Pregnancy Vs Wls? Please Help.

[gutless 0]

I surfed my way here today and am looking to you ladies for advice/thoughts/comments/suggestions - you get the drill.

I am turning 39 next week, and am currently in the in-take process for VS surgery. I know that I cannot shed the cloak of morbid obesity on my own - have tried with some success, only to fail.

The main problem I have is with *not* eating. I do not get overwhelmingly hungry. In fact, I can go a whole day without eating or drinking. I know, it's bad - trust me, I understand that. My body just doesn't send me the usual hungry or thirsty signals. One of the things I look forward to the most is learning how to properly fill my body with the nutrients it needs. I'm not a junk food addict - and I actually enjoy eating vegetables when I eat.

So... here's the dilemma.

Despite my weight, I've had consults with both a Perinatologist (high-risk specialist recommended solely on the basis of my weight), and an Obstetrician. Also despite my weight I have normal blood sugar, normal cholesterol, and normal blood pressure. Both have advised me that given my health (again despite my weight), that age is more of a detrement and I am likely to have a normal, healthy pregnancy with a normal, healthy baby.

This would be our first child. My baby clock is not only ticking - it feels like every cell in my body is screaming at me to start trying to conceive YESTERDAY lol.

The wait list for my surgery is 12-18 months...

The question I have for you is would you choose to start trying now and possibly delay the surgery due to pregnancy down the road, or would you wait and have the surgery and then wait another 12-18 months before you start trying? If I wait, I'll likely be 41 or 42 before starting to try to have child number one... and we want to have more than one...

Any advice would be honestly appreciated.

[fattymcfatterson 107]

This is tough. I will be 41 in june. I have been unable to conceive. Finally had REAL testing done and turns out I have had polyps. Well, my ob says at my age it is a very SLIM chance I would have a viable egg. If I could rewind, I would have FOUGHT harder to have a baby instead of just waiting. I listened to a doc 6 years ago who said "just lose weight and you will get prego". I have no bio children and am facing a hysterectomy if the cells in my uterus go from pre-cancer to cancer. Have you had fertility diagnostics done? I would ask your doc about a fertilization test. And maybe even an ultrasound to check the lining of your uterus and make sure there are no other factors. If the doc is not concerned about bp or anything, my heart tells you DO IT before it is to late. DON'T WAIT!!!! Learn when your fertile times are and get to it! You can continue on with the wls journey, and if you aren't prego by that time re-evaluate. If you get prego before then PRAISE GOD!!!! You can always get surgery later. BUt once your eggs are no longer viable your options are ivf with your husband's dna and some other women's eggs (not for me, I have step sons already) or adoption. GET TO WORK WOMAN!!!!!!!! And how is it your overweight if you are NOT eating?? Is there something underlying? Have you been tested for PCOS?

[circa 333]

You're asking for opinions here, so here's mine I would bust my ass and get healthy. Health is #1. Obesity can lead to so many unforeseen complications with childbirth. Your health needs to be a priority. Sure, children can be great, but not if you're not healthy enough to care for one. You've had to go see an extra specialist because of your weight -that's a telling sign in and of itself. You might not have diabetes, HBP, high cholesterol and other co-morbidities now, but that doesn't mean they can't develop in the blink of an eye. Gestational diabetes is a dangerous and pretty definite issue with an obese pregnancy.

Getting your health in order should be priority #1 in my opinion. After, you can try to have a baby - and if you can't, there's always adoption - tons of kids need good homes.

[missmeow 156]

This is just my opinion, but if your doctor is telling you that your AGE is the primary factor here, I would not wait another 12-18 to get surgery and another 12-18 months after surgery to start trying. I realize some people have gotten pregnant early on with their sleeve, but all the literature says at least a year. This is to give you the chance to lose the weight and also to be able to eat a more balanced diet than what you're going to be doing in the early days post-surgery. I don't know how obese you are but many obese women have healthy babies and many thin women have all kinds of problems. Pregnancy is a dice roll. Some things you can do to help alleiviate any problems but you can still have them. If your specialist is telling you now is the time, then now is the time. With pregnancy, it becomes harder and harder to get pregnant and stay pregnant past the age of 40. Personally, I would not wait.

ETA: Also, I would second what was said before. Start doing everything you can to get yourself as healthy as possible: eat regular meals, cut out the junk, cut out the sugar, get some moderate exercise. You can still be on the waiting list for surgery and if you're not pregnant by then, THEN think about it. You have over a year to get started and you might have or be close to having a baby by then.

[JayhawkJess33 25]

Also, just my opinion.........If your doctor believes your age is more of a factor than the weight, I would not wait. As the previous poster mentioned, you can still eat healthy and make good choices pre-pregnancy and during pregnancy. I have three children - ages 3, 5 and 7 and I weighed between 240 and 260 (I am 5'10") when I got pregnant with each of them. I had no trouble conceiving (which I realize I am very lucky for) - 1st baby was conceived the second month trying, the 2nd baby was conceived the first month trying and the 3rd baby - we weren't even trying!! I had completely healthy pregnancies with all three (no gestational diabetes or other issues at all), felt great for the entire pregnancy each time and delivered absolutely healthy babies. I gained 25-27 lbs with each one and took that weight off relatively quickly after each one mostly by breastfeeding. My pregnancies didn't do a lot to contribute to my obesity as I was already obese pre-pregnancy.

