Why is it so bad to get prego soon after surgery???

Why is it bad to get pregnant right after surgery? I have read so many success stories about people who get prego 4 and 6 months after RNY! So can anyone tell me why its forbidden to get preg soon after surgery? Me and DH have been trying for almost 2 years and I am almost done with my 6 month diet to be approved by my insurance. We want a baby soooooo bad!! Thanks all! And congrats to those who are pregnant!

So soon after surgery can effect the growth of the baby and the mom can't really eat enough for the baby, your vitmain levels can go very low- it causes great risk, also can stop weight loss and you won't loose as much weight as you would have without being pregnant.

I got pregnant 3 months after gastric bypass surgery and I am 16 weeks along (tomorrow)...I see the high risk OB and go to a million appointments, its just not worth the risk to "try" to get pregnant after surgery, miracles/mishaps do happen frequently, especially on this board but really think about waiting for hte sake of your health and your babies!

Two main reasons come to mind for me:

1.  You're making a huge commitment to yourself and your health by having WLS.  You really should give yourself the best possible odds to lose as much of your excess weight as possible in the beginning.  The weight is NOT going to be easier to lose after you have the baby.  In fact, from much of what I've read, it may be harder.

2.  You probably want to give your baby the best possible odds at a healthy life.  Yes, there are success stories from women who have gotten pregnant too soon.  Yet there was a lot of concern and worry during those 9 months that maybe they could have done better without.  And if something did go wrong directly as a result of not waiting long enough after surgery, how would you feel about yourself?  Would it still be worth it?  That's a personal question that only you can answer.

Good luck in your search for answers!

~Katherine

I'm sure we all understand your urgency and your desire! A lot of women on this board have been infertile BECAUSE of their weight. After they do what their surgeon recommends, a LOT of women with years of infertility become pregnant quickly once they start trying after they lose their excess weight.

But it is bad, as you say, to get pregnant right after surgery because your weight needs to be stable for several months after losing 100+ pounds. Yes women have had babies at 1, 2, 3.....months etc. out of surgery, but chances are it was because it was NOT planned and just happened. (I would say an accident, but no babies are accidents in my book! ) Plus you are having this surgery to get healthy, hopefully, and to give yourself the best chance at being healthy, you need to try and lose the maximum amount of excess weight that you can in the first year - two years after surgery, which is your BEST time frame for losing the MOST weight. Can you lose weight at 3, 4, 5 years out? Sure! Will it be a lot like it would be right after surgery. No! Also, as I know from experience, you can have huge problems after RNY. Nutrition issues and malnutrition issues being just a couple. You need to have your body in the best nutritional state possible while you're pregnant. Now, the baby will take from you first and it most likely wouldn't suffer. You would be the one to suffer from the effects of nutritional deficiencies before the baby would. You need to give your body at least a year to 18 months to give your surgery a chance to work and to get leveled off weight wise and nutrition wise. It will be worth it in the end for you and baby. When you do try to conceive after that, you may find that you get pregnant VERY easy. Women tend to be more fertile after WLS and losing their excess weight.

Good luck to you! I'm 2 1/2 years out of surgery and am having my first post op baby. (I have 4 pre-op babies) I couldn't even IMAGINE trying to balance pregnancy AND the aftermath of WLS. But I also didn't have an easy road. I'm terrified as it is and my nutrition is about as balanced as it's ever going to get. Better than it has been for 2 1/2 years, but it's still not perfect. Give yourself the time your body needs. You do NOT want to go through all of this to have the surgery and then put it in jeopardy by intentionally getting pregnant before your surgeon suggests. (Notice how I said INTENTIONALLY, not whoopsies or condom broke or birth control method didn't work or we just happened to have a night of passion........)

Enjoy this next time of your life. Get healthy FIRST. Then have a baby. Healthier Mommy means healthier baby.

The following info is not mine. It's something I had saved from another OH member, Carolyn. She is a WLS patient herself and also a Nurse Practioner (not sure if she's a midwife too or not) but she works in the OB/GYN field. She is not the only person with this info, it just happens that hers is the one I have saved. I am sure other members have similar but other information they can provide....................






