused care for individuals experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms. Their team of licensed psychologists works collaboratively with medical providers to treat conditions such as IBS, IBD, chronic abdominal pain, and other disorders of gut–brain interaction using approaches like CBT for GI and gut-directed hypnotherapy.
They also offer specialized women’s health services, supporting individuals through pregnancy, postpartum, and other hormonally driven transitions where the gut–brain connection plays an important role.
You can explore more resources and connect with GI Psychology on social media:
Dr. Antonia Repollet, Psy.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified school psychologist with multi-state licensure in NJ, NY, VA, FL, IL, MA, and WA. She earned her doctorate from Fairleigh Dickinson University, where her dissertation focused on the mind-body connection —specifically, how chronic medical conditions affect self-concept and academic performance. Dr. Repollet is recognized for her warm, compassionate, and creative approach in her work with children, teens, and adults. She incorporates personalized, engaging methods to build resilience and empower her patients through collaborative, partnership-based care. She also has advanced training across a wide range of therapeutic modalities — including Clinical Hypnosis, CBT, ACT, psychodynamic therapy, somatic approaches, and more. In her role as a school psychologist, she supports students with gastrointestinal and other chronic health conditions by collaborating with schools to develop tailored accommodations such as 504 Plans, IHPs, and IEPs, helping them overcome emotional, academic, and occupational challenges. Her holistic framework blends clinical care with advocacy, nutritional guidance, stress management, and psychoeducation — emphasizing the critical link between mental and physical well-being. Dr. Repollet’s commitment to this work is both professional and personal — she has lived with Crohn’s disease since childhood and understands firsthand the complexity of managing a chronic GI condition alongside motherhood and everyday life. Dr. Repollet treats a broad spectrum of concerns, including GI and complex health disorders, health anxiety, chronic pain, women’s concerns, eating disorders, insomnia, medical trauma, developmental disorders, ADHD, OCD, anxiety, depression, grief, and more!
