Question:
Questions regarding post-op pregnancy.

Hi folks, You're the first to know. Hubby and I are planning to start a family. I'm not pregnant yet, but we're working on it. I'm three years post RNY and 34 yrs old. My doctor started me on prenatal vities two weeks ago. I have been taking them along with my regular vitamin regime. I already take a multi vit, B, iron and calcium citrate. I used to take the iron later in the day so the calcium and iron would not interfere with each other. I've started taking my iron along with the prenat (also with iron), multi vit (no iron) and B and take the calcium later in the day (if I remember, I am a little out of whack with the change). My surgeon is no longer around, and I didn't think to ask my primary...do you think I need to be taking all these vities? Also, those of you who have done the pre-op Mommy deal....did you loose all control with food and slip into your evil pre-op ways? I've had a chunk of rebound weight already, and fear I will spiral way out of control. I am really really working on eating healthy food, cutting way back on the caffeine, and sweets ...etc. for the sake of the baby. I am afraid of the inevitable weight gain. Were you able to loose the baby weight after the baby was born? I never thought I would have kids...the desire started to grow when I was prepping for my tummy tuck (insurance approved) and breast lift a year ago...I cancelled out the week before.I finally (at 34??!!) feel ready for a baby. I literally had to look up trimesters on the internet, because I didn't know what they were...that's how in the dark I was. In the past month I have become a lot more educated, but if anyone could offer advice or point me in the direction of some good books and websites I would appreciate it. I have found a web site called askbaby.com ...great site, but it's originated in the UK...I would like to find a US site as good (for the employee legal stuff...I'm sure the state of being pregnant is the same in the UK as it is in the US). Websites suggestions specifically for post-op RNY mommies to be, would be wonderful (if there is such a thing?). I appreciate any advice you can give me. Thanks! Kim open RNY 7/17/01 282/150ish/130    — KimBo36 (posted on August 21, 2004)

August 21, 2004
I conceived my son one year ago last month. Tomorrow is his 4 month birthday. I am 4 years post op RNY. I did go all the way down to 137 pounds then went up to nearly 160 when I conceived. I am now at about 167; give or take. I did not returned to all my "evil ways" while pregnant though I did a few. For instance, I loved that poppy seed bagel with cream cheese every morning and I grazed a lot. In total, I gained about 38 pounds total during the pregnancy. The doctor (and books) said about 30-35. I wasn't that unhappy about the gain. My pregnancy was awesome; no morning sickness, pain, discomfort, etc. I guess I was experienced in carrying extra weight =)... Regarding vitamins, I only took the prenatal but I do remember my doctor said not to take too much A or C (unsure which) because it could harm the fetus.... Ask your OB. A great book to read is "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and a really fun and insightful book was "The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy"... I really don't think that I needed a special "WLS and pregnancy guide". Finally, I would suggest that you have your thyroid tested and bloodwork done regularly. Best of luck!
   — Jeannet

August 22, 2004
Dear Kim, Congrats on your pregnancy. I guess I am kind of dumbfounded when everyone who posts on here and they talk about taking all of these vitamins. If you check it out, there is a few weight loss physicians in the Quad City area of Iowa/Illinois. These doctors recommend OPTISOURCE vitamins. They come in two different flavors. Maybe if all the posters would go to OPTISOURCE.COM, check and see that I am correct. You would not need the extra iron, calcium and everything. These vitamins were made SPECIFICALLY for WLS patients and if you would check out the percentages on the back of the label, you would be all amazingly surprised. No need for the calcium pills, or tums, no need for extra iron pills, and as far as the B-12 that patients need after the surgery, well that might be a different story, but if you all looked at the percentages of vitamin b-12 on the back of the bottle, I think a lot of the patients who are required to take them, if they would have started on OPTISOURCE VITAMINS for WLS patients, maybe they could cut back on the expense of these added supplements they are taking. If you take 4 tablets a day, there are 120 pills in a bottle, it would last you a month. The price for them in the Quad Cities Trinity Weight loss surgery center, I bet they would not have a bottle of vitamins left on their shelfs any longer. I can not believe why surgeons across the country are not recommending these vitamins to ALL OF THEIR WEIGHT LOSS PATIENTS.
   — SuzanRoggendorf

August 22, 2004
Your pre-natal vitamin IS a multi vitamin, so there is no need to take both a nulti and a prenatal. You may not need to take an additional iron supplement if ou hava a prenatal with iron too. So- You really should talk to your OBGYN about the vitamins you are taking to be extremely explicit. There are some that are harmful to your chances of conception and to a fetus once conceived. Please check out the post op pregnancy forum for some advice from those who are going through this same thing.
   — LMCLILLY

August 23, 2004
The only vitamins I took while I was pregnant was 2 pre natal tabs a day. I gained 23lbs while pregnant and lost it all within 2 weeks of my daughters birth. I was only 6 weeks post op when I got pregnant but I didn't find out until I was 13 weeks along and I had lost 80lbs.
   — badkidzmom

August 23, 2004
I gave my list of vitamins I take to my OB/GYN and the only thing she changed was to switch me from Centrum to a prenatal. The reg multi-vits have too much vit A, which can cause problems. At some point in the pregnancy, my bloodwork showed I was borderline anemic so she had me up my iron. My list includes the multi vit (or prenatal), iron, vit C, b-12, and calcium. I was also taking folic acid at the time. If you are going to be TTC, you need to start that now, studies have shown that it can help prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida. These defects can occur in the first few weeks of pregnancy so its important it be in your system before you even get pregnant. <p> In addition to the pregancy forum boards here at OH.com, there is a Yahoo group specifically for post-op pregnancy: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/OSSG-pregnant/ <p> I had a perfect baby girl this last May. I gained 40 pounds, but lost all of it within two weeks. I am actually below the weight I was when I got pregnant.
   — Ali M