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I have heard this as well. I got pregnant 5 months after surgery. I gave birth completely naturally without any complications or drugs at a birthing center. I didn't even get Tylenol! I got up and walked out with my baby girl 4 hours after giving birth and felt great. Labored in a tub got out and delivered on a bed. They did consider me high risk because I had a very healthy pregnancy. No issues and in range for all test while pregnant. YOU will have to educate THEM. They know nothing about bariatrics. I went prepared with papers and research on what I needed to do and what MY plan was to have a healthy pregnancy. Boost your healthy Snacks and do your homework and you can do it. Don't let anyone tell you you can't have the birth you want because you simply can't eat as much at once. Best of luck to you and congrats!!!!

@@AmiLou I enjoy trying out new healthy foods. I reached out to this forum, because I know that folks here usually have some healthy ways to prepare foods. My son is a professional chef, so I always have a source for how to prepare foods. Unfortunately his recipes are not always bariatric friendly.

Hi everyone, Does anyone know of a chart that tells us how much protein, kcals, fats, carbs, fibre and salt we should eat as post-bariatric patients? Since I’m writing everything down, I feel like I should at least check that I’m not going over the top on salt, for example. I also suffer from constipation and I would like to try and manipulate my food to help - so it’s good to have base lines! The recommended daily allowance that we get on food labels in the U.K. is for standard diets of 2000kcals per day. Maybe I should just quarter that but I wonder if there’s a calculator out there that takes different sizes of people into consideration? Hope this isn’t a silly question. My brain is still very fogged up! 🌸

I have been taking Bariatric Advantage Protein bars and shakes for my pre-op diet and because of all the stomach issues I have been having my NUT recommended a dairy-free version. Does anyone have a soy protein they can recommend??? Thank you!

This is a 4 year old thread so you may not hear back from the previous posters. I’ve heard great things about Doctors Wilhemy, Esquerra, and Ungson at Mexicali Bariatric Center. People I know that had DS surgery there were very happy with the experience and have had great weight loss & maintenance results. You couldn’t make a better choice as they’re the preeminent DS surgeons in Mexico. Good luck!

I did not find a lot on Dr. Wilhlemy on this forum, so I wanted to share my experience for anyone researching him and the hospital in Mexicali. I flew in from Canada to have a revision from LB to VSG done. I learned about Mexicali Bariatric Center by 3 coworkers that had been there to have surgery with Dr. Aceves and they spoke very highly of the hospital, the staff and had marvelous results! I must admit that I looked at a couple lower priced places but immediately knew that I wanted a certified doctor a certified hospital, a place where I knew patients were having very good long term weight loss results and my chances of a complication were low. I found all of these in Dr Wilhelmy and the magnificent team at Mexicali Bariatric Center. I also found a lot of caring people, professionalism and made friends for life! The experience started out a bit bumpy because my flight was delayed for 5 hours. I had to be in San Diego Ca before 11 am and this delay would make me miss the shuttle to Mexicali. I called Nina at the office at 5 am ( sorry about the time honey) practically in tears not sure what to do. She calmed me and assured me they would not leave me in Sd and we would make it work. She kept her word and they had a driver to pick me up and take me to Mexicali that same day. It was too late to have all my tests done that evening so I just had EKG and x rays and spoke the nutritionist and bariatric doctor, Dr. Campos. Dr. Campos did a barium swallow and checked my band. Everything looked good. Yolanda and Carla met me and helped me through this stage. I spent the night at Lucerna Hotel and thanks to the sleeping pills I had a good night sleep. Ernesto, the driver, was bright and early at the hotel to pick me up and took me to the hospital. I had blood work done that early morning and was admitted into the hospital. We waited for my test results and in the meantime I was put on the IV, I was given blood thinners and did the final paperwork. Time flew by, my tests we done, I saw all doctors that morning, internal medicine doctor, anestheologist, Dr. Wilhelmy and nurses Sergio and Esmerald. By 9am I was in surgery! My band was removed and my sleeve done that morning. Surgery took 1.5 hours and was told I had a lot of adhesions but nothing they had not seen before. Phew! The next 3 days passed so quickly. I was in the hospital for 3 days in total, I had 3 leak tests and recovered without any problems. The attentiveness of the nurses was impressive. They have a caring spirit helping patients get as comfortable as possible and always with a smile on their face. The cleaning ladies are there all day, they clean over the clean, I swear I wanted to take one of them home! I saw the doctors 2-3 times a day and was reassured daily about my recovery and my questions were answered. My husband talked beer and sports with the doctors, he is a big fan of both so needless to say he is now a big fan of MBC's doctors too. I had NEVER gotten this care anyplace else. I was not a number, I was a patient, someone they cared about and that along with their surgical experience make them an exceptional medical team. It was a very big difference from my band experience at home.

