Author: Mariah Z Leach

In February 2020, the American College of Rheumatology released its first-ever guideline on managing the reproductive health of patients with rheumatic diseases. This means, for the first time ever, rheumatology healthcare professionals have an official set of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to turn to when deciding how to counsel patients who are or wish to become pregnant. The guidelines provide vital background knowledge, recommendations for reproductive health issues, and additional information for diagnoses where pregnancy is considered more complicated, such as systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). The recommendations are separated into six categories: ContraceptionAssisted Reproductive Technology (Fertility…

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to represent Mamas Facing Forward at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting. Over the past six years of attending this meeting, it has been very exciting to see the topic of reproductive health gain more and more traction. I’ve seen the topic go from being a single, early morning session to being one of the main topics of conversation at the meeting with multiple posters and sessions. This year at ACR, I also had the opportunity to co-host the AiArthritis Voices 360 podcast. This podcast is produced by the International Foundation…

I was recently lucky to have the opportunity to travel to Atlanta, Georgia to attend the 2019 American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting (ACR). While it was my sixth year attending the conference, this was the first time I attended officially representing Mamas Facing Forward and as a Patient Partner with the Arthritis Foundation. I’m very glad to have had the chance to represent patients at this important conference – particularly those who are or want to become parents. I’m pleased to share that there were multiple sessions at ACR this year focusing on issues of reproductive health for rheumatic…

For many people, holiday plans include some kind of travel. In addition to the ordinary stress and chaos of travel, many of us with rheumatoid arthritis also need to figure out how to travel with medications that need to be refrigerated, like injectable biologic medications…Based on my personal experiences, I’d like to offer some tips for traveling with medications that need to be refrigerated. Whether you live with rheumatoid arthritis or IBD or another chronic illness, many of us depend on medications that need to be refrigerated. Traveling with kids in tow is already challenging enough – here are some…

My husband and I have been living with my diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis for more than seven years. Although the diagnosis is technically mine, I include my husband in that statement because my chronic illness has had a profound impact on his life as well as mine. Based on their shared experiences, Mariah Leach and her husband offer suggestions for how to support a partner who is living with a chronic illness. 6 Ways to Support a Partner With Chronic Illness Mango Health

When I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at 25, I was faced with that daunting question, “Will I still be able to have a baby?” … It was one of the very first thoughts I had after being diagnosed with RA. My partner and I knew we wanted children someday, and as I went from being a successful dual degree graduate student to barely being able to walk, I worried a lot about our future. Chronic inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and more are often diagnosed or active during women’s childbearing…

If there’s one word that parents likely hear about 600 times a day it’s this one: why? Mariah Z. Leach, a mother living with rheumatoid arthritis…shares her best ideas for talking to your kids about having a chronic illness. In this article, learn strategies for talking to your kids about your chronic illness, including: being honest and reassuring, involving your whole family, connecting your diagnosis to the real world, using resources like children’s books, and connecting to the wider chronic illness community. How To Talk To Your Kids About Having A Chronic Illness Mango Health

There are many benefits to babywearing – from increased bonding, to reduced crying, and the ability to get something done! But for parents living with rheumatoid arthritis, there may be some added benefits – like the ability to hold and carry your baby even if your hands and wrists are flaring! After many years of babywearing, Mariah Leach shares her insight on different types of carriers – including wraps, mei tais, ring slings, soft structured carriers, and toddler carriers – and what it’s like to use them while living with arthritis. Babywearing for Parents with RA RheumatoidArthritis.net

When my husband and I decided to start a family after my rheumatoid arthritis (RA) diagnosis, one of the first questions that came to mind was whether I could pass my disease on to my children…In my case, understanding the science has been enough to quell my worries. But I know there are plenty of parents with chronic illnesses who do feel anxiety about this issue. In this Mango Health article, Mariah Leach interviews four real mamas living with various chronic illnesses about how they manage the stress of potentially passing their chronic illness to their children. Managing Stress About…

The American College Rheumatology (ACR) is a professional membership organization committed to improving the care of patients with rheumatic diseases and advancing the rheumatology subspeciality. Each year ACR has an Annual Meeting featuring sessions from leading rheumatology experts. The 2018 Annual Meeting took place from October 20-24 in Chicago, Illinois. At the 2018 Annual Meeting, ACR issued their inaugural Clinical Guidelines for Reproductive Health. These carefully researched recommendations were presented by Dr. Lisa R. Sammaritano, an attending rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery – Weill Cornell Medical Center and the principal investigator of the new guidelines. The new recommendations…