hey everyone, i have what is suspected to be RA which mostly affects my fingers and wrists. currently waiting on an appointment with my rheumatologist and bloodwork to confirm, if my bloodwork comes back negative she suspects seronegative RA.

i’m nearly 7 weeks pregnant with my third baby, the RA only developed after my second, but i’m really struggling. within the last few weeks i’ve been having horrible flare ups where i don’t usually have them, specifically my knees, hips, and shoulders. it’s so bad tonight, i can’t walk. i’m not on any prescribed medication to manage it yet and aleve is what i normally take when i feel a flare up coming on but i don’t believe i can take it now that i’m pregnant, tylenol does nothing for me. i’ve read that RA symptoms improve for a lot of women during pregnancy but that is definitely not the case for me so far. i’m only 22 and have a 3 year old and a 1 year old, i wouldn’t wish this illness on anyone, truly. resting and taking it easy isn’t really an option for me.

what has everyone else’s experiences been with RA & pregnancy? did your symptoms improve or become worse? what did you do to manage pain?