Getting Pregnant After MTX

Hey everyone,

I am just wondering about other people's experience getting pregnant after methotrexate. I was initially told by my GI that I should wait for 3 months before trying to concieve. I want to have a baby so I went off the methotrexate and I am now taking 5mg of folic acid everyday plus there is 1mg in the prenatal vitamin I take. (I am also taking an additional 1000mg of calcium) The GI now says I should wait 4 months or longer before getting pregnant. I know the risks of spina bifida and other neuro tube defects so I will do as told. As I am single and will be getting pregnant with donor sperm and IUI the chance of an oooops is 0%.

What I am wondering is why do they say wait X number of months? Would it not make more sense to do routine monitoring of folate levels in the blood and once those levels are high enough and stable then give the green light. I would imagine that for some women it takes less than 3 months to bring back up the folate and some perhaps it takes more.

I see the fertility specialist in November and I guess I will ask him then. I should have gone off the methotrexate in August when I saw my GI but at that time I was still waiting for my body to get back to normal after 8 years on depoprovera. I knew I was going to see my GI in December and I thought it would be at least March or April until I got in to see the fertility doctor. I am 38 years old so every month that I wait is precious time.

Some meds can take months to get out of your system and you really don't want to risk having a child that is not healthy. Folic acid is good anyways. When you had metho where you on the injection or pills and for how long?

I was on pills. I took 7.5mg weekly. I think I was on it for 4 years.

Well that is a long time. How is your crohns' now? Hope you listen to your doctor, what is a few months?

As I said in the first post I have full intentions of listening to the doctor. I have been in remission for 6.5 years. I have been on Remicade for 7 years.

It is just interesting to me because in August when we discussed getting PG he said when I was ready, I would go off the mtx and pump me full of folic acid for 3 months and I would be good to go and now he says at least 4 months. I have always been under the impression that the folic acid was the issue. According to everything I have read MTX has a short half life of 8 hours meaning in 2 weeks there would be 0.00000000000017053 mg left.

I see your point. It is great that you are in remission! Folic acid is need for metho and having a baby. I am assuming you are in the States? You must be excited, will this be your first child? And are you choosing the sex ahead of time?? Just curious.

Actually I am in Canada. This will be my first. I have always known that I wanted to have children but I always thought Mr. Right would come along. I can't wait for him anymore so I am going it solo. I am nervous about that as I am not sure how my family will respond. I also know that is the biggest decision of my life and it has to be my decision.

I don't think I will pick the gender but I will find out the gender when I can. I am trying not to get too excited about it all though as the fertility doctor may have some reason I can't get pregnant.

I am sure it will turn out just fine! What province are you in? I am in Northwestern Ontario. Yeah sometimes Mr Right is Mr wrong anyways :lol: (God some one is gonna kill me). It is what YOU want in life, and I am sure your family will come around even if at first they don't like it. Everyone wants a Grandchild to spoil

I am in Alberta. My Mom is ultra Roman Catholic. I lost my Dad in January and it was then that I really started thinking what am I waiting for? Dad would have been a great grandpa and he never had the chance. The thing that has always bothered me about being single isn't being single rather the thought that someday when I am retired I will be alone and have no one. I will die alone in a nursing home with nobody to come to my funeral. I have no nieces or nephews either.

People always tell me I would be a great mom and that it is a shame that I don't have kids. I think you know what? They are right. I have a lot to offer a child and I will be a great mom.

It is funny, just last week my mom and I were at a hockey game and there is this adorbable two year old who sits in front of us and Mom said "Dad would have just loved that little guy" The other day I came in to mom's house when I dropped my dog off (he goes to Grandma's for daycare) and she asked, "Did you bring a diaper bag?" Maybe that is Dad sending me the message that Mom will be okay. I won't say anything until I know that it is all systems go. I might even wait until after the fact. She will be a great grandma and deserves more than just a 15 year old granddog.

One good thing about this, is if you don't succeed with the fertililty you can always adopt. My daughter is studying medicine and says if she were to have a child she would adopt a little Asian girl lol. You have to have the right reasons to have a child, and being alone in your senior years it is a comfort. Heck I never see my daughter now and she is in University 45 min away. I am sure that will change. Good luck on your decision, let us know your updates.