Pnw_Red

The band will feel tighter or looser depending on the tissue surrounding it. I felt totally bloated the first trimester, and as a result, my band felt tighter as the tissues underneath the band swelled. I ended up with a total unfill for other reasons, but would have needed slow unfills throughout to keep up with the swelling. I think it can be good to keep the band a little looser to help weather those fluctuations, especially when pregnant. Things can slam shut pretty quickly and you really don't want to mess with dehydration when pregnant. Congratulations on your pregnancy!

I took prenatal vitamins and kept my calories in my typical range until I conceived (for me, 1200-1300 cals a day.) Your body gets everything you eat, and if you eat really well, you can get most of what you need in 1200 calories a day. With a prenatal vitamin to help, you should be fine, but obviously consult with your doc! They can run a blood panel and see if you're deficient in anything before you start.

Sounds like you need an unfill if you're getting reflux! I got a total unfill at 8 weeks due to nausea during a gall bladder attack. I had planned to get a slight refill later on (with doc's blessing) but just ended up leaving it alone. At 38 weeks, I'm only up 23 pounds and feeling good about that, so it has all worked well for me. Even with no fill, I can tell that things have swollen a bit as the pregnancy progressed and there are mornings/days where I almost get stuck on stuff that has worked fine for me before. I'm personally glad I left the fill out--it gave me plenty of room to weather the Fluid fluctuations and I managed to stick to a fairly reasonable gain. If you're having symptoms of being too tight, I'd say you really do need some unfill. Good luck!

For those who were unfilled during pregnancy, how long did you wait to get your fill after delivery? I want to try and breastfeed, so I'm currently planning on waiting at least a month after delivery to get my supply established before getting a fill and cutting calories. Anyone find that getting a fill and eating less was problematic for their breastmilk supply? If my post-partum eating is anything like my pregnancy eating, I can probably go a little while without a fill. I seem to have this perfect storm right now-- no fill, but NO sweet cravings, many of my favorite foods don't appeal, and I have to avoid fatty stuff due to gall bladder acting up early in pregnancy. I've found it easier to maintain my weight now, 14 weeks pregnant, than I ever have in my life!

Well, I'm two years post-op as of April 23rd. I lost about 100 pounds (including pre-op weight) by 14 months post-band. I spent the next few months bouncing around the same few pounds as I dealt with some reflux (due to Vitamins we discovered, not band!) and was about 90 pounds down when I got pregnant in September! I've gained 17 pounds during this pregnancy at 34 weeks (with no fill due to gall bladder trouble at 8 weeks) so I'm pretty happy! Looking forward to meeting my new little man AND getting this band working for me again! Onward and downward! Me at top weight pre-surgery One year post-op, about 95 pounds down. Two years post-op, about 70 pounds down and 33 weeks pregnant.

Haven't been here for a while, but saw your post and wanted to reply. First, hang in there! It's a bit scary, but totally doable. Most of us who have been banded tried a ton of diets before we got banded, so you probably have a lot of the tools you need still tucked away in your back pocket. When it comes to eating, I've tried to switch back to a little of my Weight Watcher days--veggies and low-cal stuff for volume (if needed) and lean Protein like a good bandster. :confused: I've tried to stick to the "No liquid calorie" rule my lapband doc recommends, because it was one of the harder habits to break for me. I eat primarily lean protein and produce with a few more whole grains than usual. Do I eat some non-bandster friendly stuff? Yes. I'm enjoying my sandwiches (healthy options) and they are NOT part of bandster life for me. I know it's scary, but you CAN do this! And your band will be there for you after the baby comes--there's nothing magic about baby weight. The band helps you lose weight, and it will help you lose pregnancy weight too! Good luck to you!

