Vent: Pregnancy early post-op

 This has been bothering me for so long now and I swear that I'm reading more and more and more of it on the board lately.  Are we all not warned that we should not get pregnant until somewhere around 12-24 months post-op?  I know each surgeon has their own time frame, but every woman I ever spoke to was warned to be very diligent with birth control and back-up methods and not to get pregnant right away.  Obviously there are exceptions and this is not directed at those people! 

It just seems completely irresponsible and honestly a waste of a major surgery to get pregnant so soon after surgery.  I know we all get super excited to start our families.  Having a baby was my reason for having WLS...  so I know, I've been there!   Of course I know of many women who have gone on to have completely healthy pregnancies, thank goodness!  But why risk it?  Babies are like parasites.  They take everything they need to survive and then leave you with the carcass.  I will be 3 years out in 2 weeks and trust me... I'm still recovering from deficiencies caused by my pregnancy and the birth of my beautiful son.  

I'd actually would love to see a study of those who got pregnant within the first year and that weren't at goal or close to goal yet to see if they were able to maintain their weight loss and get to goal.  Especially since a good portion of the 'honeymoon period' was while pregnant and trying to keep yourselves out of ketosis.  

Anyway, sorry.. just had to get it off my chest!  And sorry to anyone this offended.

Edited to take out the "sorta"  it was vicious and unnecessary :)

Tabetha,

You're absolutely right about some of us women who have managed to get pregnant early out from WLS. We beat ourselves up everyday for it trust me, so to have one more person do it is no problem. I wish that I didn't take the infertility diagnosis I received 4 months prior to surgery very seriously. Somehow the  infertility that I was told I had and that both my tubes were blocked and that I had uterine fibroids AGAIN and that getting pregnant with 2 blocked tubes was impossible...well I took that fact and didn't use birth control. I just wanted to have my surgery to lose the weight , so I can play with the one son God did bless me with without getting tired too quickly. I wanted to be heatlhy for him. It took us 4 years of trying just to have him.

Well I can't cry over what I did now, so I'm staying smart about my nutrition, managing my health and adding a dash of caring family and prayer. God will carry me and me and the baby will be okay. My faith and having docs close by myside will not let me believe otherwise. I have no regrets and I will succeed with having a healthy baby and losing all my weight. I only have 30 more pounds to goal...this is a hold and not a set back for me. Life is all about how you deal with crisis and keeping your faith and family around you.

Thanks so much for your post and feedback, as I do agree with all of what you're saying and I wouldn't recommend anyone to get pregnant this soon from WLS...it is a risk no one should take.

~~Gina

I def agree with u tabetha!!!! there are def those 'one off' situations like the prev poster. but for the most part its b/c people are just not being careful about it and its almost self sabotage. before the yelling begins- i agree children are a gift from god and a beautiful thing so not dissing that at ALL. its the fast that u were told to hold off on pregnancy for approx 18 mths (pending on ur surgeon) and yet ppl end up pregnant or INTENTIONALLY do not take precautions.

Theres def a reason why ur surgeon would say NO to attempting to conceive for the first yr and ahalf post op.

but in the end Tabetha... I was thinkin' the same thing!!!!!!

I agree with you in some ways but at the same time I have to wonder why you would even care what someone else does? I see this all the time on the main board where one person argues that their surgery is superior and why are we all not getting that surgery. What vitamin is better, what protein shake, ect...

I got pregnant at 8 months post op when my older children were 12 and 15. My husband had a fertility issue not me so we were not careful and never thought twice about birth control because for 12 years no matter what my size we didn't have another baby.

With all that said, I am going to disagree with many on here about getting pregnant too soon. I think for very infertile women the rapid weight loss stage might be their only chance for a baby. I still would not recommend it as a blanket statement but for women over 38, who are at goal in 6 months, and healthy I think if it were me I would try.

I do wish that I had lost more weight before I had my children. I struggle every day to lose now. At the same time I wouldn't trade them for anything. I just think it is an individual thing. There are women on this board addicted to drugs that are getting pregnant, over 5 years out and with life threatening illnesses getting pregnant, there are women in the real world with other issues getting pregnant. I just don't feel like WLS women who get pregnant too soon should be made to feel bad as a whole.

