Motherhood with Ulcerative Colitis: Pregnancy, J-Pouch Surgery & Finding Your Voice
Can you have a healthy pregnancy with ulcerative colitis? What happens if you've had J-pouch surgery? And how do you raise children while managing a lifelong autoimmune disease?
In this episode of The Autoimmune Mom Podcast, Ali sits down with Amber Tresca, founder of About IBD and host of the About IBD Podcast, to discuss what it's really like living with ulcerative colitis for more than 35 years.
Amber shares her journey from being diagnosed at just 16 years old to undergoing life-changing J-pouch surgery, navigating pregnancy after surgery, raising two children, and learning to advocate for herself in a healthcare system that doesn't always make it easy.
Together, they also have an honest conversation about chronic illness, medical trauma, fatigue, insurance barriers, patient advocacy, and the emotional reality of motherhood with an invisible illness.
Whether you're living with ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Hashimoto's, or another autoimmune disease, this episode offers practical advice, hope, and reassurance that you're not alone.
In this episode you'll learn:
• What it's like being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis as a teenager
• Pregnancy after J-pouch surgery
• How inflammation affects fertility and pregnancy
• Why remission matters before trying to conceive
• How chronic illness changes motherhood
• The importance of advocating for yourself with doctors
• Navigating insurance challenges with autoimmune disease
• Why finding the right medical team can change everything
If you've ever wondered whether motherhood is possible with autoimmune disease—or you're trying to balance parenting while living with chronic illness—this conversation is for you.
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