A little discouraged... ***update***

Let me ask you this, what gives you the impression that you are infertile?   Is it merely that you have PCOS?   How many cycles did you actively attempt to get pregnant before your surgery?  

I was not ovulating at all without bc. I never used protection for 4 years (not counting my promiscuous days glad I didn't get preg then) But to answer your question I was never diagnosed so I guess I was not. Thanks for clearing that up.

Erika

Well, now I feel much better thank you. :) I'll just stop TTC.

Erika

You stupid girl shut up. Your doctor needs to shut up too because he is stupid. Hope that helps...you said it would help but it feels mean.

Call your surgeon tomorrow and ask him why he thinks it is ok for you to TTC at 9 months post op when you are still overweight? Ketosis can happen if you have morning sickness and once in it can take weeks to get out of it. We are more prone to ketosis the first 2 years after surgery.

People are telling you to wait because we are experienced with pregnancy after weight loss surgery. No one is telling you to wait just to be mean to you. There are REASONS to wait. No one is telling you to wait YEARS but a few more months. Responsible adults do what is best for children not what they want for themselves.

lol. I guess I asked for it. Wow..

I had/ have PCOS also. I actually got pregnant 11 months after WLS but my period never even regulated until about 2-3 months before I got pregnant, so I guess my question is....are your cycles regular yet? During my year I only used bc for like 2 months and bled the ntire time so I stopped them. I think that maybe with pcos it may take a little while for everything to normalize. Hopefully your BFP will be very soon.  Don't give up hope yet...you never know. P&PT's.

To be honest.....I was NEVER on BC.  Not even right after surgery. After 5 years of TTC with 0 pregnancies I just figured I wouldn't if I wasn't ready. My cycles were so off that I wou'ln't have a period for 5-6 months. So I figured I didn't really need BC. As a nurse I know thats kind of naive but I just wasn't willing to miss any opportunity.  Well, as it happened,  I got pregant exactly 11.5 months out and at 3 pounds over goal. I also started getting regular 35 day cycled 2-3 months prior to that and my weight had been holding steady for 3 months as well. Just letting you know that, even if you're ready, you body may not be quite there.  But have faith.  Also, I wasn't really trying. Not counting or calcuating. No grabbing hubby every time my temp changed.  Just enjoying my new body when it happened and I think that helped too. Try not to stress to much if you can. 

I agree with the concerns of the other members but, if your surgeon really thinks you'll be fine, I suppose you can take his advise. Does he deal with a lot of pos-t op pregnancies? Or does your OBGYN? I've found that MY OB doesn't know much about bypass and my surgeon doesn't really know a great deal about Pregnancy. That concerns me a bit honestly.  They don't really talk to eachother...I'm just sort of the intermediary. They seem okay because my weight has been stable and because I'm not having any problems eating but I am still 13 weeks along and have not gained any weight. Just a thought to share.

BTW I am 29

If you are female, heterosexual, between the ages of 13 and 50, and have all your female parts intact, read this.   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.   Many but not all surgeons will advise you to use reliable birth control post-op. Birth control pills alone aren't considered reliable post-op, because they may be partly malabsorbed, and because as you lose fat, your estrogen levels fluctuate anyway. And if you didn't know it already, the more overweight you are, the less reliable the Pill is to begin with. If you are on the pill, you will also need to use a barrier method, such as condoms, the sponge, a diaphragm, or vaginal film or foam (listed in order of reliability).   You could also use condoms plus the Sponge, or condoms with vaginal foam or film.   If your family is complete, male or female sterilization procedures may be your best long-term option.   Temporary birth control methods that you can use alone are the Depo-Provera shot, the Nuva Ring, or the Mirena or Paragard IUD. A little bit about these choices:   1. The shot is extremely effective birth control, similar to having your tubes tied but less permanent. You may have irregular bleeding for the first 3-6 months or so, after that most people have little to no bleeding. Other side effects--if you are prone to depression, it can make depression worse. If you are prone to acne, it can make acne worse. In 25-30% of women, it stimulates the appetite. This is why it can be associated with weight gain. In about 2% of women it can cause hair loss. Because many of us have had problems with depression and appetite pre-op, and problems with hair loss post-op, this might not be the best choice. It takes up to a year to become fertile again after going off the shot.   2. The NuvaRing is a thin flexible plastic ring that you insert into your vagina, leave in for three to four weeks, and then remove. You can leave it out for up to 7 days to have a period, or insert the next ring immediately to skip periods (if you use it to skip periods, you will have breakthrough bleeding from time to time. You can remove the Ring for 3-5 days and then reinsert it to stop breakthrough bleeding. But to avoid losing contraceptive effectiveness, always leave each new Ring in for at least three weeks and reinsert the next Ring within 7 days).   With the NuvaRing, you have more local hormone effect, so it is very good at preventing pregnancy and controlling periods, but a lower blood level of hormones than with any other hormonal method, and thus fewer side effects. It is very comfortable to wear; you won't even feel it when it is in place. Most women who try the NuvaRing end up loving it. You become fertile again right away after stopping the Ring. It’s not a preferred medication on most insurance plans, so you may pay higher co-pay (compare to the costs of using the Pill plus a barrier method).   3. The Paragard IUD is expensive to start out with, full cost is $450-750 to purchase and get it inserted. But it lasts 10 years, so it's the cheapest method in the long run. It takes a procedure to put it in, which can be a little uncomfortable. After placement, you may have intermittent spotting and cramping for a couple of months. After that, your periods may continue to be a little heavier and crampier than your usual. It contains no hormones, so you will not have any hormone related side effects. You can usually use the Paragard IUD even if you haven't had any children. Your fertility returns immediately after the IUD is removed.   4. The Mirena IUD contains a small amount of progesterone. It is also expensive to start with, but lasts 5 years. It can be used not only for birth control, but to decrease bleeding for women who have heavier or more frequent periods. By the time you have had it in for 2 years; you will have very scant periods, if any. For the first year or so, you may have frequent and/or prolonged episodes of very light bleeding. This can be annoying but isn't dangerous as the actual amount of blood loss is low.   Most of the progesterone effects are confined to the uterus, however, sensitive women may experience some of the side effects listed under Depo-Provera (depression, acne, hair loss, etc.) These effects, if experienced, tend to decrease with time. You can use the Mirena IUD only if you have already borne at least one child. It may take a few months after this IUD is removed for you to become fertile again.   Please make an appointment with your OB/GYN provider or visit your local Planned Parenthood or County Health Dept. to discuss which of these methods may be right for you