I know this is waaaay late but in case anyone else is researching Rhode Island I had a great experience with Dr. Todd Stafford from Surgical Associates. They work out of Miriam Hospital but also Rhode Island Hospital. The bariatrics program is primarily at Miriam I believe. Dr.stafford is fantastic and my hospital stay was nothing but positive. My surgery was November 25, the day before thanksgiving. The nurses and drs were all nice and supportive, nothing but good things to say. The drs main secretary is not super organized but she was a small bump in the road and I just kept up with everything myself and didnt let that impede my progress. All 4 dra in the practice seem very good from my research. 3 of them checked on me in the 2 days i was in the hospital and at my follow ups I saw Dr. Stafford and the PA.

It depends on the plan. If you are paying for insurance out of pocket, look at plans that offer bariatric coverage as part of the plan. Not all do. Speak with a broker or check healthcare.gov.

I am from MA where Romneycare started and now there is Obarmacare. People may complain but because of Romneycare I have wonderful health insurance that pays for everything. My very sick husband maybe would be dead if not for this wonderful insurance. Look into Obarmacare. Depends on what kind of insurance you have? Can you sign up for Obamacare? There's no guarantee the plan will offer bariatrics as many state plans don't, but it's certainly worth a try.

Hello Hass, I wish you all the best! I really admire your tenacity to go through this knowing that you will not have a nutritionist!. There is a wealth of info on Bariatric Pal and Im sure some folks could share their nutritionist info with you if you like. You could certainly look at the "manual" I was given from Rush University Hospital here in Chicago. You are about 4 days out now- how are you feeling. Remember to walk to get the gas out and sip as much Fluid as you can.

Hi everyone. I'm glad to have found this forum. I'm in the very beginnings of my LB journey, so y'all will have to bear with me. I've just had my insurance confirmed, but must go through the 6 months of weight counseling, plus psych testing. My first counseling appointment is Nov 1 because of a pre-existing clause, so that means I won't have the surgery until May 2012. The only thing I am nervous about is if my insurance policy changes to exempt bariatric surgery on Jan 1st. I have CIGNA insurance through my employer. Currently I am 50 years old and have a bmi of 48.1. I am using Texas Gastric Banding (Dr Wilkenfeld), with the surgery at True Results in Houston. I'm for sure going the lap band route, but considering also an imbrication. The decision will be made as time goes by. I'm not interested in rushing anything because I'm looking to change old eating habits I've had for a lifetime. The LB is for assistance and encouragement. I can't do this by myself. My goals are to get healthy, reduce the aches and pains in my joints, and to finally be able to shop in the normal size clothing section! I want to run/walk a 10k by the fall of 2013. I am here to see your experiences and share mine. I've already added to my list of questions that I need to ask my doc. I'm thinking of blogging my journey for an emotional outlet. I live by myself, divorced in 2006, adult kids grown and out of the house. As a matter of fact, I moved 2000 miles from them last year to be closer to my parents and sisters. I'm hoping to convince my sister to join me and make her own journey to health. I'm so excited!

My nut recommended Celebrate capsules. You take three per day. I ordered them online and they came in just a couple. I had gotten to where I was skipping my Bariatric Advantage chewables because they were SO sour to me. These capsules are just regular size and designed specifically for bariatric patients.

I've been taking 1/2 of a chewable bariatric Vitamin each day. An entire one makes me sick. So I'm now 2 months out and I decided to try an entire one today and within 5 minutes I was sick. I'm glad I didn't order more. I feel like I wasted a Sunday. So after the worst of it passed I went to the store and looked at Vitamins. I can swallow a pill pretty well so I think I just need to get off of these chewables and onto a regular vitamin. So I picked up a liquid SoftGel Multi for Her by Nature Made. I should have noted that there was no guide on the bottle that showed the ACTUAL pill size. Well, this thing looks like a horse pill. It is literally over 1 inch long and pretty big around. Honestly, I would think it would be considered a choking hazard. So I tried using search on this site but didn't come up with any details that would help me. Can anyone suggest a brand of pills that are easy to swallow? I have the good old standard "One A Day" and I'm thinking about falling back on it with additional supplements. I'd rather take 10 pills than try to take one huge one. If you are using a reasonably sized multi vitamin that is easy to swallow could you let me know the name. I don't want to waste any more money trying to find a single pill that will work. I'd rather just go buy the lot.

The bariatric Vitamins made me sick about 4 weeks out. They never bothered me before that and one day, I just felt awful and did every day after. I told my nut when she called to advance my food stage and she said since I was cleared for solid foods, I could now swallow pills bigger than an M&M. She recommended Centrum. Said it is the best multi out there and it has everything you need. I have been taking it ever since. Walmart brand is just fine and compares label to label and is $10 cheaper! And the best part is, it doesn't make me sick!! Kelly

I'm not telling my dad because I don't want to worry him. Of course after it's over and I'm dropping weight he will notice and I will tell him, but the surgery will be over by then and he won't have to worry. My kids know and my husband knows. My office knows because I had to fill out FMLA paperwork because I'm going to be off work for a week and the paperwork came back from the Bariatric Center, so of course everyone in my office knows. I don't need anyone's opinion.

