Any New Moms with IC?

Hey! I have a five week old and have had ic for ten years! I had a c-section and was very nervous about how my bladder would be affected. so far, so good, with just a couple irritating voids! I started my elmiron the day that my son was born, so I am hopeful that it won't come back (for awhile at least)! Take care!!! x0

I've had IC since I was 18 (10 year now.)
Here's the story...
I started getting chronic bladder infections when I became sexually active at 17. It got so bad that they put me on a prophylactic (antibiotic taken daily to prevent an infection,) which of course messed up my digestive tract and cause yeast infections. At one point in my life I basically either had a bladder infection or a yeast infection - it was awful.
Anyway, it got to the point where I would feel like I had a bladder infection all the time. So I went to see a urologist at Kaiser WC. They did all sorts of tests on me and couldn't figure out what my problem was. Actually the Dr. was a man and I got the impression he thought I was making it up. So to be honest I just learned to live with the pain.
Then 2 years later I was getting my nails done and started speaking to a NP (she worked in the same office that my other very unhelpful Dr worked in) that happened to be there. I described my symptoms and she said I had IC. She wrote me a prescription for Elmiron, which I took for 2 years. It is supposed to rebuild the bladder wall. But the a couple of years later, the symptoms came back.
That said I have 2 suggestions:
1. Acupuncture - start at the source. Rather than taking drugs, fix the real problem. Acupuncture redirects your energy to help your body heal what it needs to heal. I've had a lot of luck with this.
2. Figure out what the mind body connection is - Why is this happening to YOU? Our bodies manifest symptoms for a reason. This is your body's way of communicating w/ you. For instance, in Chinese Medicine the bladder is affected by fear. Is there something you are fearful of? Whenever I am feeling overly anxious my bladder seems to be more sensitive. To help you figure this out, I recommend reading "Woman's bodies Woman's Wisdom" by Christiane Northrup, MD. Its a great book, but the bladder section would be especially helpful for you to read - it was for me. I originally saw her on Oprah - she's fantastic.
3. I also recommend reading The Secret by Rhonda Byrne - its kind of cheesy but it really helped me think more positively and thus my health has improved.

Hope this all helps. Good luck - I know you'll figure it out :)

http://www.ic-network.com/askthemd/theo0503.html#11
http://www.ichelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=232
I don't know if these will help you or not. It seems there are not many mom's out there who know what IC is, including me, so research may be your best answer. There ia a list of support groups on the second website.
Best of luck!!

I'm a first time mom of a one month old (today!!) baby girl and I've no clue what IC is either??

I can't
Infant care
In class........ what is IC????????????????

Hi! I hope you are breastfeeding and attending classes with your baby such as Kindermusik. Kindermusik is a fun way to stimulate your child (via baby signs, infant massages, cross-lateral/bilateral exercises, etc.) in all aspects and it also allows you to form a support group with other families in class.

Take care!

S.

i have IC, i have had it for about 15 years.
What a pain! Literally and having to use the restroom all the time. I have also had kidney surgery and get recurrent infections of the UT. So, i have been on a once daily preventative antibiotic and strangely it has also helped my IC symptoms.

FYI to all who have asked: IC is the abbreviation for interstitial cystitis or painful bladder syndrome

Hi M.,
I really feel for you. I started having symptoms about 1.5 years ago and got diagnosed last year after having the bladder extension procedure. Since then, I've been managing the symptoms with diet and I've been feeling great - fingers crossed. I found that spicy food, raw tomatoes, and lots of citrus trigger the IC. Hope you are getting some relief -- it is such an awful condition when not treated. Good luck!
Best,
S.

I'm a first time mom too, I had my baby December 18th. I don't know what IC stands for either.

I was diagnosed with IC by my OB/GYN several years ago and decided to seek a natural solution. I was in a lot of pain and was really sad at the prospect of not being able to eat most fruits, tomatoes, coffee, wine (the list goes on and on) because of the acidity. I found a product called Tamer that neutralizes acid in food and drinks (it's a powder), which helped. I also started taking an IC supplement with corn silk in it. I got it from Dr. Tara Levy who is a naturopath who practices in Concord and Berkeley (she is awesome, by the way). Less than a year later, I was symptom free and thankfully it hasn't come back. If you do a google search there's a lot out there. I just came across this thread on mothering.com
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=638775

Good luck!

What is IC? I am also a first time mom who had b/g twins on November 19.