OK, and now that everyone has scared the crap out of all of us who got pregnant before a year's time, I'd like to get on my soapbox now.

I got pregnant at 4 months post-op!  I NEVER went thru ketosis while pregnant.  I DID NOT have a brain damaged baby.  I NEVER had any issues with my labs.  I HAD NOT lost weight in over a month when I got pregnant.  My surgeon was included on a study on post-op pregnancies within the 1st year and told me YOU WILL BE FINE - AND I WAS!  I STILL managed to GAIN WEIGHT during my pregnancy.  And I had a HEALTHY baby boy.

My baby is fine.  The other gals on here who got pregnant surprisingly early will be FINE.  I think it's completely uncalled for to scare the crap out of people.  Not only is the original poster going to read all your "supporting answers", but the many other women here!  Every WEEK we see someone who unplanningly got pregnant before a year, they are freaking out, and THIS is what we have to tell them???  That your baby is going to be brain damaged??  This absolutely bothers me!!! 

If you can't answer someone's post and have anything nice to say, why bother?  Honestly.  It's great that most of you waited your "appointed time" but fact is, it doesn't always happen.  That doesn't mean we are idiots (well, maybe) but we are people.  We can do what we want, and if you don't like it, just don't respond.  Ignore and walk away, is that really so hard to do?  Just because we have a "goal" weight doesn't mean we will make it.  It's something to strive for but doesn't mean it's obtainable. 

I NEVER get in on this kind of crap but this one really touched close to home.  Please think about ALL the women here before you start trying to scare people.  Are we all now supposed to be watching our "early post-op" babies for brain damage that may show up later?  UGH....I'm done.

Sandy

Sandy

I don't think anyone was intentionally giving information just to scare women who get pg (or plan to) early after WLS - at least I hope that wasn't their intentions, as I know it was not mine.  I think it's more to tell them if it hasn't already happened early out...that it's just not a good idea.  If it happens...it happens...but intentionally TTC when your body is possibly not ready for it isn't the best course of action for mother or baby.  I know for myself, my dr said the 18-24 months...I waited 12 and literally the month we decided to start TTC, I landed in the hospital w/a major kidney issue that resulted in my kidney being removed...and waited a few more months to recover from that...which put me at almost 18 months.  If the kidney issue hadn't flared up...I'd have TTC at 12 months - mostly because of my age and I didn't want to wait the entire 18-24 months.  My point - and the point of many of the women *****sponded - was supposed to be to just make sure she talked to her drs before TTC...and make sure her body was ready to support a pregnancy so she had the healthiest baby - and was the healthies mommy - possible. 

I personally could care less if any of the women are at goal when TTC - God knows I am not at goal myself and likely never will be exactly at goal, just being in the ball park makes me happy because my weight right now is less than I ever expected  to weigh in my life - I just pray they're at a healthy point in their life before TTC.

If anything I said offended or scared anyone...I'll apologize for that, because that wasn't my intention...but I also don't see the point of having a 'support' board that only provides positive input without putting the whole truth out there...the good, the bad and the ugly.   I know for myself...I'd rather have someone tell me all the risks, pros/cons, and their true opinions, than to have someone blowing smoke up my ass telling me life's beautiful and full of butterflies and flowers...because I know it's not.