WHY NOT TO BE PREGNANT
It really is in your best interests to wait a year and half to 2 years, or with the blessing of your doctor. Your body and weight both should be stable before you attempt getting pregnant. There is plenty of time in the future to get pregnant. You have gone to great lengths to have WLS and get healthy. Utilize what you have been given instead of being in such a ru**** will come. You want to be at your healthiest while you are carrying your child.
(deactivated member)
on 5/22/09 2:33 am
on 5/22/09 2:33 am
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.
This is borrowed from Carolyn M., who is a post op Nurse that works in Planned Parenthood. I think it's good advice. That's not to say it isn't manageable, because people do get pregnant by mistake early out - but it's just not in your best interest or the baby.
Your surgery was more than 8 mos ago, so it's not likely you're in ketosis anymore. So that worry probably does not apply to you. Has your weight loss plateaued? If so, then that worry does not apply to you. Are you at or near your goal weight? If so, then that does not apply to you. Are all your labs perfect? If yes, then that is another good thing. Are you able to eat more than a couple ounces at a time? I assume, yes.
So if all those possible concerns are not concerns in your case, I would say you could talk to your doctor and see what he/she says. Unless they can give you a concrete reason why not, then you would have to judge for yourself. The "rule" about waiting, in my opinion, has a lot to do with the questions above. Most people are still stabilizing, losing weight, all that for a year or two. Others are not. Again, my opinion-- it's no one's business what you do with your body. If they made a law that you can kill an unborn baby and nobody's allowed to stop you and it's politically incorrect to criticize such a decision, then you should be able to create one with the same amount of respect.
I will say that many women have gotten pregnant early (myself included) and it is very rare in my experience to hear about them having problems as long as they follow the rules (add back complex carbs, take ALL vitamins, monitor lab results, etc). I think people do a disservice when they say it is dangerous to get pregnant.
You're not early out. In fact, by many surgeon's standards, you could potentially start trying in less than 4 months.
You welcomed advice. Those are my two cents. Good luck to you whatever you decide to do. I'll support you either way. :)
So if all those possible concerns are not concerns in your case, I would say you could talk to your doctor and see what he/she says. Unless they can give you a concrete reason why not, then you would have to judge for yourself. The "rule" about waiting, in my opinion, has a lot to do with the questions above. Most people are still stabilizing, losing weight, all that for a year or two. Others are not. Again, my opinion-- it's no one's business what you do with your body. If they made a law that you can kill an unborn baby and nobody's allowed to stop you and it's politically incorrect to criticize such a decision, then you should be able to create one with the same amount of respect.
I will say that many women have gotten pregnant early (myself included) and it is very rare in my experience to hear about them having problems as long as they follow the rules (add back complex carbs, take ALL vitamins, monitor lab results, etc). I think people do a disservice when they say it is dangerous to get pregnant.
You're not early out. In fact, by many surgeon's standards, you could potentially start trying in less than 4 months.
You welcomed advice. Those are my two cents. Good luck to you whatever you decide to do. I'll support you either way. :)
That's dangerous advice. Please read the article I posted below with especial attention to the part about NOT BEING ABLE TO TELL whether or not the child in question is truly unscathed until said child is school-aged.
Ketones are a waste product of fat-burning and one produces them throughout the weight-loss phase.
Ketones are a waste product of fat-burning and one produces them throughout the weight-loss phase.
"I think people do a disservice when they say it is dangerous to get pregnant. "
But it IS dangerous to get pregnant -- for both mom and baby.
Ketosis happens throughout the weight-loss period of time -- even for banders and non-malabsorptive procedures. The body goes into a state of ketosis anytime the body gets less than about 100g of carbs a day. Period. Ketones have been found to cause fetal brain impairment, and some instances cannot be found until the child is in school. These are medical facts which Carolyn provided to the OP in a medical journal. (BTW -- Carolyn is a FNP in reproductive medicine -- she has an inkling of what she speaks as she works in the field.)
As for mama, if mama's nutrition isn't up to par, than mama will be depleted of all her stores as baby will take everything. Normies lose their teeth when they don't take in enough calcium -- can you imagine what would happen to a WLSer that isn't monitoring their levels VERY carefully, especially when the malabsorptive period is at the highest?
Yes, there are women who have gotten pregnant early out and have had healthy babies. However, there are some who have NOT had healthy children -- in fact, one lady is convinced her child's ADHD is due to her pregnancy so early out of surgery and a doctor that required her to be in a state of ketosis throughout her pregnancy (what a effin moron, that OB). But to suggest someone deliberately disregard medical evidence IS dangerous.
