eejaydiva

Heather I'm sorry for your distress my dear! Keep in mind a couple of things, ok? 1. YOU are the boss of your body. I was a med student and unless there is imminent risk to you or the fetus, a doctor cannot refuse treatment or to discuss options with you. Get a fill if you need a fill. 2. The nurse should have been more understanding, especially given she's been there. But she probably was trying to save you alot of discomfort and stress...The road to Hell is paved with Good intentions, ya know? :smile: 3. Alot of banded preggos suddenly find themselves very tight. Even right now with your bambino the size of a Cheerio, that may be hard to imagine, but if you get bigger, you may find that 4 cc's is plenty of restriction, try to see this as a progression that may worsen, it won't always be this way. Most of all, know that we are here for you and we all care about one another! Keep us posted on your decision, ok? :frown:

Ok HeatherO, this one's for you baby, cuz I adore ya and all the rest of you banded preggos. WHY I did this? Only out of affection and sheer craziness, as I myself am NOT YET PREGNANT, but hoping to be any day now, and hoping you will all deal with me when I'm being neurotic (NOT to say you are neurotic, just warning you that I will be, fo sho) It took me some time, but here goes. Experiment:confused: I checked the threads on here regarding how much bandsters reported gaining with band and baby...also checked threads on a few other lapband sites (obesityhelp.com, among others). Basically did a sampling and count of how many women responded and what they gained. This is by no means a perfectly scientific study, but I used a fairly high amount of reponses, so here goes. As well, I stole a little bit of data from New England Medical Journal study of weight related issues in banded women during pregnancy. Bandsters gained an average of 18.4 lbs during their entire pregnancy. Those who had SEVERE sickness lasting more than 3 months gained 9 lbs. A few who went over their due date by 1 or 2 weeks still only gained about 19.6 lbs. As well, it took less than 2 months to return to their pre-baby/goal weight, depending on what they were at. Almost all of these women had all or almost all of their Fluid removed by the 2nd trimester, so these figures are from women who mostly had little to no restriction other than the band for the bulk of their pregnancies. So if you move alot during pregnancy and focus on nutrition, I'd imagine you may gain about 10 lbs. Those who said they used pregnancy as a fun little "band vacation" and ate alot or suffered from major bed rest/fatique and didn't exercise much were more in the 20 lbs gained range. HUGS! I truly hope this makes you feel better about the possible gaining that will go on! Think about it this way: If you gain 16 lbs and have an 8 lb baby, you only have 8 to lose! :wink2:

Just had to add a few funny stories about the week I'm having...hope you find these as funny (and mildly frustrating as I do). FUNNY #1: I've been using my ovulation test sticks and expecting a positive ovulation pretty much the last 2 days, as I usually "O" around the 6th...well nothing. Then was taking a test last night, it didn't develop, so I left it on the bathroom counter to wait the 8 minutes (I usually only wait 1 or 2 as the result pops up right away). Anyhoo, forgot about it and went back like 15 min later and it's positive...WTH? The box says not to read results after 8 minutes, so now what??!? Positive or negative? I'm planning 2 tests today just to make sure! FUNNY #2: Ran into an old high school friend yesterday...she was very much like Samantha on Sex and the City. Career minded, modern, not interested in men for anything but sex. She's pregnant!!! Some one-night stand in Chicago last month...friggin' great. To her credit she seems excited, but sheesh! FUNNY #3 : Several of my girlfriends and I share the same gynecologist. I have converted them all to her practice, as I bragged for ages about how great, wonderful, supportive, funny she was. Going to yearly appointments was like seeing a doctor, shrink and your best girlfriend for lunch all wrapped up in one. I love this woman. Well last night, my girlfriend ran into our doc at a restaurant and she's like 5 months pregnant....YES, I know I should be happy for her, but all I can think is, "Darnit, my perfect doctor will be on maternity leave and won't be around to treat my pregnancy if it happens soon!" The fact that my doc is pregnant is made funnier by the fact that my PERFECT Band Surgeon Dr Melniczek left Colorado a few months ago to return to his home state of Pennsylvania, so now I'm losing both great docs....sniffle.