I bought some protein soups at the Bariatric Pal store. The cream of chicken is my favorite. I was sooo tired of the sweet tastes too.

Here's Dr. Matthew Weiner's take on weight gain and stretching out your tool. It's a common issue. And newbies defend their position to the death: that "everything in moderation" is ok. Dr. Weiner calls it the myth of restriction and malabsorption. Love it! This isn't magic bean surgery. They operate on our tummies not our heads. So we have to do everything we can to address the head issues that contributed to our disease while maximizing the advantage that WLS provides. It doesn't just "magically" end being a tool at the end of our honeymoon periods (anything equal to or <2 years). You still have your tool. But you have to exercise it. I too highly recommend how healthy counseling is for us. Get a referral to your RD for post op loss care and also to a bariatric counselor. All of our surgeons wish that their patients come back to them when they are only at the 10lb regain stage rather than the 50 or 60 or 100lb regain stage. 10lbs in 3 months really needs to be quickly evaluated. It could be your choices, but it could also be hormonal of some nature and you need to have a complete work-up and evaluation. BTW, you should stick around here and get support and provide support. Your journey will help others just like you/us!!!! Here's Dr. Weiner on the subject.

I was on vacation in Hawaii.. mid-trip felt a bit weird and took a test. Definitely put a spin on the rest of my trip! lol I have/had pseudotumor cerebri with papilledema, which is why I had RNY surgery in the first place. I was down a total of 120 pounds (with 30 more to go) when I got the big news that I didn't anticipate. So I immediately contacted and OBGYN and began figuring out what I needed to do for myself to make sure this would be a healthy pregnancy. I was glad to learn that many of the vitamins I was already taking post-op sort of mimic pre-natals, but I found a great liquid pre-natal and changed my vitamins around a bit. Went back to my nutritionist and am still figuring out my diet, but I log everything and make sure I meet my daily goals. So far everything looks good, baby has a healthy heartbeat at 6 weeks. The doctor said if I follow what I've been doing I will only likely gain 15 pounds or so... hopefully. Just wondering what anyone else's experience with this might be? I've read lots of posts about finding out about being pregnant, but not too much on the journey or how things wound up afterwards for post-bariatric patients. Bad enough my family is scarring me for life thinking about how most babies in my family were no less than 10 pounds at birth..... gotta love family!

Understood. Thanks. A little positivity goes a long way. Clearly you didn't hit a bump in the road. I was asking for help not ridicule. Sent from my XT1565 using the BariatricPal App You're 3 weeks out. Are you supposed to be having anything crunchy? And you're not having "crunchy" if you're just sucking on them anyway? And where's the Protein? And DON'T tell me I'm not being 'positive'. You just had major bariatric surgery and have a post surgery diet you're supposed to be following. Grow the hell up.

Welcome!! I hope the surgery helped your MS. I have autoimmune disease and chronic pain myself and was sleeved just this past November 24th Welcome to bariatric pal

I just had my passport updated to reflect my married name. From the time I mailed it off it took 19 days to get my actual passport booklet back. The passport card came in a seperate mailing about a week later. A month earlier I sent in my bosses' passport for renewal. He used the expedited service and got it back within 10 days. Expedited service is 60 dollars. Does your state offer an enhanced drivers license? Washington does. I don't know about other states. As another poster stated, I believe this mini govt shutdown had an impact on passport services.

I'm still on soft foods but transition to real foods in two weeks. Looking for bariatric friendly recipes for now and then. Anybody got any?

The others have written so much about meal planning that I'll just add that there are several cookbooks geared to bariatric patients. The one that I bought six-ish years ago (and never used) is Eating Well after Weight Loss Surgery. I mention the title only because I recall that it broke recipes out for the different surgical procedures. So many "regular" recipes are well-suited. Sitting in a restaurant or ordering out is great. Then there is my belief that planning and cooking for myself and occasional guests says that I'm a capable, competent adult. Seeing my refrigerator blooming with produce and other good things tells me that a real person lives here; a fridge with little more than condiments on the door shelves is sad to me. I'm a fan of leftovers when I make a batch of favorite dishes. I'm a fan of a one-time meal of something I've tossed in the oven or broiler or pan. My cooking ranges from life-long dishes to improvisation to either following closely or loosely a recipe for more exotic fare, such as South Asian or North African. Cooking is a creative endeavor; some of the improvisations are merely edible, thus, never repeated. Only once did an improv prove to be fodder for the garbage can. It's an adventure. Above all, cooking is a component of my reigning over my program.

These are great! YES to going sleeveless, accepting compliments, wearing heels pain-free, feeling less conspicuous because of size, and not feeling like an obstacle in the path -- and that driver's license stat honesty! I need to renew mine too - just seeing the old picture on it makes me startle now.

Katy, Where are you from - how did you get involved with bariatric surgery?