Post-op Birth Control

  If you are female, heterosexual, between the ages of 13 and 50, and have all your female parts intact, read this.   It is very dangerous to get pregnant in the 18 months following your surgery. Not just because it can mess up your weight loss, and not just because it is hard to nourish an unborn baby when your intake is restricted and you are malabsorbing protein and vitamins, but because for at least the first few months, you will be in ketosis much of the time. Ketones can cause fetal brain damage. Don't risk it. You may not think you are fertile, and many obese women aren't very fertile, but you can become fertile again very quickly as the weight comes off.   Many but not all surgeons will advise you to use reliable birth control post-op. Birth control pills alone aren't considered reliable post-op, because they may be partly malabsorbed, and because as you lose fat, your estrogen levels fluctuate anyway. And if you didn't know it already, the more overweight you are, the less reliable the Pill is to begin with. If you are on the pill, you will also need to use a barrier method, such as condoms, the sponge, a diaphragm, or vaginal film or foam (listed in order of reliability).   You could also use condoms plus the Sponge, or condoms with vaginal foam or film.   If your family is complete, male or female sterilization procedures may be your best long-term option.   Temporary birth control methods that you can use alone are the Depo-Provera shot, the progesterone implant Implanon, the Nuva Ring, or the Mirena or Paragard IUD. A little bit about these choices:   1. The shot is extremely effective birth control, similar to having your tubes tied but less permanent. You may have irregular bleeding for the first 3-6 months or so, after that most people have little to no bleeding. Other side effects--if you are prone to depression, it can make depression worse. If you are prone to acne, it can make acne worse. In 25-30% of women, it stimulates the appetite. This is why it can be associated with weight gain. In about 2% of women it can cause hair loss. Because many of us have had problems with depression and appetite pre-op, and problems with hair loss post-op, this might not be the best choice. It takes up to a year to become fertile again after going off the shot.   2. The NuvaRing is a thin flexible plastic ring that you insert into your vagina, leave in for three to four weeks, and then remove. You can leave it out for up to 7 days to have a period, or insert the next ring immediately to skip periods (if you use it to skip periods, you will have breakthrough bleeding from time to time. You can remove the Ring for 3-5 days and then reinsert it to stop breakthrough bleeding. But to avoid losing contraceptive effectiveness, always leave each new Ring in for at least three weeks and reinsert the next Ring within 7 days).   With the NuvaRing, you have more local hormone effect, so it is very good at preventing pregnancy and controlling periods, but a lower blood level of hormones than with any other hormonal method, and thus fewer side effects. It is very comfortable to wear; you won't even feel it when it is in place. Most women who try the NuvaRing end up loving it. You become fertile again right away after stopping the Ring. It’s not a preferred medication on most insurance plans, so you may pay higher co-pay (compare to the costs of using the Pill plus a barrier method).   3. The Paragard IUD is expensive to start out with, full cost is $450-750 to purchase and get it inserted. But it lasts 10 years, so it's the cheapest method in the long run. It takes a procedure to put it in, which can be a little uncomfortable. After placement, you may have intermittent spotting and cramping for a couple of months. After that, your periods may continue to be a little heavier and crampier than your usual. It contains no hormones, so you will not have any hormone related side effects. You can usually use the Paragard IUD even if you haven't had any children. Your fertility returns immediately after the IUD is removed.   4. The Mirena IUD contains a small amount of progesterone. It is also expensive to start with, but lasts 5 years. It can be used not only for birth control, but to decrease bleeding for women who have heavier or more frequent periods. By the time you have had it in for 2 years; you will have very scant periods, if any. For the first year or so, you may have frequent and/or prolonged episodes of very light bleeding. This can be annoying but isn't dangerous as the actual amount of blood loss is low.   Most of the progesterone effects are confined to the uterus, however, sensitive women may experience some of the side effects listed under Depo-Provera (depression, acne, hair loss, etc.) These effects, if experienced, tend to decrease with time. You can use the Mirena IUD only if you have already borne at least one child. It may take a few months after this IUD is removed for you to become fertile again.

4. Implanon is very similar to DepoProvera. It takes a minor surgical procedure to put it in and remove it, it lasts up to five years, and the irregular bleeding from it can last 1-2 years. Side effects are the same.
  Please make an appointment with your OB/GYN provider or visit your local Planned Parenthood or County Health Dept. to discuss which of these methods may be right for you.

 

 

 

Hi Channel,

I just wanted to tell you that the other posts are right. I wanted a baby more than anything in the world and I wanted to give my baby the best chance at a healthy start in life. Losing 140 lbs was a good start which took me a year and half to do and then I was working on forming good eating and exercise habits so I started a little after the 18 mos. my dr. suggested, I waited 2 years. It did take me a year and a half to get pregnant, but it happened. I feel so happy that I waited and that my worries are mostly about normal pregnancy issues and not about whether I can get the nutrients I need to myself or the baby. I hope your surgery is a success and you make the most of it. Then you will have the energy and ability to really chase after and enjoy your newborn baby. Take care.

I know that the info that has been posted is great, but I didn't read it all the way through so sorry if I am being repetative. KETOSIS - during the rapid weight loss stage after surgery youa re in a constant state of Ketosis which is dangerous to a developing fetus (think all sorts of neurological disorders). Women who do get pregnant early out have to get and keep themselves out of ketosis by eating carbs - lots of them. This is detrimental to the weight loss.

Not to mention vitamin levels, hormone levels, and just your general well being. Overall the baby gets what it needs first (think parasite - the best kind in the world of course!) and you get what's leftover. I was told 18-24 months by my surgeon or until your weight has been stable (and your labs) for at least 6 months.

I will be 3 years out in January and am now 18+ weeks pregnant. We started trying at 2 years out.

Best of luck

Liz

Beyond the whole ketosis issue -- your body will not be ready.

The body goes through so much trauma during the weight loss surgery -- much less the rapid weight loss phase -- this does a real number on your pancreas, liver, kidneys..  Putting the body through additional (and unneeded stress) of a pregnancy is not only unwise, but unkind to your body.

Please note that I say to YOUR body -- the baby will take everything it can from you to survive and thrive, leaving you absolutely high and dry -- at a time in which your body is already traumatized, starving from literally being starved to death from forced starvation from the surgery, etc.


But if these medical facts will not sway your decision -- and sometimes they won't -- please let my personal stories be a guide.

I had my first child -- a postop baby, at 13 months post op.  I had HORRIBLE sugar issues in which I could not keep my sugars stabilized.  We could not get them to stay constant no matter what I did.  I tried high protein diets, low protein diets, high carb, low carb, all sugar, low glycemic -- anything I did I still ended up fainting from low blood sugar every 5 minutes.  It was miserable.  I honestly believe it was because of my early postop status.

My second postop child was much much later -- and I didn't have any issues with my sugars.  I wasn't fainting every 5 minutes, I didn't have to keep a pound of sugar with me everywhere I went, I didn't have to stick my fingers every hour to see if I was crashing, I didn't have to worry about the constant hypoglycemia.