I will tell you that Caro is out of town until Tuesday.. she's not cutting and running, but thought you'd want to know that in case she decides to respond next week.
But it IS dangerous to get pregnant -- for both mom and baby.
Ketosis happens throughout the weight-loss period of time -- even for banders and non-malabsorptive procedures. The body goes into a state of ketosis anytime the body gets less than about 100g of carbs a day. Period. Ketones have been found to cause fetal brain impairment, and some instances cannot be found until the child is in school. These are medical facts which Carolyn provided to the OP in a medical journal. (BTW -- Carolyn is a FNP in reproductive medicine -- she has an inkling of what she speaks as she works in the field.)
As for mama, if mama's nutrition isn't up to par, than mama will be depleted of all her stores as baby will take everything. Normies lose their teeth when they don't take in enough calcium -- can you imagine what would happen to a WLSer that isn't monitoring their levels VERY carefully, especially when the malabsorptive period is at the highest?
Yes, there are women who have gotten pregnant early out and have had healthy babies. However, there are some who have NOT had healthy children -- in fact, one lady is convinced her child's ADHD is due to her pregnancy so early out of surgery and a doctor that required her to be in a state of ketosis throughout her pregnancy (what a effin moron, that OB). But to suggest someone deliberately disregard medical evidence IS dangerous.
I will tell you that Caro is out of town until Tuesday.. she's not cutting and running, but thought you'd want to know that in case she decides to respond next week.
I think it is a disservice to suggest that all people are the same. We are not, therefore the same medical advice does not apply across the board. Some of us plateau more quickly than others. Some of us added in complex carbs earlier than others and as such were out of ketosis much sooner. Some of us at three years out still barf when we eat chicken, others of us could eat chicken with no problems at three weeks out. We are all different. That is the disservice I was referring to---claiming that the general rules apply to everyone without any variance.
Andrea stated, "Ketosis happens throughout the weight-loss period of time "
See here from wikipedia: "Some medical resources regard ketosis as a physiological state associated with chronic starvation.[citation needed] Glucose is the energy source used initially by cells in the body due to its availability within the cell; ketosis is regarded as a crisis reaction of the body due to a lack of carbohydrates in thediet . Ketosis would thus be a dangerous (potentially life-threatening) state which unnecessarily stresses the liver and causes destruction of muscle tissues. This is still the view of the majority in the medical and nutritional science communities[6][7][8], but in recent years it has been challenged by a number of doctors and adherents of low-carbohydrate diets, who dispute both the body's preference for glucose and the dangers associated with ketosis"
As far as I can see, ketosis occurs when there is weight loss due to lack of carbs. Not all weight loss occurs due to lack of carbs. We do not know if the original poster has added in carbs at this point or not. We do not even know if she is still losing weight. So again, this is an application of a generalization.
My post was not a "Go ahead and get pregnant now" post. If that is what anyone got out of it, they should read it again.
Here is the an important part: So if all those possible concerns are not concerns in your case, I would say you could talk to your doctor and see what he/she says. Unless they can give you a concrete reason why not, then you would have to judge for yourself.
Read it carefully. I did not recommend for or against her getting pregnant. I made the point that people cannot all be judged with the same rules and we are all individuals. Some of us have no business telling others what to do. This is a moral/ethical dilemma and I think it would be wise to advise someone of the risks to consider, rather than stating it is always a blatant error to become pregnant before 1.5 yrs out. Even WLS surgeons do not all believe that. Many request waiting only one year. They went to medical school and they do not agree, so who are nurses or laypersons to say without hesitation that they know for sure what is right? I would hereby request those nurses and laypersons check themselves.
When a woman came to this forum of all places seeking support to terminate her pregnancy, there were several people who jumped with great speed to support her decision because it was her body, her uterus, and her family. They affirmed a women's right to choose. Well if that's the case then those same women should probably stifle themselves if they do not support a women's right to choose to begin a life. If an abortion is not risky to a baby and a mother, I don't know what is. You can't have it both ways. Ending a life is your right, but beginning one is not? Who are you to say that? It is each women's right to choose what to do. She must carefully consider her own case, taking very careful consideration of any advice her surgeon gives, and act wisely for the best interest of herself and her family.
Andrea stated, "Ketosis happens throughout the weight-loss period of time "
See here from wikipedia: "Some medical resources regard ketosis as a physiological state associated with chronic starvation.[citation needed] Glucose is the energy source used initially by cells in the body due to its availability within the cell; ketosis is regarded as a crisis reaction of the body due to a lack of carbohydrates in the
As far as I can see, ketosis occurs when there is weight loss due to lack of carbs. Not all weight loss occurs due to lack of carbs. We do not know if the original poster has added in carbs at this point or not. We do not even know if she is still losing weight. So again, this is an application of a generalization.