That's great that keeping your fill has worked well for you! I know this is all personal experience, not exactly scientific evidence, but just wanted to say that it's possible to gain a reasonable amount of weight without a fill also. I had a complete unfill at 8 weeks due to a gall bladder attack. Freaked me out because I had planned (with doc's blessing) to keep a fill as long as possible. At 32 weeks, I'm up 17 pounds, a totally reasonable gain. So . . .keep that fill as long as you can, but don't be afraid of the unfill! I've focused on enjoying the healthy foods I've come to love eating as a bandster, and when I want to "indulge" in something that isn't totally band-friendly, there are a LOT of healthy options that used to get stuck that I can freely enjoy. Raw veggies, large-leafy lettuce salads, some whole grain breads, etc. Good luck to you all!

Congratulations! I'm at 32 weeks this week. I'm almost 2 years post surgery and was down about 90 pounds when I got pregnant ( A year and 5 months post-banding.) I am still about 60 pounds overweight (pre-preg weight.) I got a complete unfill at 8 weeks because I was in the hospital with a gall bladder attack and vomitting constantly. I was a bit worried about a repeat attack, so left my band empty. Since I've been doing fairly well with weight gain, I haven't bothered to get a refill and will wait until 4-6 weeks post-baby to worry about fills. I'm currently up about 17 pounds at 32 weeks. I'm happy with my gain overall. I had hoped to keep it under 20 pounds, but I think 25-ish is possible with the way the last few weeks are going. I didn't gain anything until 17 weeks, then 5 pounds appeared. LOL Slow gain from 17 weeks to 30 weeks to get me at my last official 13 pound gain and the last two weeks I've gained 4-5 pounds. :confused: BUT . . . I've been able to eat well and I have absolutely enjoyed some non-bandster friendly foods, but I tend to focus on the HEALTHY non-band friendly stuff. Lots of raw veggies that otherwise get stuck (I've had trouble with raw carrot and broccoli.) Some added whole grains and some sandwiches here and there. Yes, some crap too, but not too much.

Nina-- If you aren't vomitting and can get a reasonable amount of food down, there's no reason your band should slip. Talk to your doc about weight loss/weight gain during pregnancy depending on what you decide to do. My doc was ok with me maintaining weight, though I'm on track to gain an appropriate amount of weight-- 20-ish pounds. I had a total unfill, so I'm happy with that. Some people have reported that their doc was find with weight loss as long as the patient was eating enough food and baby was growing. Depends on the doc and the person. If you decide to continue with your pregnancy, your band will still be there when you're done. I know it's frustrating, but the band doesn't have a "honeymoon" period like some weight loss surgeries. Yes, the full signals may be a softer as time goes on, but there are a lot of people who lose a little weight early on and go on to finish losing weight years after their band is installed. Good luck with your decision!

You're not alone! It's hard, even when you KNOW that it's healthy to gain some weight. I'm at 27 weeks and have managed to keep my weight gain to about 13 pounds so far. That said, my doc's visit yesterday was the first where I saw a big jump-- 5 pounds in a month. It was hard. I'm also looming up on 250, which is another mental block. I started at 322, so I KNOW I'm still WAY thinner than I was. For me, it helped to continue to plan meals and menus and workout as my body allows (starting to run into limitations there.) I don't obsessively count calories, though I check periodically to see that I'm not WAY off base. I've stuck to a moderately bandster friendly diet and have intentionally enjoyed some non-bandster favorites that don't work when my band is tight. HOWEVER, I'm eating more things like big leafy salads (light on the dressing) and raw veggies that I have trouble with otherwise. I'm enjoying a few more whole grain breads and other HEALTHY options that would otherwise give me trouble. My latest obsession is a broccoli coleslaw recipe from an online blog--I eat it by the bowl, sometimes as lunch itself. By enjoying the healthy stuff that doesn't work with the band, I feel like I'm getting a treat in exchange for the weight gain. The sugary/fatty stuff doesn't make me feel good, so I avoid it. It's hard. And depressing. And crazy-making. You're not at ALL unreasonable for finding the prospect of weight gain terrifying. But you DID THE RIGHT THING by getting the unfill! Don't forget that a good 20-25 pounds of pregnancy weight gain is baby-related, NOT counting maternal fat gain! That doesn't mean you'll be 20 pounds lighter the day after babe is born, but you'll be on your way. AND you have your band. It WILL work after baby is here! Good luck to you. There are lots of successful bandsters who have had babies, lost the weight, and gone on to reach goals. You can be one too!

