Any successful pregnancies post WLS?

Hello everyone! I'm about to get WLS (well, in another month or so), and the question that blazes in my heart is in relation to post-WLS pregnancy. Has anyone had an experience with pregnancy after having had their surgery? If so, which surgery did you have? What was your overall experience? Any complications? I'm especially interested in RNY and LapBand experiences. Please share! Thanks! Joanna

I didn't have a post-op pregnancy, but a woman in my support group has had 2 of them, both successful. She had a lap RNY. The pregnancies were within 2 years of each other.

Hi Joanna! I am having surgery on Monday (woohoo!) and would like to be pregnant in the future. I am having lap rny and my surgeon said it should be no problem in the future for a pregnancy. He said I have to wait a year to 18 months before trying though. There is a pregnancy board here, so you might find more info if you posted there. Good luck! Beth

Hi there, I plan on getting pregnant some time this year. The only thing to be noted about getting pregnant is that you really need to be under close supervision for the pregnancy to make sure that the baby is getting everything he or she needs in the way of nutrients and vitamins. other than that everything should be pretty straight foward. and you will be a lot healthier nowing it after you have lost your weight than trying to do it before, well thats what I was told anyway. So good luck and keep us informed with how everything goes. xoxox Lee

Thanks Lee for letting me know about your own plans! I've heard the same thing, that it is necessary to keep an extra close relationship with your doctor and ob-gyn during pregnancy, but that it's generally healthier for both mamma and baby to get pregnant after having had WLS (as opposed to having a child when morbidly obese). I'm still pre-surgery, and I'm vacillating between RNY and lap band. One woman I spoke to who had the RNY in April 2004 said she couldn't imagine being pregnant (she's had three children, now all grown) after having had surgery, as she hurts terribly if she eats too quickly or moves at all within the first 60 minutes of eating. Her weight loss has been tremendous (nearly 100 lbs), she's feeling healthy, and no other problems, but she said she couldn't imagine having to take in enough nutrition for more than one. What are your thoughts on this? Joanna P.S. Good luck on your own journey (I hope you post updates as you progress in your journey!)

I had RNY in Feb and have lost 140+ lbs so far, I'm about 10-20lbs away from goal. My Dr. told me that I should wait at least 12 months from my surgery date to start trying to get pregnant. So I figured he knows best and I will do what the Dr says ( for once in my life). I cant wait to be preganant again, I have an almost 10 year old son and most people think that I am nuts starting again, but I am looking at it from the live in babysitter angle. I dont have any problems with eating and so forth these days, I am pretty much as back to normal as can be expected from me. I dont think I was ever "normal" to start with. Nutrition is going to be a major issue for me, and trying to get enough in I am not sure about how this problem could be resolved but I am sure they will just make us have more pills or shots to keep all required levels in their normal ranges. Anyway I will definatly keep everyone posted when I do finally get pregnant. Good luck to you with your choices, keep us posted on your decisions. xoxox Lee