Question:
Has anyone had a BMI of around 55, gone on fertility and had healthy children?

I am currently considering having WLS but after speaking with the surgeon, my husband and I are thinking about trying to have a child first. However, since I do not have a period, my OB/GYN suggested that I might have to go on fertility. I am just curious if anyone has been severely overweight, gone on fertility and had healthy children. Thanks!!!!    — MegenL (posted on March 18, 2002)

March 18, 2002
Me and my wife Jen, now both post ops were in a similoiar situation, We opted to have surgery and wait a year since she would be MUCH healthier carrying a baby once most of the weight is gone. Loosing the weight tends to be a turn on for many, and tends to make women VERY FERTILE! Of course this is a individual decision but with her thinner taking care of the baby should be MUCH easier, Now carying for a newborn or toddler and recovering from WLS at the same time would be a lot tougher. If you choose to wauit and have surgery first use protection, the fertility ability soars right after surgery. We get lots of questions here I am 3 months post op and pregnant what will I do.
   — bob-haller

March 18, 2002
I am not in your situation, but I do know some about fertility and weight. You may find it MUCH easier to get pregnant after you lose weight. Excess weight can mess with your hormones. One of the main reasons I had the surgery was so that when I am ready to have children, I'll be able to. I have PCOS, a weight related hormone imbalance that has made me pretty much infertile. After only 30 pounds lost, I started having regular periods- a first for me. I am NOT telling you what to do by any means, only you and your husband can decide what is right for you and your family. But I am just letting you know, that losing the weight may be the only thing you need to do to get pregnant (well, besides the obvious- haha). I would discuss it with your OB/GYN about how weight loss might help your fertility issues without other means; also how being overweight can effect your pregnancy if you decide to have the baby first (I don't know about this, just something to consider). Good Luck.
   — Angela B.

March 18, 2002
I don't know how much I weighed when I got pregnant, but I know it was in the 55 BMI ballpark. I tried fertility drugs for a year, got pregnant, had a miscarriage, tried for another six months then got pregnant. My co-workers to this day (five years later) still tease me when I am in a bad asking if I am taking the b**** pills again. I was just shy of having gestational diabetes and had to be on a very strict diet the entire pregnancy. My blood pressure skyrocketed two weeks before I delivered and I was put on bed rest and had to see the doctor every other day. I was in labor for 21 hours before they decided to do an emergency c-section. My son was born weighing 10 pounds! I have not had my wls yet, but I would definitely do that first so you have a better chance at a healthy uneventful pregnancy.
   — litzalou

March 18, 2002
I have been overweight and had a starting weight of 270 my first pregnancy and took fertility pills( clomid) and got pregnant. He is 7 and very healthy. I also 1.5 years ago had my second son and I started off at 304. Was on fertility injections with him and he is also healthy. I would not worry too much about the fertility treatments. Good luck. LOL Kris
   — kris B.

September 25, 2002
I started taking fertility drugs (clomid) at 270 lbs. I had never had regular periods. It took about a year, but I got pregnant. I had a healthy pregnancy until about 6 months, when I started getting toximia. About 7 months, I was on bed rest with skyrocketing blood pressure. I delivered twin boys about 5 weeks early. We had some early complications (underdeveloped lungs), but they are 4 now and very healthy. Depending on your age, you may want to have children first. Being thinner does not guarantee that you will be able to conceive easier. Everything I read said that you have to stabilize your weight for 2 years before attempting to become pregnant. If you have WLS, then still have to use fertility drugs, you may be 4 + years before you have children.
   — pehringer

