HI claire, I am currently 16 weeks preg with No 2. Have had psoriatic arthritis for the past 16 years, am now 32. First pregnancy no problems. went into remission straight away. then a few days after giving birth could feel tightening in my knees it was the start of it coming back. managed to go 6 weeks without meds then stopped breastfeeding and went back on methetrexate. this time different story. stopped meds 3 months before getting pregnant. had been on methetrexate and arava. arava wash out was horrible. over those three months I was in so much pain with my knees. had to have cortisone injections. got pregnant pretty quickly but the arthritis has been flaring up on and off since then. have had cortisone injections which lasted a week. some days haven't been able to walk. on top of that horrendous morning sickness which is just starting to subside. I have lost 6kg since I got pregnant. have been picking up every virus/bug that has been going around. this is definitely my last pregnancy. I had to take 2 weeks off work I was that sick. Roll on May 2009!

but first pregnancy was great. I can't really say that the arthritis came back worse after the baby was born but it is definitely worse now but i gave birth in 2005.

I hope this is of some help. I am planning not breastfeeding this time round and starting meds straight away. no use breastfeeding if I can't get out of bed to look after the baby. I think my arthritis will be like this my whold pregnancy. if it was going to go into remission it would have a couple of weeks ago. fingers crossed I am wrong.

take care
Richelle