Question:
Has anyone had a baby early post op?

would love to hear from other post ops who were still early post op say 4 - 5monthsh i was curious me and my hubby want to start to have kids...im still early post op and am using bc and since that isn't always 100% effective i was curious to hear from other women who got pregnant early post op say about 4 or 5 months after having surgery. were you able to still reach goal after having the baby? did you gain alot weight during pregnancy? did the weight loss slow down considerably after you had the baby and started to excercise and diet again? all answers would be appreciated. thank you    — [Anonymous] (posted on December 29, 2001)

December 29, 2001
A friend of mine had the surgery 2 years ago. She found out at almost 5 months post-op (down about 85 pounds) that she was expecting.. Having a baby so soon after she was considered high-risk, so the doc watched her closly and she had to have tests done every other month. She continued to lose a pound here and there until she was about 6 months along and then she started to gain weight..She only gained about 17 pounds throughout her whole pregnancy. She delievered a very healthy and beautiful baby girl (6 lb 3oz, 19in). She lost all of the baby weight plus more almost immediatley..She did decide breastfeed so she had to be on extra supplements and increase her caloric intake..She continued to work on the weightloss and got down to her goal weight that she wanted.
   — [Anonymous]

December 29, 2001
My doctor told me, and I believe many doctors agree, that you should not have a baby within a year after having WLS. My doctor even recommends waiting TWO years. You should talk to your doctor about this before you do anything. I know there are issues with getting enough vits and nutrients to the baby when you are early post-op.
   — Kirstin99

December 29, 2001
My surgeon advised as strongly and said as loudly as he could that you should take all measures necessary to NOT get pregnant in that first year after surgery. According to him (and contrary to what the earlier poster said) there are very few 'normal' babies born with Mom getting preggers within the first year.
   — Danette H.

December 29, 2001
Hi,When you lose weight your body produces ketones. These ketones are harmful to a fetus. Please ask your doctor about this and double up on protection (pills and a condom). You can test yourself if you are producing ketones with a urine test that you may find at a pharmacy (not sure if you need a prescription). A lot of people use these tests to make sure they are in ketosis (fat burning stage). Please be extra careful to wait until you are at a stable weight. And remember talk to your doctor. Good luck!!
   — [Anonymous]

December 29, 2001
Please realize that the emphasis doctors place on not getting pregnant during the first one to two years has nothing to do with you. YOU will be just fine and dandy. The problem is that there are just so many things that can go wrong even under the best of circumstances with a pregnancy. The doctors' advice is based on his consideration for your child.
   — [Anonymous]

December 29, 2001
The previous answer is not entirely true. Babies just suck the nutrition right out of you. Many WLS patient become lactose intolerant after surgery (but I didn't!). Your baby will take all the calcium your body receives; so it's significantly difficult for you to store the calcium YOU need when you get pregnant after WLS. In addition, it takes a while for you and your body to get used to the reduced amounts of food, vitamins, and protein you need to survive post-op. Remember, you had surgery to LOSE weight -- just the thing you DON'T want to do when you're pregnant.
   — [Anonymous]