Pregnancy or RNY...Chicken or the Egg??

I am taking a poll of sorts. I need some outside opinions. I am at the beginning of my journey. Originally I wanted the LapBand but my surgeon strongly recommends that I get RNY over the Band due to my BMI. The biggest reason I was leaning towards the Band is it sounds like pregnancy is less risky, especially if you happen to get pregnant before weight loss evens out. Since I only  get one shot at WLS and I need to trust the doctor and statistis, I am now leaning towards RNY. However, it would be at LEAST 1-2 years before it could try to get pregnant. I desperately want to get pregnant ASAP, but I realize that my weight can cause problems with conceiving and throughout the pregnancy. Then I have to weigh the malnutrition risks of being pregnant after RNY, especially if I got pregnant earlier than is advised.

So I want WLS and I want pregnancy.....

The question is this: Which one should come first?

Get YOU healthy first.

There is research out there that shows babies born to post-WLS mams are healthier than babies born to obese moms. Why take chances with your future baby's health when you can do something about it and give your little one the best chance at a good start...

There are women who get pregnant earlier than advised ( my IUD failed at 9 months post-op VSG). It's not the greatest situation, but it is possible to have a healthy pregnancy/baby. I know there are several RNY mamas here that got pregnant before 1-2 years post-op, hopefully they'll chime in and give you some info.

If you decide to go through with the surgery- I'd definitely go with the RNY first (if that's the type you choose)! I can honestly say- even though I've gained only 16lbs in my pregnancy so far- I could NOT even begin to imagine what it would be like carrying a baby at 85lbs heavier. I get the casual aches and pains in my lower back and knees and I couldn't for the life of me imagine how it would have felt at 285lb- add my pregnancy gain and i would have been at 300! There are risks of deficiences and malnourishments, but those risks are small compared to the ones you face at a higher weight. I had surgery almost 4 years ago and it took me 3 and a half years to even get pregnant after surgery, but I wouldn't go back and change it for the world. Not to mention, my BP is under control, I'm not dealing with GD and all the other risk factors I would be looking at if I was 100lbs heavier. Those are just my thoughts...best of luck in your decision!

I agree with the other posters work on you first and baby second .

I chose RNY over band because I wanted to have babies.  You have to wait 1-2 years after the band to get pregnant too.  I had no rny related complications during my pregnancy and had a healthy baby girl.  There is no point in having any type of WLS if you are planning to get pregnant asap. 

I am pregnant and I have a band. I was banded 6 years ago and have lost 140lbs. I cannot imagine what this pregnancy would have been like with the extra weight. Miserable for sure! Waiting to get to a "normal" weight is optimum, even statistically healthier for you and baby. With a band you have to wait at least a yr to get pregnant. I couldn't imagine trying to get in enough food intially to sustain a healthy pregnancy. I just got my band deflated two weeks ago so I've had to closely monitor my eating, calories and vitamins throughout my pregnancy. It's been totally do-able though. 

Good luck with whatever decision you make! 

I am not very far into this pregnancy but I will tell you that my previous pregnancy (pre-RNY) was much harder.  I am not at goal weight now (weigh 247) but when I was pregnant with my 11 year old daughter, I was about 320 and I was miserable.  Everything hurt.  I had PIH (pregnancy induced hypertension), pre-eclampsia and was put on bed rest.  So far everything with this pregnancy has been wonderful.  My blood pressure is perfect (was already high at this point in my first pregnancy).  This pregnancy was not planned since I was on birth control pills (after you have surgery, find another form other than pills).

My advice to you is work on yourself first.  You want to be the healthiest you can be when you are pregnant.  It just makes it so much easier.

Thank you everyone.

I am pregnant and I have the Lap-Band. I also personally know many women who have had really high BMI's (200+ pounds to lose) who had the band and have been successful. I also know many women who had RNY who have been successful, too! I think your success rate is determined by your mentality and whether you're going to change your lifestyle permanently or revert to your old ways.

That being said... I lost about 120 pounds before getting pregnant, and I'm really glad I did. I've been extremely lucky and my pregnancy has been a breeze. All of my co-morbidities are gone (sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.) I'm still really tired and have occasional aches and pains... but I can't even begin to imagine going through pregnancy with 100+ extra pounds on my frame.

What are your reasons for wanting to have a baby now instead of waiting until your weight is off? Are you and your spouse older? Does it just feel like a good time? If I were in your shoes, I'd put myself first and get healthy, and put pregnancy off. It's going to be hard to make time for yourself and focus on proper nutrition and exercise WITHOUT a baby... so having that added responsibility might throw a wrench in your success?

It sounds like your weight is not causing any fertility problems and you can get pregnan time you want - so why is it an issue?  What is your age?  Do you have hypertension or diabetes?   What is your BMI (like how excessively overweight are you - is it enough to hurt your baby, your pregnancy?  Do you have breathing issues? etc.  Those are the questions you should ask yourself en't you also considered the Duodenal Switch? http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/