Pregnant with Lap-band

[luna02525 0]

Hi all! I am new to this site and new to this forum.

I've been banded since June 2007. I weighed 252 lbs on surgery day. Since then I have been through a lot to say the least! My low weight is 130 lbs. In about January of this year I decided to see my band Dr. Things weren't "working" anymore. After battling addiction and binging and purging (post banding bulimia) I think my band had had enough!

I went in and went under fluoro and Doc said I stretched my band. He said I would need to unfill and go on a strict liquid diet for 2 weeks and then come in to see if it returned to size and then get a fill.

Between those visits, however, I learned I was pregnant!! It was a huge surprise and certainly not something husband and I were expecting (of course now we can not wait to meet our little man). I decided to cancel my appointment for a fill (I figured I was pregnant and didn't need one) and progress through my pregnancy eating "normally".

I started off pregnancy at about 165 (gained weight after coming off amphetamines and stopped binging and purging) and now, at 30 weeks, I weigh 211!

I am so embarrassed I have let myself get this big!

I'm just wondering if it is possible that my pouch will shrink back to post-banding size (after I go on that liquid diet I was supposed to do in January) post-baby and I will be able to get a fill.

After it has been stretched so long, can it even shrink back? Is it continuing to stretch even with no saline?

Thanks in advance for any advice or stories you may have.

[Brie_SDmamaofTwins 4]

First off CONGRATS! How exciting...second of all from what I understand after you have the baby 6wks later you can start getting fills again. If your worried about your pouch being streched you can do the 5 day pouch test to re-shrink it. I know your freaked about the weight gain but your pregnant! Cherish this and after your baby is born you can get back on track. Hugs!

[aSpen 0]

Agree with Brie..I think what is most important right now is that your baby is getting the proper care he/she needs..I think a lot of women that are banded and get pregnant are terrified they will gain weight and never be able to get back down to the weight they were prior to getting pregnant...I would wait until after then go see your doctor and talk to him/her about what you can do to shrink it..You shouldn't be ashamed that you gained weight while pregnant it is completely normal banded or not banded..I hope everything works out and you get back on the track you want to be on and you have a wonderful birth...congrats on your pregnancy!!

[luna02525 0]

Thank you! Okay now I feel a little better. I try not to worry about the weight gain (just want my baby to be healthy) but it is hard! Gonna quit being negative, focus on keeping me and baby healthy and look forward to the future!

[Maysatl 0]

I am almost 10 weeks and got an unfill. I had already gained 7-13 lbs. maybe more. I started freaking out having anxiety attacks about how much weight I am gaining. I am getting big fast. I was 170 lbs I had lost 80lbs total 2 years post opt, and I hadnt been that small since I was a kid. I shopped all the time and love all the clothes and my size. I was finally a 10-12 I'm 5"8". We have been married 4 years so I guess it's time. Anyways, I am reading now and I see all these comments about how others didnt get a complete unfil. I kinda wish I didn't get it all unfilled. I was just so hungry before my unfil. I hope I can lose it all. I understand how how you feel about gaining the weight. I already finding my pants not closing. :confused: