WHY NOT TO BE PREGNANT

The part that was most dangerous was when you said that you knew many women who had got pregnant early out, including yourself, and they all had healthy babies. A woman who desperately wants a child, like the OP, will take that as permission.

Many women who get pregnant early out do have babies that seem perfectly fine, but you never know. Some may have problems later in life, and some, while normal  thoughout their life may have lost the genetic potential they had to actually be exceptional.

The other point, which Andrea and others so kindly made for me in my absence, is that ketones are produced throughout the weight loss phase, not only in the very beginning when many people experience ketosis or ketoacidosis. One can have ketones in ones system without being in ketosis and we really don't know what or if there is a "safe level.

I think you said that you have a Lap Band - that's a non-malabsorbtive, strictly restrictive WLS.  Someone that has had a RNY at 380lbs and has lost to 280lbs still has a way to go as far as weight loss and regaining health is concerned.  Starting with a higher BMI also gives the surgeon justificaion in going with a more distal bypass (she might malabsorb even more nutrition.)  Why shouldn't this woman lose as much weight as she can first and start TTC at a really healthy point

You are giving very poor advice.  If someone got caught up in a situation that is one thing.  To get pregnant early out just because you want a baby is very, very, very, very selfish.  A baby should have the best possible chance. What is the point of having WLS to risk remaining obese and becoming a burden on this childs life in the future???

I know others will chime in with "it's okay" , "I was even pregnant when I had my WLS and I had a healthy baby x"  Get real with that!  It is NOT really healthy to have a baby so soon - it is not!  That baby will leach from your bones and dry every single thing in you.  Would that make a good mom?  Even someone who's in the midst of losing weight with plain diet and exercise alone needs to give their bodies a chance to get healthy.  I have a band and I've just recovered from hair loss, and iron deficiency.

I'm so p'd off, I just don't know where peoples heads are at today.

I'd love to have a baby right now this minute  but I can't justify that selfishness under the cir****tances.

Sorry I'm really not meaning to be mean - I think I feel emotional.

You said someone was giving poor advice.  I don't know if that was me, but do let me know which advice I gave was poor, if it was me you were talking to.  I have to post like this because for some reason, I am not getting notifications when people reply to me, even though I have the appropriate box checked ("Notify me when someone replies to my post")

Getting pregnant within the first 18 months or so after bariatric surgery can be dangerous—not just because you may sabotage your weight loss, and not even because it can be hard to nourish both yourself and your fetus when your intake is restricted and you have some degree malabsorption (with the RNY or DS) going on, but mainly because during your active weight-loss phase you will be in ketosis a lot of the time. KETONES CAN CAUSE FETAL BRAIN DAMAGE, including but not limited to learning disabilities and ADHD.   This kind of problem does not show up on ultrasounds or other routine prenatal tests and may not in fact become evident until the child is school-aged.   PLEASE DON’T RISK IT. Use reliable methods of birth control until at least 18 months post-op or until your weight has stabilized for 3-4 months.   Here is an extract from an article that talks about this danger.   Ketones in pregnancy—Extract from “Journal for Women’s Health" Jan 2008     Levels of glucose, free fatty acids and ketone bodies have been assessed during each trimester in long-term follow-up studies of infants of women with and without diabetes. These studies have reported an inverse association between maternal circulating levels of ketone acids in the second and the third trimesters and psychomotor development and intelligence in the offspring at 3-5 years of age through to 9 years of age.^[16,17] Even when investigators re-evaluated their findings by taking into account socioeconomic status, race or ethnicity and the presence of gestational or pre-existing diabetes, this association persisted. Although the correlation between IQ and ketone levels was weak, it was statistically significant; therefore, it would be prudent to avoid excessive ketonemia or ketonuria during pregnancy.^[18]   · Rizzo T, Metzger BE, Burns K. Correlations between antepartum maternal metabolism and child intelligence. N. Engl. J. Med. 325, 911-916 (1991). · Rizzo TA, Dooley SL, Metzger BE, Cho NH, Ogata ES, Silverman BL. Prenatal and perinatal influences on long-term psychomotor development in offspring of diabetic mothers. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 173(6), 1753-1758 (1995).

I would not dispute that if a woman is in ketosis, it would not be wise to get pregnant until (at the very least) she corrects that problem.  You didn't need to cite a study to prove that.  I am pretty sure everyone in this discussion is aware of that fact.  You'll notice I mentioned it in my first posting.  :)

As someone who had a baby early out (got preggers at 13 months) and then later out (don't make me do the math, please?) I can tell you that while neither pregnancy was a walk in the park, I was in bed for the majority of my first pregnancy and could not keep my blood sugar high enough to function enough to leave my house.

There are VERY good reasons to avoid pregnancy early out of surgery.  Yes, it happens accidently, and yes, there are some selfish morons who decide to get pregnant early out of surgery for some inexplicable reason.  But at 13 months, I was MISERABLE being pregnant and couldn't enjoy any of the "happy pregnancy" times that some claim to have.

Additionally, if you DO get pregnant, you have to start eating carbs in sufficient quantities immediately in order to get out of ketosis -- to the tune of at least 100g per day minimum.  This means that your weight loss pretty much comes to an end, and given the relastin released during pregnancy, well, it's not easy to get back on track when you could possibly lose more weight.

So take it from me -- don't do it.  Having a baby now is not good for baby, and it's really not good for you.  And if hubby wants a baby now, then tell HIM to carry it to term.

My doc did not allow getting pregnant in the first 18 months. I followed his professional advice and waited till after being 18 months post op to even think about getting pregnant.


I would advise to ask your doc.

I was 5 months out when I found I was pregnant - tomorrow I will be 30 weeks and my baby is developing wonderfully, all my vitamin levels and blood tests have come back great, etc. But doctors do advise that you wait a certain period of time for a reason. Some doctors waits are longer than others. I have a friend who was given clearance at 10 months to begin TTCing.

Fact of the matter is - we all have different opinions on it and if you're serious about beginning to TTC - it's your decision and you should speak with your surgeon first - his/her opinion is the one that matters - they will tell you if they feel you are ready. Pregnancy (regardless of whether or not you have had WLS or not) is a toss up - you can have a smooth one or a not so smooth one.

My advise is to speak with your surgeon and your nutritionist and hear them out first.

personally i would wait . iIwas almost 3 years out and had a very difficult pregnancy with keeping my iron stores and blood levels in check. nutrition was also a big deal unlike most people i was unable to take in a lot of caloriesdue to hyperemisis and the fact that i could only eat small amounts throughout the pregnancy.  You want the best  experience possible.... lose all the weight you need to lose stabilize make sure all of you vitamin levels all all in check, which by the way for some become an issue around the year to 18 month mark when  bodily stores are depleted and become issues health wise.  you owe it to yourself and your unborn child

Marsha