Hello Canehdiangirl! Hello everyone else! Welcome to bandster land Caneh, that is great news! Down 25 lbs in a month is certainly good progress! I'm 7 months out and STILL trying to reach my 50 lb loss goal! After a week or two, you're probably feeling more like yourself. I would DEFINITELY wait to get pregnant until a minimum 6 months at the soonest. There was so much about my band that I learned in the first few months, I definitely did not get it all figured out until recently. Being only 7 months out myself, there are still times I mess it up or make a bad choice of food. By the 4th and 5th month after surgery, you will be having a lot more freedom to eat and less port pain, bloat, etc. Due to fertility issues that are worsening, my surgeon gave us the "go ahead" in late july to start trying, when I was about 4 or 5 months post-op. As well, for every 10 lbs that you're overweight, your fertility decreases by up to 15%!! So the longer you wait, the more likely you are to get a "sticky" pregnancy that lasts! I'm very sorry for your losses, we have not yet even had a positive test, so here's hoping for you and me and everyone else on this thread! If you're going crazy, here's some fun websites for Trying To Conceive, Expectant Moms, etc. www.peeonastick.com www.babyhopes.org www.twoweekwait.com

heather, first of all, CONGRATS! you give me hope, we've only been trying 3 months, but i want this so badly! this is exactly the expectation/hope i had when i started this thread, thank you so much for your updates (same to everyone else who's posted here!) as well, i know that the digital pregnancy tests are much more sensitive and will give you a def yes or no. it may be a little late for that now since your line is darker, but it is great for eliminating squinting in the bathroom! i should be ovulating within the next 8 days or so, will keep you posted. as well, i'm only 3 lbs from my 50 lb loss goal! hopefully i can make that by november. hugs everyone!

just one side note on the ginger...you may want to google it. Ginger has been known to cause uterine contractions and many doctors have advised against using it in early pregnancy as it can lead to spotting or cramping that may bring on miscarriage. I don't want to alarm anyone, but i distinctly remember them telling my sister (who was VERY high risk pregnancy) not to go near the stuff even though she was sick for months because they were worried she'd have a miscarriage...some docs say it's fine to use, but i'd look into it, and as with all other issues regarding band or baby, ask your trusted doctor.

heather, as far as i know, ANY positive is a pregnancy, no matter how faint! if you had only taken 1 test, i would say that there was a 50/50 chance that your positive line may be an evaporation line (as tends to happen sometimes), but 2 postitives is probably a good sign! it's early, so be careful and test in a week, as FairyFacade said, but i'm hoping for ya!

So Aunt Flo arrived right on schedule for the first time EVER this past weekend. Why is it that my cycle is finally working itself out at the very stage in my life when i want nothing but to not have it and be preg? Anyhoo, I'm choosing to see it as a positive thing, hopefully it will make ovulation and everything more on schedule and regulated. BUT, I am not quite done with the pity party thrown by me, in my honor. A depressing thought occured to me. If DH and I don't successfully concieve until April or later, we won't be parents until 2010. That just seems so far away...sigh. How's everyone else doing?

OMg, what a cutie! I love all her dark hair. Congrats, what a blessing! We're still trying, keep your fingers crossed that October will be our month!