April 26, 2003
Hi, Personally, I obviously cannot answer for you the question of what is right for you to do. I would however, like to share with you my experience having a child at around that BMI. I am currently pre-op with a higher BMI, but ten years ago, I was where you are now, and pregnant. One OB/GYN back then actually suggested that I wasn't physically fit enough to carry my daughter and that I might want to consider terminating the pregnancy. Obviously, I never saw THAT guy again!! I will never regret going through with the pregnancy, as that was never a question in my mind to begin with, however there were many additional problems with the pregnancy due to my weight. Some normal pregnancy discomforts were amplified such as joint and muscle pain and discomfort sleeping.(It was the first time I heard my hips and knees crrrrreeeaaakkk! And began having mobility problems that never really went away) Symptoms such as fatigue and depression were much worse than the norm,and they never really went away either. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY--I developed gestational diabetes in the first few months. It's a temporary condition, and yes, it can be treated successfully these days. But I had absolutely zero indications of diabetes beforehand and it was a total shock. Most importantly, I will never forget my doctor telling me I was officially a "high risk" pregnancy and how they would have to keep checking me to make sure my baby's heart was still beating, etc. Quite often the heartbeat was slow or undetectable--resulting in an emergency trip to the hospital for a non-stress test to reassure us all. For the last several months we went through this on almost a daily basis, back to the hospital whenever a heartbeat could not be found or whenever, after each meal, I could not count an assigned quota of fetal movements. On top of this, the diabetes and extreme nausea caused me to go into ketosis and actually LOST 60 pounds while pregnant. Ketosis poses a serious hazard to fetal neurological development. Thankfully, my daughter was finally born (through induction, to release us both from the unsafe condition) at a safe and healthy 7 pounds. Everything worked out alright for both of us, with the exception of some added monitoring and extended recovery time. However, the stress,blame and terror I and my husband felt during this period was undescribable. There were dozens of crying trips to the hospital thinking my baby was dead. This is only my personal story, but I can never get over those feelings of fear and the responsibility I felt for bringing my child into such an unstable environment as my body was. None of that would have happened if we had waited. I'm writing all this "worst case scenario" stuff not to scare anyone out there into making a decision one way or another, but just hoping that you will consider all the "what-ifs" and not just the numbers. I know it's a lot to think about, postponing life for a few years, but personally, I've waited a long time to add to our family, and for us, I think waiting a few more years will be far far preferable to the possibility of ever going through that again. When I do it again I want to be "all there" strong, and completely capable.
   — christied

April 26, 2003
Hi, Personally, I obviously cannot answer for you the question of what is right for you to do. I would however, like to share with you my experience having a child at around that BMI. I am currently pre-op with a higher BMI, but ten years ago, I was where you are now, and pregnant. One OB/GYN back then actually suggested that I wasn't physically fit enough to carry my daughter and that I might want to consider terminating the pregnancy. Obviously, I never saw THAT guy again!! I will never regret going through with the pregnancy, as that was never a question in my mind to begin with, however there were many additional problems with the pregnancy due to my weight. Some normal pregnancy discomforts were amplified such as joint and muscle pain and discomfort sleeping.(It was the first time I heard my hips and knees crrrrreeeaaakkk! And began having mobility problems that never really went away) Symptoms such as fatigue and depression were much worse than the norm,and they never really went away either. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY--I developed gestational diabetes in the first few months. It's a temporary condition, and yes, it can be treated successfully these days. But I had absolutely zero indications of diabetes beforehand and it was a total shock. Most importantly, I will never forget my doctor telling me I was officially a "high risk" pregnancy and how they would have to keep checking me to make sure my baby's heart was still beating, etc. Quite often the heartbeat was slow or undetectable--resulting in an emergency trip to the hospital for a non-stress test to reassure us all. For the last several months we went through this on almost a daily basis, back to the hospital whenever a heartbeat could not be found or whenever, after each meal, I could not count an assigned quota of fetal movements. On top of this, the diabetes and extreme nausea caused me to go into ketosis and actually LOST 60 pounds while pregnant. Ketosis poses a serious hazard to fetal neurological development. Thankfully, my daughter was finally born (through induction, to release us both from the unsafe condition) at a safe and healthy 7 pounds. Everything worked out alright for both of us, with the exception of some added monitoring and extended recovery time. However, the stress,blame and terror I and my husband felt during this period was undescribable. There were dozens of crying trips to the hospital thinking my baby was dead. This is only my personal story, but I can never get over those feelings of fear and the responsibility I felt for bringing my child into such an unstable environment as my body was. None of that would have happened if we had waited. I'm writing all this "worst case scenario" stuff not to scare anyone out there into making a decision one way or another, but just hoping that you will consider all the "what-ifs" and not just the numbers. I know it's a lot to think about, postponing life for a few years, but personally, I've waited a long time to add to our family, and for us, I think waiting a few more years will be far far preferable to the possibility of ever going through that again. When I do it again I want to be "all there" strong, and completely capable.
   — christied