Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in Pregnancy Program

Having inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to get in the way of your plans to start a family. By managing your IBD before, during, and after pregnancy, we can help you maintain good health while you grow your baby.

Our Stanford Medicine Children’s Health IBD in Pregnancy Program team brings together care from multiple specialties, including a reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist, a maternal-fetal medicine doctor (high-risk pregnancy expert), and a gastroenterologist (gut specialist) to provide you with state-of-the-art treatment and education so you can enjoy your journey to parenthood.

What you can expect when receiving care from the Stanford Children’s IBD in Pregnancy Program

• We care for all of your needs in one place. In collaboration with Stanford Hospital (the adult hospital), we provide comprehensive care for both your IBD and your pregnancy, making visits efficient and convenient. Our multispecialty approach brings various experts together to create a care plan that meets your specific pregnancy health needs. Patients from all across California and from out of state come to us for specialized pregnancy care.
• We enhance your health before, during, and after pregnancy. Ideally, we are involved in your care before you try to conceive, so that we can optimize your health and IBD management, readying your body for a healthy pregnancy. Our care continues into the postpartum period (after delivery), and we partner with your local doctors to keep you healthy.
• You will receive care from a team specially trained in IBD and pregnancy. Every member of our team deeply understands how IBD affects you and how it impacts your pregnancy. Besides specialized obstetrics/pregnancy and IBD doctors, you will also see a dietitian, nurse, and physician’s assistant—all trained in gastrointestinal care. In this way, we optimize your health, including maintaining ideal nutrition and nourishing your microbiome (gut environment).