Heather, Hi cutie! You and I seem to be in the same boat, yet different situations. My period arrived on saturday on the EXACT date it came in August, meaning it was right on time, which has NEVER happened to me before. Even though I was a little disappointed to get it since we're trying, the fact that I have now gone 3 consecutive months with a period every month is amazing to me. Maybe weight loss has finally helped regulate my cycles?!? As for you, a few bits of advice/knowledge. Yes, weight loss can dramatically influence the dates and timing of your cycle, as can obsessing about getting it when hoping/wondering if you're pregnant. As well, I am a big believer in dollar store pregnancy tests, they have always worked immediately and been accurate for me. Just ensure the expiration date on the box hasn't passed (I've never found an expired one, but I know Dollar Stores sell old merchandiuse sometimes). As well, you cannot take the dollar store tests before you miss a period, but other than that, they work wonderfully! If you truly think there's a chance you conceived this month, all the fertility sites say that certain women's cycles will cause them to have negative test all the way up to 5 days late. So, if you're really late on your visit from Aunt Flo and have taken negative tests, I'd prob assume it's stress and your weight loss influencing your metabolic systems and periods.

update time yet again. been counting my cycle days, taking ovulation tests, "trying to get preggo", etc. started spotting today and having some cramps, so i'm bummed. doesn't look like we were successful this month. Aunt Flo's due in 2 days (based on my crazy, eventful cycles), so oh well. it looks like she's arriving earlier than usual, rather than 3 weeks late. Hubby has been wonderful and supportive all thru this for me...he rocks.:thumbup: how is everyone else doing out there?

I agree with everyone else, especially Michee's idea of how to present your mom's little party as a traditional thing, it seems more appropriate that way and you'll achieve the same effect...she will be thrilled. When my bro and his girlfriend were preg, all his guy friends (and he had ALOT of them) threw a "Dude's Baby Party". Now since this was primarily a ton of 20-something guys in heavy metal T-shirts, it was hysterical and touching. None of them wanted/knew what baby gifts to buy, so I told them all to bring diapers, any size or brand. It worked like a charm and the diaper party was so very valuable because they were stocked up for months! As well, a few of his friends have gone on to start families of their own and we've continued the "Dude's Diaper Party Tradition". You mentioned your hubby doesn't have a ton of male friends that are truly his, but if there are peeps who care about him, I'm sure it would work.

hey peeps, here is my go-to list for mushies/pureed/soft phase. i'm gonna list it all and depending on how you're feeling, you'll know what you can try. (side note, Pasta is not recommended due to gluten/sticking issues no matter if its blended or what) Here goes: pureed chili (YUM), egg drop soup (GREAT Calcium and Protein source) tuna, soft boiled eggs, applesauce, carnation instant Breakfast with pudding, all Soups, black Beans, kidney beans, all beans, ground meats simmered in enchilada sauce, hot/sour soup, sardines, canned ham, oatmeal, grits, jelly, (avoid Peanut Butter, it gets stuck), honey, yogurt, oyster or saltine crackers soaked to mush, beef gravy, and lite Spam (its better than expected, I had never eaten it.) As well, never forget baby food, it's actually a great nutritional source and perfectly pre-measured servings, good way to get fruit and veggies in! Good luck!

OMG honey, congrats! i am thrilled for you as we are trying also! i haven't seen you on chat in forever! this is wonderful news! good luck!

heather, welcome to our hopeful little club! as for me, things are going great! I have been using the ovulation kits and yesterday, the lines finally matched, so I must have been having my pre-ovulation hormone surge. As well i've had what feels kinda like minor menstrual cramps the past 2 days, so something is definitely going on down there! Please keep your fingers crossed for me. I hope all of us have success on this very soon. Hubby and I have been "trying" all weekend! :thumbup:

hey baby luv/lapband twin sis! i am SO glad you posted, i was thinking about you all day, but you were never on the chat when i checked in....i'm very relieved all is well! take it easy and get some rest babe!

hi ladies, i'm not currently preg and have never been, but since we're trying, i'm reading a few pregnancy books. I'm not sure if you can find anything online such as a book excerpt, but in "The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy", it has several pages all about "dingy dirty hair syndrome". Most women feel their hair darkens or has an oily sheen in the later months of their pregnancy, close to delivery. Hope that helps?

