How Long After WLS did you try?

Hey Ladies,

How long after WLS did you try and get pregnant? I'm afraid that I will, even though I am on BC.  I am very afraid of what my surgeon would say, if it did happen. Although we are careful there is no 100% chance of it being full proof.

I can't wait to have babies, but I also want to be healthy! :)

Thanks !

18-24 months is reccomended. BC pills ARE NOT ENOUGH - you need to use a barrier method also (condoms etc). Ideally you need to be out of the rapid weight loss stage so that your body isn't in ketosis - that can be very dangerous to the baby.

Best of luck!

Liz

Yeah exactly what Liz said (even though I'm a rule breaker, who broke the rules unintentionally!)

It looks like your WLS was a band. I don't know a whole lot about bands, because I had RNY.  But I thought Bands didn't prevent absorbing medications, it was purely restriction.  So if you are banded and on BC it should be enough.  However, any surgery that makes absorbing an issue-BC isn't enough.  I was told not to try until after at least 12 months, infact we signed a contract understanding that they recommended more then BC and that we would do what we needed to prevent until 12 months.  I'm sure it has no real legal standing, more of their way of making a point about the change in fertility.  We got pregnant the first month we tried (13 months from RNY), but that ended in M/C unrelated to WLS.  We had tried for over 4 years prior to WLS.  Good luck, and have those babies when your body is healthy and stable.

Since you are banded, you don't have any malabsorption issues.  If your BC was working before, it should work the same now.

Generally, surgeons recommend that you wait 12 months after any WLS but in the case of banding, it's not because of any nutrition issue, it's just because pregnancy is obviously counter productive to weight loss. 

If you were to become pregnant and were not able to get adequate nutrition, you could always have your band loosened.  In fact, your surgeon might insist on it.

I didn't try!!!
Made it 9 months post op and got pregnant!! August 24th is the date our miracle will arrive :)   We only used condoms and that was obviously not protection enough!!!

I too am not sure about the band...but they do suggest 12 - 18 months....I think it is good to get good and healthy before carrying a baby....

Congratulations on your recent surgery....

It was recommended for me to wait 12 - 18 months after my RNY.  At 10 months I stopped using the NuvaRing because I had 22 years of infertility and knew that I would have to be off of BC for 6 - 8 months before they would give me infertility meds so we could at least try.  I was very doubtful that I would ever have a child because I had been told for 22 years that I would not.  I got pregnant immediately and my son will be 2 next week.

My surgeon didn't hassle me about getting pregnant 10 months out and I had no problems and gave birth to a healthy baby, 8 lbs 2 oz and 21 inches long.  I was able to successfully breastfeed for 17 months.

I am now pregnant with our second son and he is due in 16 weeks.  I feel amazing and the only downfall I have is my age and having an almost 2 year old that keeps me very active.  Even my worst day being pregnant isn't as bad as my best day as a 303 lb woman. 

My doctor said to wait a year at the minimum and until my weight loss came to a stop/slowed down to almost nothing.   I had my IUD out in May and we are trying this month for baby #3!   I've been staying at the same weight for the past 3 months, only losing like 2-3 pounds in that time.   I lost my first 100 in the first 6 months and the rest in the  months after that. 

I can't wait to have a "normal" pregnancy and not be morbidly obese this time!  GL to you!