My post was not a "Go ahead and get pregnant now" post. If that is what anyone got out of it, they should read it again.
Here is the an important part: So if all those possible concerns are not concerns in your case, I would say you could talk to your doctor and see what he/she says. Unless they can give you a concrete reason why not, then you would have to judge for yourself.
Read it carefully. I did not recommend for or against her getting pregnant. I made the point that people cannot all be judged with the same rules and we are all individuals. Some of us have no business telling others what to do. This is a moral/ethical dilemma and I think it would be wise to advise someone of the risks to consider, rather than stating it is always a blatant error to become pregnant before 1.5 yrs out. Even WLS surgeons do not all believe that. Many request waiting only one year. They went to medical school and they do not agree, so who are nurses or laypersons to say without hesitation that they know for sure what is right? I would hereby request those nurses and laypersons check themselves.
When a woman came to this forum of all places seeking support to terminate her pregnancy, there were several people who jumped with great speed to support her decision because it was her body, her uterus, and her family. They affirmed a women's right to choose. Well if that's the case then those same women should probably stifle themselves if they do not support a women's right to choose to begin a life. If an abortion is not risky to a baby and a mother, I don't know what is. You can't have it both ways. Ending a life is your right, but beginning one is not? Who are you to say that? It is each women's right to choose what to do. She must carefully consider her own case, taking very careful consideration of any advice her surgeon gives, and act wisely for the best interest of herself and her family.
Of course its your choice to choose to bring a life into this world, but if you decide to do it you have a obligation to try and make that child as healthy as possible. Google is not going to give you any information that will justify getting pregnant in a deliberate disregard of medical advise. Just because its your choice doesn't mean you wouldn't be stupid for making it.
I didn't cite google, I cited wikipedia, but whatever... I didn't use it to justify anything. I used it to explain what ketosis is. Also, I never suggested that anyone should ignore or go blatantly against medical advice, so that was kind of a pointless argument, if you can call it that. Do I need to copy and paste again? Ok, let's all read this together...
"So if all those possible concerns are not concerns in your case, I would say you could talk to your doctor and see what he/she says. Unless they can give you a concrete reason why not, then you would have to judge for yourself."
I think some people are not reading too carefully at this late hour.
When I pointed out it was her choice, I was pointing out that you can't support one choice (killing an unborn baby) without judgment, without concern for morality, without concern for the mother's mental health (a good number of women who abort end up with severe emotional distress--guilt, depression, etc.), the physical well being of the mother and her family---and then turn around and suddenly be the moral and medical police when someone wants to begin a life. Sounds like this---kill all the unborn babies you want, but how dare you create a baby unless the public at large approves? Ridiculous.
There is a wide spectrum when it comes to human bodies, we all come with different healing times, different deficiencies, different strengths and on and on. For the love of everything good and decent in this world, everyone needs to understand I am not saying she *should* get pregnant, or that it is necessarily a good idea. I am stating that none of us including me can judge what is best for her.
A wise man once said it is best to "teach them correct principles and let them govern themselves." When women come here seeking advice, sure it's fair game to jump in and give them all the opinions your mind can come up with. But it might be a little more beneficial to tell her, "Statistically most women...blah blah blah... So check with your surgeon and see what he/she says." None of us is qualified to do more than that. Not even a nurse.
"So if all those possible concerns are not concerns in your case, I would say you could talk to your doctor and see what he/she says. Unless they can give you a concrete reason why not, then you would have to judge for yourself."
I think some people are not reading too carefully at this late hour.
When I pointed out it was her choice, I was pointing out that you can't support one choice (killing an unborn baby) without judgment, without concern for morality, without concern for the mother's mental health (a good number of women who abort end up with severe emotional distress--guilt, depression, etc.), the physical well being of the mother and her family---and then turn around and suddenly be the moral and medical police when someone wants to begin a life. Sounds like this---kill all the unborn babies you want, but how dare you create a baby unless the public at large approves? Ridiculous.
There is a wide spectrum when it comes to human bodies, we all come with different healing times, different deficiencies, different strengths and on and on. For the love of everything good and decent in this world, everyone needs to understand I am not saying she *should* get pregnant, or that it is necessarily a good idea. I am stating that none of us including me can judge what is best for her.
A wise man once said it is best to "teach them correct principles and let them govern themselves." When women come here seeking advice, sure it's fair game to jump in and give them all the opinions your mind can come up with. But it might be a little more beneficial to tell her, "Statistically most women...blah blah blah... So check with your surgeon and see what he/she says." None of us is qualified to do more than that. Not even a nurse.
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