That is a good point, the rapid weight loss does seem to create a greater chance for a child especially for those who have had difficulty in the past.  I think what she is trying to say is that there are more and more people specifically TRYING to get pregnant right away.  We all wanted to get pregnant, that's why we were here to begin with.  Let's face it, accidents do happen....BUT lets also face the fact that there ARE PLENTY of precautions available in today's day and age. Fortunately many people go onto have wonderful pregnancies, but there are those that do have serious vitamin deficiancies and such.

But, I have to add, for someone who "took their toys and left the sandbox in December, it's amazing how much you love to become involved when things get a bit nasty in here! hummmm funny ugh!

I guess you have to look at each individual case.
In my case, I had a revision about 4 months ago. I was at goal for 5 years before then, the revision was done due to the lapband causing damage to my esophogus. Since I had no weight to lose, a 13 yr old, and a husband who just turned 40, I really don't want to wait any longer to TTC.  We have been planning this since last summer. Since my surgery was uneventful, labs are fine and health is good, my surgeon says I don't need to wait.
That said, I too get a little annoyed at the people who post, shocked that they are pregnant immedietely post op. If I had 150+ to lose, pregnancy would not be in my plans for a while. But everyone has cir****tances that are their own to deal with and are ultimately responsible for the path they chose.

I take offense to this post.  Why? Because not all of us are irresponsible.  I was using the Nuvaring and was 99% abstinent, which you would think would be foolproof.  The first time my husband and I had any activity after my October '09 surgery (in January '10) a pregnancy resulted.  In fact, I found out 3 days before a surgery to remove a mass in my abdomen. 

I do not believe pregnancy causes deficiences if you are managing your vitamin intake and labs correctly and you have no outstanding aborption issues.  If you are already deficient, you will probably stay deficient.  I have had labs done every 3 months to monitor my levels and I have remained constant, adjusting intake where need be.  I had more deficiency problems with my first pregnancy pre-weight loss surgery because I didn't take anything.  Sure, if you aren't getting any calcium or any vitamins, after pregnancy you are going to be hurtin a lot.

Some of it has nothing to do with being excited to start or extend a family.  Most of the time it doesn't in fact, and most of the time it happens on accident.  Some people have issues with absorption of birth control pills and it happens that way.  Sure, use 2 forms, sure, that doesn't always happen and doesn't mean someone is irresponsible either.  Apparently until it happens to you, you really have no room to speak.   There are very few people who would jeopordize their weight loss so early on purpose.  Yeah, I decided I would rob myself of 9 of the first 12 months of my honeymoon period so I could have baby #4.  

Jennifer well put! Tabetha's post comes off very bitter, angry and down right vicious. She almost loses the real message (which is valid and I agree with some of what she's saying) with the nastiness. Wonder what's driving that? I hope everything is okay with her. Some people just need prayer. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but some just don't care who they hurt or how shallow the opinion might be, as long as they're able to express themselves. I know my surgery will never be considered a waste, as I lost 105lbs and only have 30lbs to lose. I'm the thinnest I've been in decades and very happy. Last pregnancy, years before WLS I had gestational diab, was 260lbs and very miserable. This preg so far (as I'm early out) I'm fit, lean, healthy and ready to have an uneventful 9 months (God willing).

~~Gina

Gina, I don't think Tabetha's post comes of " very bitter, angry and down right vicious".  If you've been on this forum for awhile and seen all the "Oops" from early post-ops, post-ops that were posting even before they got pregnant, it is frustrating!

It is a pretty selfish thing to do on purpose. And it is dangerous for not just the mommy, but the baby - what right have we to possibly  hurt an innocent human life? And what does baby do if it causes long term damage to mommy's body?  How can a sickly mother give the best she's got and especially if she's got other children.  It is just not wise to be nonchalant about taking precautions not to get pregnant early post-op

Yeah, some mommies and babies turn out fine early post-op.  I personally wouldn't take a chance.

I wish you the very best Gina - I do!

Thanks Zee,
I just feel the manor in which the post was contstructed in came off that way to me. I like her... am expressing my opionion and how it made me feel. I see many women who have posted feel the same. I'm 37 years old and know what's best for me and I just don't believe in abortion and will believe and continue to have faith in God that although this happen unexpectedly to me (diagnosed previously with 2 block tubes, etc.) that he will carry me through. I am and always have been a responsible Christian, Wife (an Iraq Soldiers wife), Mother and daughter. I don't need someone from afar trying to convience me otherwise. Thank you so much sweetie for your well wishes. I'll add that to the many prayers I have out there already from friends and family

~~Gina