Question:
HEY EVERYONE I JUST WANTED TO ASK YET ANOTHER FEMALE ? menstruration

PRIOR TO ME HAVING WLS 5MONTHS AGO. I VERY RARELY GOT MY MESNTRUAL EVERY MONTH AND NEVER WENT TO THE APPROIATE DOC TO BE DIAGNOSE WITH ANY THING. I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE I WAS HEAVY AND MY PERIOD JUST NEVER WOULD COME. i DO HAVE I SON 10YRS AND WANT MORE. ME AND MY FINACE HAVE BEEN WANTING ONE FOR MANY YEARS BUT IT JUST NEVER HAPPEN.I WAS THINKING I WAS INFERTIL. NOW MY MENSTRUAL IS COMING EVERY MONTH AT THE SAME TIME. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN , DO YOU THINK I CAN HAVE YET ALTEAST ONE MORE CHILD?    — stacey T. (posted on September 14, 2002)

September 14, 2002
Stacey, of course you need to see a doctor but if you are menstruating every month then it means you're ovulating. If you're ovulating then it should be easy to become pregnant. Just remember, you need to wait at least 18 months (well, that's that my doc says) before becoming pregnant, so you might want to do something to avoid that happening. The way it is supposed to work (not that it always does though) is your menstrual cycle is about 28 days long from period to period. Right smack in the middle of that time is when you should be ovulating. You will probably notice about 2 weeks after a period you will swell, feel tired or achey, run a low grade temp, get grumpy, or feel crampy. These are all signs of ovulation. I'm one of the very fortunate women who have had regular periods even at my highest weight. You can almost set your watch by them. According to my OB/GYN, women need to have at least one period every 6 months to remain healthy.
   — Vicki H.

September 14, 2002
I agree with Vicki. If you are menstrating, you are ovulating. My doc says wait one year before becoming pregnant, but you really need to check with your doctor about when the best time would be. I have the same problem... I would go 6 months without menstrating before WLS. I am hoping that everything gets back to normal. I am only about 3 weeks post-op. I got "the blessing" just after I got home due to the stress of everything and I guess it is just a waiting game to see what happens after that! I wish you luck and hope you can have another child like you want to. Just be sure not to do things too soon!
   — sammygirlwpc

September 14, 2002
Hi Stacey------wow!I went to look at your profile before replying to your question-----you've done so greeeaaaaaattt! I hope to do that well! My doctor said that for those that didn't have a period due to obesity, once the weight comes off and the period comes back----YOU ARE REALLY FERTILE! He says that's the way it usually happens, but he suggests not getting pregnant for 18 months. Afterall, besides the fact that you can't "eat for 2" while you are reducing, you want to give your body a chance to adjust to a new "normal" before getting pregnant and the hormone-thing happens, etc! Do you have a doctor now who is following your progress? I would definitely check with him to make sure and then I wish you the best of luck with your new hubby and son ----you have a lot to look forward to: good health and a great future! Take care and God bless! Adele
   — Adele F.

September 14, 2002
Hi, and congratulations on your phenomenal weight loss! Although it is probably likely that you are ovulating now that menstruation has returned, it is not ALWAYS true that just because you are menstruating, you are ovulating too. You might want to check to see if you have other subtle signs of ovulation, including breast tenderness, a discomfort or little jab or "ping" in your tummy mid-cycle, increased vaginal discharge or a wetter egg-white consistency of your discharge [your most fertile time], and a slight increase in temperature during ovulation. You can only check this increase with a basal thermometer, especially used for monitoring ovulation. You might also want to buy some ovulation predictor kits, just to make sure. I suspect that you suffered from PCOS - polycystic ovarian disease - which is common in overweight women. I myself have regained my monthly periods after years and years of skipping them, etc. There are many support groups on websites for PCOS sisters like myself. Also, not every woman conceives at exactly day 14, believe it or not. The vast majority might, but say if you have a 31 day cycle, you may ovulate on day 17 or so ... that is why getting an ovulation detector is invaluable if you are serious about having a baby. I would imagine that at your young age, you are ovulating. See your gynecologist, get a book on fertility awareness. Wait until you get down to a good healthy weight before you decide to get pregnant and wait about 18 months after surgery to guarantee a healthy baby! If you should get pregnant there are plenty of women who have gotten pregnant just a few months out of surgery who would be happy to help you. But I would also guess that they would advise you to avoid a high-risk surgery by waiting a few more months before you decide on expanding your family. Good luck to you! Cindy
   — C. C.

September 14, 2002
I think your wishes for another child will probably come true. I have heard of many people who have lost weight, only to become pregnant. Please, try to waite at least 1 year though, as I was told that the fetus could not recieve enough nutrients from us the first year after surgery. It has something to do with the malabsortion of nutrients. Best of luck.
   — Sherry S.

September 14, 2002
There are many reasons for no period, your weight is not the ONLY issue, as there are many overweight women who get their periods regularly. I would highly reccomend you visit a Ob/Gyn or perhaps a Endocrinologist (if you have more of the PCOS symptoms - as not many OB/GYN can help with a endocrine disorder). You need to confirm that you are INDEED ovulating, as ovulation means the possiblity of conception. Still, if I were you I would want to know WHY I didn't have a period for such a long time and if everything was OK down there- also, another consideration is that when you don't shed your lining (period) monthly it CAN build up and puts you at a higher risk for endometriosis. So get it looked at, find you answers. It may take a little while, but at least YOU should know what is going on with your body.
   — Karen R.

September 14, 2002
Hi Stacey, I had WLS in January 2000. Prior to that, I would get a period maybe every 4 months if I was lucky. I too blamed it on my weight and thought I was infertile. I had a 9 year old daughter at the time and wanted another baby real bad. After my WLS my periods became extremely regular, every 21 days to be exact. 2 years later to the day of my WLS I gave birth to twin boys so don't give up hope..anything is possible. Good luck.
   — Debbie M.

September 15, 2002
Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it.. it is NOT true that just because you are having a period does that mean that you are ovulating.. In many cases, and not to say that this is true for ALL women, but recently I had to go see a specialist and he told me that heavier women may get their periods but that they don't always ovulate because the build up of estrogen acts as a birth control pill. Again..this is not true for all women but from experience, before I was heavy, I had noooo trouble getting pregnant.. now I have been using absolutely no protection for 2 years now and I haven't gotten pregnant and I am regular like clock work... Also, think of how many women out there do have periods but are infertile and can't conceive????
   — chris S.