The Truth About Stigma and Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy Featuring Mariah Leach, JD, MS

Amber and Mariah discuss how women with chronic illnesses cope with advice on medication use in pregnancy—especially in light of the confusion around acetaminophen. Mariah shares her experiences with rheumatoid arthritis and pregnancy, focusing on changes in medication safety data. They talk about the pressure, stigma, and lack of support for pregnant women, the need for nuanced guidance, and provide resources.

Episode transcript and more information at: https://bit.ly/AIBD188

This episode sponsored by Fathom Care! Fathom is an AI-powered wellness companion made for patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Over 2.4M people in the United States are navigating IBD alone, and Fathom is here to change that. Learn more at: https://fathom.care/

Chapters:

• 00:04 Intro & Guest Introduction
• 01:26 FDA Statement on Acetaminophen & Pregnancy
• 02:55 Concerns About Acetaminophen Guidance
• 04:03 Mariah’s RA & Pregnancy Experience
• 07:13 Impact of Medication Decisions
• 07:33 Biologics & Medication Safety
• 09:45 Pressure to Avoid Medications
• 10:05 Balancing Risks: Medication vs. Flare
• 12:06 Stigma & Judgment Around Medication Use
• 13:19 Authority Statements & Social Stigma
• 15:10 “Tough It Out” Mentality
• 17:11 Societal Judgment & Pregnancy Experiences
• 17:53 Infusion Appointments While Pregnant
• 19:09 Sponsor: Fathom Care App
• 20:59 History of Blaming Mothers & Autism
• 22:17 Societal Support & Pregnancy Discrimination
• 24:04 Expectations vs. Realities of Pregnancy
• 25:58 Reframing Autism & Neurodiversity
• 28:15 Resources for Pregnancy & Chronic Illness
• 30:01 Importance of Up-to-Date Data & Planning
• 33:20 Medication Changes & Specialist Involvement
• 34:49 Changing Data & Continuing Education
• 36:25 Mamas Facing Forward: Community & Support
• 38:48 Peer Support & Parenting with Chronic Illness
• 40:08 Mariah’s Background & Expertise
• 41:19 Personal Updates & Closing
• 42:42 Final Thoughts & Outro

Concepts discussed on this episode:

• About IBD Podcast Episode 71- I Evaluated What Was Really Important to Me
• Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood — Jessica Grose
• Notice to Physicians on the Use of Acetaminophen During Pregnancy — US FDA
• The IBD Parenthood Project
• Does taking Tylenol during pregnancy cause autism? The evidence says ‘no.’ — UCHealth
• MotherToBaby, a service of the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists
• Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®)
• PIANO (Pregnancy Inflammatory bowel disease And Neonatal Outcomes) Study

Find Mariah Leach, JD, MS at:

• Web: MamasFacingForward.com
• Instagram: @mamasforward
• Facebook: @mamasfacingforward
• LinkedIn: @mariahzebrowski

Find Amber J Tresca at:

• AboutIBD.com: About IBD
• Verywell Health: Verywell Health
• Facebook: @aboutIBD
• Twitter: @aboutIBD
• Pinterest: @aboutibd
• Instagram: @about_IBD
• YouTube: @AboutIBD
• Threads: @about_ibd

Find Mac Cooney (mix, sound design, and theme music) at:

• Facebook: @maccooneycomposer
• Instagram: @maccooneycomposer
• YouTube: @MacCooneyComposer
• Web: Cooney Studio
• Theme m