hi there. the only other time i've heard of this was in a friend who had a band that was fairly old by medical standards. she got it in 2002. after her pregnancy, she developed an allergy to her band and had a gastro-infection. the tissues in her surrounding organs were irritated by the band and got inflamed, causing pressure in her lower throat and the constant vomiting you described. the vomiting didn't help. she had been having port issues anyway, so she finally decided on a complete band/port replacement surgery last april, 2007. she's fine now, but all she could eat was frozen yogurt and Soups for a long time until they figured out what was happening. good luck.

i got banded 3/19/08 and we started trying exactly 4 months later in july. my BMI dropped pretty quickly, so doc gave us the go ahead since i'm almost under 200 lbs. (9 to go!) good luck and if you're not having a lot of other health issues, i hear the magic number is around 200 lbs...if you can get near that, then you're good.

hi peeps. time for a quick update yet again. i got my period today! woo hoo! while normally when someone is hoping to get preg that is considered bad news, it means my cycle is finally regulating a little bit (July & August mark the first 2 consecutive months I've had a period since October) and it also means i can buy and use ovulation test sticks now! woo hoo! I can't seem to find the Answer brand ovulation kits anywhere...where do you get them?

Michelle I wish you much luck in babyland! I took a 3rd test this morning due to STILL no TOM (was due 8/5) and feeling nauseaous. It was negative, so I'm thinking I have some psycho-somatic issues with thinking I may be preg and being more in tune with my body has caused me to question every little twinge and pain. I will be calling the doc to see if the fact that I've always had irregular cycles should be cause for concern or if I should still give it a few months. After all, being logical about this, we've only been trying 2 months. Anyhoo, there are plenty of women with irregular cycles who conceived no problem, right? I am trying to keep an eye on the cervical mucus as well...fun!

FRANNY!!! My Franny is gonna be a mommy! OMG honey! CONGRATS! WOOO HOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:tt2::thumbup::crying::biggrin:

Thanks guys for all the kind words! A little update/more info: since getting off the Pill in October, I've had VERY random, odd cycles. Pretty much January, February, May and July...so it's kinda like every 8-10 weeks I get a cycle?!? The sites and books say the same thing...if you have truly inconsistent periods, try constantly and take 1 test a week. I took another test yesterday from the Dollar Store. I looked and the same experts say dollar store tests are just fine, as long as you make sure they're not expired. The only thing I am wondering (let me know if you have the answer!) is if we should also do the Ovulation Test Strips? I kinda think you have to start the strips on a certain day after your period ends, but since mine ended July 13 and I've gone 2 or 3 months at a time, I'm unsure of if this is worth it at all. On the other hand, with someone who's cycles are as jacked up as mine, it can be REALLY hard to know when our best conceiving chances are gonna be. It's funny how we've only been trying about a month and it can fill my thoughts so many hours of the day! Here's hoping!

hi guys, i started having some early preg symptoms so i took a test, big fat negative. oh well! i knew we'd be WAY too lucky to get it our first month. i am a bit sad though. Hubby picked up the tests and he got the ones that say you can use the day AFTER you miss your period. well, mine's due tomorrow, so maybe there's a teenie chance i took it too early, but i doubt it. just wanted to keep you posted! send baby dust my way!

Hi Kristy and LosingJusme! First of all, thanks so much for your replies! Losing, you made me laugh out loud! I'm working on both bits of advice you gave, thanks so much! Mostly I'm just very excited and a bit of an impulsive person, so of course, (in Veruca Salt's immortal words:) I want it NOW! Side note: Losing, I've followed your blog (found thru LisetheLoser) for several months now and I am very happy for you to be growing a little baby bean! Your blog is awesome. Kristy, keep me posted on your progress as well! I'm from Tucson originally. I was born at TMC and my parents went to Catalina HS. Most of my parents families still live there, mostly near Rita Ranch and Swan/Grant Road. I love Arizona! They have the nicest people on the planet... I'm just really hoping/praying/obsessing that this happens soon for us. My weight has been at a plateau for the past 2 weeks or so...if I could just reach 40 lbs, I'd be thrilled. Currently at 39 or so.