Just found out I'm pregnant - So many questions

Hello, I am hoping there is someone out there that has experienced a pregnancy after a GB that can answer some of my questions. I am 2 1/2 years post surgery & have been at goal weight for almost 2 years. My only other pregnancy was almost 13 years ago so as you can imagine I forgot a lot of what happened the 1st time around.

1.) Did you have morning sickness? With my first pregnancy pre-surgery I had horrible sickness for the full 9 months starting before I even missed my period. This is the 1 part of my 1st pregnancy I remember LOL! This time I'm not sick at all. I'm curious to know if this is because of the lack of having a stomach.

2.) Did you experience a mild slightly uncomfortable cramping constantly in the uterine area? The discomfort I'm feeling kinda feels like gas but I'm not sure if it's that or just the uterise stretching. Again it was almost 13 years ago but I don't recall having this last time.

3.) How much did your OB have you increase your vitamin & protein intake? Did they have you double all doses or did it just very depending on supplement you were taking?

4.) How many milligrams of Folic Acid did your OB have you take?

5.) Did you breast feed? If so, how much did you have to increase your protein & vitamin intake?

6.) Any other advise you can give or symptoms I might have that I may not have has with my pre-surgery pregnancy?

 7.) Lastly, my Iron is too high! I'm having a hard time finding a pre-natal vitamin w/out Iron. Can someone recommend one that is good for WLS absorbtion?

CONGRATS!!!  I'll try and answer the best I can...I'm on post-op babies 2/3.

1)  I had mild morn. sickness with my last pregnancy and a little more with this one.  I'm guessing because of the twins it was a little worse.  Some GB ladies still have horrible ms -we are just lucky I guess!

2)  YES, I had horrible cramping.  It was so bad that I was sent to the ER from an UCC clinic because they thought I was having an ectopic.  It's those dang stretching pains.  They SUCK!

3)  I was just told to switch to a prenatal with folic acid in it.  OR you can take your regular vitamins and add a folic acid tablet.  I take the walmart or target brand prenatals as they are the size of a tylenol - not horse pills.  I decided to add an iron and folic acid tablet every other day just because of the twins.  So far, my levels are perfect and I was slightly anemic pre-preggo.  Do your regular vits have less iron?  Take those instead and add folic acid.  I believe you want like 800-1000 whatevers of folic.  Keep up the rest of your regular stuff like B12 and calcium. 

4)  See above.  :-)

5)  I tried to breastfeed but was unsuccessfull.  The say that those with a history of PCOS and diabetes tend to have a harder time.  Not only that, I was only 4 months post-op when I got pregnant, so I didn't have much intake and I'm thinking that didn't help in the production area.  I was also inverted and he had a slight latching issue.  It only lasted 3 weeks!

6)  Other than that, you should be healthier now than with your pre-op pregancy.  I didn't have any issues related to WLS and like I said, I was only 4 months out when I got pregnant.  We aren't high risk or anything, it should be an easier pregnancy!

7)  See #3.  :-)

Good luck and again, CONGRATS!!

Sandy

Well welcome and congrats!! I find that most things with this pregnancy are about the same in many ways for me. My kids now are almost 11 and almost 16 right now though so that so much has changed!!! I did have morning sickness and mostly lasts all day. Not severe I just have to eat every 2-3 hours. I lost 17 pounds in the begininng so now I think I gained about 2 pounds back. I have the stretching pains which since I had 2 already I guess are not as traumatic as the very first time cause I thought those were terrible but now its just an annoying kind of cramping. Which is awesome. I take 2 prenatals, 4 calcium, prevacid, B complex and get a B12 shot monthly. Not so bad. Everything has been alright so far so thats great. I also take one asprin a day. I plan to breastfeed but if that does not work out then I will adjust. I just know I will have to continue with the eating and all even then so I am happy with that.
The only difference for me with this pregnancy is since I cut out so much I had to add some things back in. Like my blood pressure has been so low and so the doctor told me to add a little caffeine. Not a lot and not go crazy but I have a glass of ice tea a day and my blood pressure has stayed normal since starting that which has helped so much with being dizzy all the time. I also had to add some sugar. Guess baby was getting all I had and it would make me get shakes and feel awful and at first I noticed on my own that eating a piece of chocolate helped but the doctor told me to keep orange juice handy or candy for when I started feeling that way and eat or drink it and boy does it help a lot. So everything has been easy to manage. Just never thought I would have to add candy or caffeine!! Guess since I took away all sugar really it affects my blood sugar and I never thought about that. I am feeling better and my baby girl so far has been growing well. She was about a pound at last ultrasound and I get one monthly now. Thats a bonus also. With my oldest there was no ultrasound and with my second we had only 1. I am liking being pregnant now.

Good luck and again WELCOME!!