I can't give advice on getting pregnant in the first year. I waited until a over a year out, but I'm NOT at my goal yet and it's frustrating to see the scales go back up when I know they need to go down again. If you're vomitting, I'm pretty sure they will unfill the band. You dont' want to risk a slip! A couple episodes is no big deal, but constant vomitting will put you at greater risk. I don't think the band has anything to do with how your body will actually react to the pregnancy hormones. The band DOES make it harder to vomit! I was in the hospital early on with a gall bladder attack and nothing felt so good as throwing up after my unfill! :blushing:

I think there's a HUGE range of normal and you just have to go with your symptoms. Hopefully by now you're able to eat something. You may need an unfill, you may not. Totally depends on the person, but don't be afraid of the unfill. It doesn't HAVE to mean massive weight gain. Good luck!

It really IS hard, and strange to watch those scales creep up. I got a total unfill at 8 weeks due to a gall bladder attack and never got refilled. For some bizarre reason, pregnancy killed off my sweet tastebuds first trimester, but they're back in force now. I'm 25 weeks and have gained about 10 pounds so far, though I started my pregnancy still 60-70 lbs overweight, so my target was supposed to be around 15 lbs. I've had to accept that I'm probably going to gain closer to 20-25 pounds. I think I've managed to do fairly well, but the worst part for me is that means seeing the dreaded 250 on the scales again. Bah. I'm at 244-245 now (pre-preg weight of 238) and I think it's highly unrealistic to think I'll only gain 5 pounds in the last trimester. Hang in there though! You still have the band and you still know how to take the weight off. I think my biggest successes in the first half of the pregnancy came from focusing on still eating like a bandster as much as possible (lean Protein, produce) and adding in the HEALTHY things I had missed--like the raw veggies that used to get stuck, a big bowl of salad greens, some whole grain bread, etc. I don't limit my food, just try to use some of those old diet skills by filling up on lower cal produce. I think it will be easier to pare those back than it would be to have to eliminate white bread/pasta/rice/sweets.

I'm sorry you have to deal with such stressful decisions! I have NOT had an amnio, but my very limited understanding is that one of the biggest risks with amniocentesis is early labor. By having one at 36 weeks, it seems like a great deal of your risk (and it's relatively low to start with) is mitigated by the fact that baby is far enough along to do well, especially if you've had the steroid shots already. I'm sure it's scary to contemplate no matter when you have it done, but much better to be one of the rare few who go into labor at 36 weeks than at 20 weeks! I don't know what else makes your pregnancy high risk so obviously can't take that into account. I hope things go well for you!

Thanks for the input ladies. Laceys, hang in there! Only a few more weeks for you! I'm at 20 weeks now (up 5-7 pounds, depending on the day) and while I'm happy it's only that much, I'm wondering what the next few weeks will bring! Honestly, I think I'll look to the breastfeeding experts (including banded ladies with experience!) for information more so than the LAP-BAND® docs whose primary focus is weight loss. That's why I'm checking here and talking to breastfeeding people more so than my LAP-BAND® doc's office. I think I'll just see how things go. I'll probably bump up the exercise and track calories better than I am now. If I can lose slowly, that's great, but I don't want to risk losing supply, especially in the early months.

