When I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at 25, I was faced with that daunting question, “Will I still be able to have a baby?” … It was one of the very first thoughts I had after being diagnosed with RA. My partner and I knew we wanted children someday, and as I went from being a successful dual degree graduate student to barely being able to walk, I worried a lot about our future. Chronic inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and more are often diagnosed or active during women’s childbearing…
Author: Mariah Z Leach
Mariah Z Leach
Mariah is a writer, patient advocate, and mom of three living with rheumatoid arthritis and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. After learning firsthand how challenging and lonely it can be to face pregnancy and parenthood with chronic illness, Mariah became passionate about supporting people with chronic illness who are or want to become parents. She launched her private Facebook support group, Mamas Facing Forward, in 2015. Today the group connects parents and parents-to-be with chronic illness from all over the world. In 2018, she added this website, dedicated to collecting and creating resources that focus on pregnancy and parenting with chronic illness.
There are many benefits to babywearing – from increased bonding, to reduced crying, and the ability to get something done! But for parents living with rheumatoid arthritis, there may be some added benefits – like the ability to hold and carry your baby even if your hands and wrists are flaring! After many years of babywearing, Mariah Leach shares her insight on different types of carriers – including wraps, mei tais, ring slings, soft structured carriers, and toddler carriers – and what it’s like to use them while living with arthritis. Babywearing for Parents with RA RheumatoidArthritis.net
When my husband and I decided to start a family after my rheumatoid arthritis (RA) diagnosis, one of the first questions that came to mind was whether I could pass my disease on to my children…In my case, understanding the science has been enough to quell my worries. But I know there are plenty of parents with chronic illnesses who do feel anxiety about this issue. In this Mango Health article, Mariah Leach interviews four real mamas living with various chronic illnesses about how they manage the stress of potentially passing their chronic illness to their children. Managing Stress About…
The American College Rheumatology (ACR) is a professional membership organization committed to improving the care of patients with rheumatic diseases and advancing the rheumatology subspeciality. Each year ACR has an Annual Meeting featuring sessions from leading rheumatology experts. The 2018 Annual Meeting took place from October 20-24 in Chicago, Illinois. At the 2018 Annual Meeting, ACR issued their inaugural Clinical Guidelines for Reproductive Health. These carefully researched recommendations were presented by Dr. Lisa R. Sammaritano, an attending rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery – Weill Cornell Medical Center and the principal investigator of the new guidelines. The new recommendations…
Parenting is never an easy job. But raising kids can be even more complicated when one parent (or both) lives with a chronic illness. As someone who’s been there, guest writer Mariah Z. Leach – a wife, mother, and writer with rheumatoid arthritis – shares her advice on five steps you can take to make parenting with chronic illness a bit easier for yourself. Learn more about self-care, prioritizing, accepting help, finding a support network, and focusing on the positive while living as a parent with a chronic illness. 5 Tips on Parenting With Chronic Illness Mango Health Additional Resources…
Deciding to start a family is always a big decision. But it can seem even more daunting when one partner lives with a chronic illness, or even both do. As someone who’s been there, guest writer Mariah Z. Leach – a wife, mother, and writer with rheumatoid arthritis – shares her advice on five considerations you need to make before starting a family when you have chronic illness. In this article you can learn more about the importance of family planning, considerations during pregnancy, ideas for preparing for baby’s arrival, insight on breastfeeding, and advice on baby gear. Starting A…
This article explains how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires medications to be labeled concerning safety of use during pregnancy and breastfeeding – and if the first half of that sentence makes you want to fall asleep, please bear with me!! I totally understand how the nitty gritty of medication labeling standards might seem like it would bore you to tears! However, for women living with chronic illnesses…who may wish to become pregnant or breastfeed their babies, I think these changes actually represent a very exciting development! The FDA provides labeling standards to help doctors and patients understand…