If you had existing health issues that would compromise a pregnancy or your long term health (diabetes, high blood pressure, etc..) I am sure your doctors would not encourage you to try to conceive prior to weight loss.

Of course, you will have to decide what works for you and what you are comfortable with. Good luck with your journey!

[Dooter 1,457]

I started menopause at 39, so from where i'm sitting, I'd say get pregnant as fast as you can. Do what you have to. I weighed 255 when I conceived my first son, and 277 when I conceived my twins. I am an otherwise healthy person for whom pregnancy posed no risk. I was 30 and 32 back then, but I'm glad I didn't wait. The closer you get to menopause, the less you ovulate and the harder it is to get pregnant. My two cents.

[100%Sleeved 148]

I agree with dooter and besides when you start losing the weight you don't have to worry about putting it back on with pregnacy. I was 135 lbs and balooned to 265 after having my last child. I don't regret it for a second however it was overwhelming.

[Catracks 865]

Eat healthy, get pregnant, continue to eat healthy and then do the surgery. It will be here when you're ready. Good luck!

[2BThinAlways 17]

I surfed my way here today and am looking to you ladies for advice/thoughts/comments/suggestions - you get the drill.

I am turning 39 next week, and am currently in the in-take process for VS surgery. I know that I cannot shed the cloak of morbid obesity on my own - have tried with some success, only to fail.

The main problem I have is with *not* eating. I do not get overwhelmingly hungry. In fact, I can go a whole day without eating or drinking. I know, it's bad - trust me, I understand that. My body just doesn't send me the usual hungry or thirsty signals. One of the things I look forward to the most is learning how to properly fill my body with the nutrients it needs. I'm not a junk food addict - and I actually enjoy eating vegetables when I eat.

So... here's the dilemma.

Despite my weight, I've had consults with both a Perinatologist (high-risk specialist recommended solely on the basis of my weight), and an Obstetrician. Also despite my weight I have normal blood sugar, normal cholesterol, and normal blood pressure. Both have advised me that given my health (again despite my weight), that age is more of a detrement and I am likely to have a normal, healthy pregnancy with a normal, healthy baby.

This would be our first child. My baby clock is not only ticking - it feels like every cell in my body is screaming at me to start trying to conceive YESTERDAY lol.

The wait list for my surgery is 12-18 months...

The question I have for you is would you choose to start trying now and possibly delay the surgery due to pregnancy down the road, or would you wait and have the surgery and then wait another 12-18 months before you start trying? If I wait, I'll likely be 41 or 42 before starting to try to have child number one... and we want to have more than one...

Any advice would be honestly appreciated.

I see you're in Canada (so am I) and so I'm wondering if that 12-18 months wait list for surgery might not turn out to be much longer. I've heard it's TEN YEARS if you're a "healthy" morbidly obese patient here in Nova Scotia (that seems criminal to me).

I wonder, have you considered going abroad for the surgery if that would be possible for you? That's what I've decided to do. You could be having surgery within weeks if you could go that route.

That said, if I were you and the 12-18 months wait was necessary, I would probably work on eating right, exercising a LOT, and try for a baby right away. Perhaps you could put yourself on the waiting list for the surgical consult at the same time so that you're at least in the queue?

Good luck with it all!

[Chclte06 3]

This is a similar question I have for myself...the difference is that I would like to have baby #2. For my first pregnancy I was heavy throughout but didn't develop any complications during my pregnancy, however I felt I didn't enjoy my pregnant to the fullest. I want to wear the cute maternity outfits but they didn't fit, I wanted to show off my pregnant belly but the additional weight us the wight I started with wasn't attractive to me. Lastly, I didn't like having special accommodations because of my weight. Such as a bigger wheelchair, bigger bed, specialized gowns etc... With a pregnancy it is important to be healthy before and throughout your pregnancy...

[ShouldBlittler 89]

I started menopause at 39, so from where i'm sitting, I'd say get pregnant as fast as you can. Do what you have to. I weighed 255 when I conceived my first son, and 277 when I conceived my twins. I am an otherwise healthy person for whom pregnancy posed no risk. I was 30 and 32 back then, but I'm glad I didn't wait. The closer you get to menopause, the less you ovulate and the harder it is to get pregnant. My two cents.

I would NOT wait to get pregnant. If you have any sort of challenges in conceiving at all, you could really regret it.

[circa 333]

I think the bigger regret would be having an unhealthy baby or complications during and after pregnancy due to being unhealthy.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/730973

[ShouldBlittler 89]

I think the bigger regret would be having an unhealthy baby or complications during and after pregnancy due to being unhealthy.

http://www.medscape....warticle/730973

Not for me. Parenthood has affected my life in profound ways.

[New1 201]

Quick and easy for me, I'd try for the baby! Good luck and God bless!

[kgb 10]

Just my humble opinion: yes, I would have a baby ASAP. I have no children and at 38 I know the chances of having a healthy baby plummet around 35. Weight does complicate the matter greatly though, so it's a personal choice between you and your doctor(s). Keep us posted!!!! I wish you the BEST OF LUCK no matter what you choose.