Hey all! Another banded and pg gal here! I'm 9 wks pregnant (found out right at 4 weeks) and had planned to keep my fill until I needed it out (with the blessing of my doc.) Last week I ended up in the ER with a gall bladder attack. We managed to avoid surgery (thank goodness!) but with all the violent throwing up (about 24 hours worth) I opted for a complete unfill so that I didn't end up with a slipped band. Even the anti-nausea meds weren't doing anything. So, here I am, 9 weeks in and no fill. I've been fairly nauseated all day long (though thankfully, not to much actual throwing up outside of the gall bladder stuff.) But man, am I hungry! No weight gain yet, but I'm trying to decide if I should try to get a partial fill, or just try to get through the pregnancy and stay unfilled in case the gall bladder kicks up again. (Took several hours to find somebody who could do an unfill . . .) What would you do?

I had my IUD removed in March and we got pregnant in September, so about six months. I know a lot of people get pregnant right away (or so it seems) but a lot of us take a few months too. Just FYI, if you like to test often, you can buy pretty inexpensive pg tests online--like a couple dollars a piece instead of the expensive drug store ones. Just google "inexpensive pregnancy tests." Good luck to you!

Congratulations for you both! What sweet, ADORABLE little boys you have! I've made it a few weeks with no more gall bladder symptoms (knock on wood) and have even managed to maintain my weight (down 2 pounds from pre-preg weight) with no fill in my band. Hallelujah for food aversions. :thumbup: I'm managing to eat better than I EVER did before the band. I have my first ultrasound on Monday (I'm 11 weeks) so I'm excited to finally get to see a heartbeat. Glad to see such beautiful little kiddos. It definitely forces me to recognize that my "baby" is maybe not so much a baby at 2 1/2 yrs old.

My doc (OB doc AND surgeon) were happy to let me keep my fill until I needed an unfill if I had severe morning sickness or was losing weight. I figured I wouldn't need one for a while since I was running fairly loose. Well, at 8 weeks, I ended up in the hospital with a gall bladder attack including severe vomitting for about 24 hours. I got an unfill. The doc who unfilled me didn't want to draw really hard on the band so there may be a little left in there yet. My doc now wants me to remain unfilled in case I have another gall bladder attack. If I can make it another month or so without, she would let me get some Fluid put back in. That said, I haven't gained any weight the last three weeks and my general pregnancy food aversions are working to help keep things under control. Unless I start gaining crazy amounts of weight, I may just leave it unfilled. I know it's hard to fathom actually gaining weight right now. I don't know how much weight you still want to lose, but I think you can just keep losing until you get pregnant and then try to maintain. My doc is fine with me maintaining my weight (I'm still 60 pounds over my goal weight) but she is NOT ok with me continuing to lose. Hopefully you can find a happy medium. Just be sure to take care of yourself, even if it means gaining a few baby pounds. Your band is still there and will be ready and willing to go after babe is born!

That's so funny--I had to talk myself out of the chips that DH brought home (crunched up on the sandwich, of course.) Strange, strange cravings! I think the mayo clinic says 12 oz of light tuna (6 of albacore) a week is ok. I figure a single sandwich a week is well within the guidlines. :w00t:

Hey pregnant ladies! I'm here to join the club! I'm 9 weeks pregnant, due in June. I had an unexpectedly early unfill in the hospital a couple weeks ago after my gall bladder acted up. I'm glad I got the unfill--lots of throwing up that week-- but now I'm feeling the hunger creep back in. I've been pretty nauseated, so that has kept the cravings down a bit, but the hunger is creeping in. Funny, the things I crave aren't the empty calorie foods. I crave sandwiches. LOL I'm trying to steer clear of deli meat and minimize the tuna like I'm supposed to, but the tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread I had for lunch was about the best thing I've tasted in forever.

Hang in there! Baby takes what baby needs, so even if your nutrition was off for a bit, you're probably JUST FINE. No, it's not good to starve for the duration of a pregnancy, but a couple weeks of low intake is NOT going to hurt you in the long run. I agree with those who said to talk to you doc--I'm not planning to get an unfill unless and until I need one later in pregnancy. Good luck to you!

Oh wow, that WOULD make a difference! I'm glad you're getting a chance to let the band work for you again!

Hey, congratulations on the great progress!

Hey--I know this is an older post, but I'm also in your area! How are you doing now?