Calling all bandster preggos! Advice please?

Hi there,

So heres my story.  I'm not currently pregnant.  I'm not even actively TTC.  I'm only about 5 months post op from having my band placed.  So i know i shouldnt even be thinking about getting pregnant this early out.  But, I have been thinking more and more about wanting one more child (i already have 2 boys, ages 6 & 3).   Part of my reason for wanting another baby rather soon is because theres a pretty significant age difference between my husband and i (15 years).  Please leave the judgements at the door.  We've been together 15 years - married for 7 1/2 years.  He doesnt want to be a frail old man at their high school graduations, or god forbid not being around when their teenagers (he's 50 y.o).  I really want to try one more time for a baby girl.  But how terrible is it to get pregnant so soon after havign the band placed?  Are there any bandsters out there who have gotten pregnant sooner than 18 months post op?  I know i should really talk to my doc about it.  But i guess i'm kinda scared to.   Any advice you guys can offer would be so greatly appreciated!!!

Thank you!!!
Kel

Hi, Kel-

This is something you should discuss with your doctor. There are a few band moms on this board, but as far as I know, all or most of them were at least a year out before getting pregnant.

I'm sure that if you were to get pregnant this early, that you'd be just fine because lap-band patients don't have malabsorption issues. You'd probably just have all of your fill taken out to avoid a slip if you have any vomiting. The biggest concern would probably be whether you have healed enough from your surgery at this point.

I had a lap band and one of the girls who used the same surgeon and date as me, got pregnant 2 months later. The baby was fine but she has insisted on having her band completely unfilled so it definitely put her WL at a standstill. How much more weight do you have to lose? I know it's best for the baby and your body if your weight has stablized.

Thanks girls.  I definetly see what youre saying.  I still have quite a bit more i want to loose.  So i should try to hold off for a while longer.  From what you know or from what youve read around the boards are complete unfills mandatory or necessary only if you start vomiting?  

BTW flabtofab, I love your ticker!  I remember seeing it when your baby was the size of an apple seed, rasberry, and so on.  Everytime i read one of your posts i think "oh look, her baby is this big".   So cute!

Thanks again for the advice!

I am not a lap band patient so I don't know anything about fills or unfills but your 5 months out and I understand that you want to try for another baby but what difference will waiting 6 months really make? If I were you I would concentrate on getting myself as healthy and fit as possible in the next 6 months so I would have an easier and healthier pregnancy (hopefully),

Very, very true!  You're absolutely right.  Since i posted this, ive been thinking, do i really want to have another fat pregnancy?  I hated having the "B" belly, instead of the beautiful "D" shaped belly that thinner women have.  If i have another baby, it will undoubtedly be my last, so i should go into it being as healthy and comfortable as possible so its the best pregnancy yet.

Thanks for the advice!!!

Kel
  

Personally, I would enjoy being a "thin" women for a little while. After I lost all my weight, life became so much more fun.

Thanks! I got the ticker at thebump.com.

By the way, I haven't had any nausea or vomiting, so I haven't needed to have any of my fill taken out. However, as my belly gets bigger (as the baby grows) I may end up needing an unfill if I get heartburn or whatever. But so far, so good!

I had my lap band in Feb of 2009 and then got pregnant in September of 2009, so 7-8 months later. But I had already lost 120 lbs. (still considered obese though) My doctor was not concerned and I didn't have issues with the baby, but let me tell you, the weight loss is still at a stand still and my baby is almost 3 months old. It's hard for me to get back into that groove of losing weight. You need to do what's right for you as long as your doc says you're fine.

Wow, congrats on your beautiful baby!  I'm sorry your weightloss has been slow going since you had your baby.  The weight for both of my previous pregnancies was really hard to lose.  You always hear how if you breastfeed the weight just "melts away".  Well, personally speaking that was a load of crap.  It was just as difficult to lose weight post baby while nursing as it was any other time in my life.  Thats one of the things i worry about if i get pregnant.  Especially after i've lost about 50 pounds.  It would kill me to see the scale go back up, and even worse not go back down after giving birth.  I'm going to take the advice offered to me here and take some more time to lose more weight and get myself healthy and more fit so i can have a healthy pregnancy and (hopefully) easy labor.  

Good luck with the post baby weight.  I'm sure  you'll get in the swing of things soon and you'll start to see a difference.  I bet at this point your pretty exhausted and dont have alot of energy to get moving.  It was a difficult transition going from one child to two (i noticed on your ticker that you also have a 5 year old).  Things will get easier eventually.  Hang in there.

Kel