Pregnancy Vs Wls? Please Help.

[circa 333]

Why would you risk the Heath of an innocent child because you want to be a parent? There are healthy kids born every day that need loving parents.

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[Wheetsin 714]

I asked my doctor a similar question a few years ago. Do I wait until I'm at something resembling a healthy weight, or do I go for the pregnancy first?

Her response gave me a perspective I wouldn't have had. She reminded me of all the EXTRAORDINARILY obese people who manage to have perfectly healthy babies every day. And she also reminded me that at my age (31 at the time), more risk was going to come from egg viability than from obesity. Yes, some risks are higher. Your age is already going to classify you as a high risk pregnancy (though I think you said your weight will too). I'm still obese but if I wanted another baby, I'd be a LOT more concerned about complications stemming from my age (just turned 36, DD is 3) than my weight. A LOT.

Keep in mind there's a waiting period after surgery before you can get pregnant. I'm not sure what it is with sleeve, but generically it's 1 - 2 years (my surgeon used to say 1, now he says 2). And conception probably won't happen as soon as you start trying, either. So figure 18 months waitlist + 24 months waiting period + time to conceive... if a baby i something you really want, I personally would not wait.

I was about 230 - 240 when I conceived. For perspective, my normal BMI weight is around 175. I don't know how overweight you are, but my "conception" weight of about 240 represents about 140 lbs I had already lost. Was I still obese when I got pregnant.. yep. Would I do it again... yep.

If you are having problems conceiving, weightloss is kind of like fertility hyperdrive, BTW.

[Nadz 74]

The decision will ultimately be yours. And there are a lot of arguments for trying to conceive now and against it.

I got pregnant when my BMI was 45. My OB told me that I had to go through my pregnancy without gaining more than 14 pounds. I went to a dietitian and with her help and the help of my OB I weighed the same on the day I went into labour as the day I found out I was pregnant. Despite all this, I had to start taking blood pressure medication when I was 22 weeks pregnant. And today I have a beautiful, healthy toddler running around the house and climbing on everything!

I would desperately want another child, but because of my weight, I decided get sleeved before trying to conceive number 2 as I do not want to struggle with blood pressure again during pregnancy and I am struggling keeping up with one toddler, so I can't imagine running after 2 kids at my current weight!

Good luck with whatever you decide and I wish you a full term, healthy pregnancy for when you are pregnant!

[tamou37 2]

Hi Gutless,

I am almost your age. My experience is really tough. I have had eight failed (IVF+ICSI). I put on around 45 pounds in the process. Now doctor advised me to lose around 70 pounds before I try again. I know I am getting old but sometimes being overweight does not help with getting pregnant quickly. I was sleeved on 26/2 and hoping to lose around 75 pounds in 6 months. Doctor told me if my blood test shows no Vitamins deficiency by the end of 6 months and weight is stabilized, I can try for a baby. Just my experience. good luck with your decision.

[Dea 17]

Hi!. So my opinion is similar to most peoples.

Have a baby, then bask in the wonderfulness that is being a mama.

At the same time, work on losing weight. (I love swimming to help).

You can always have the surgery later in life.

good luck!

[Texarkolina 201]

My thoughts are these:

Some women in their mid to late 30s have always had a strong desire to have kids but were waiting for the perfect timing. They watch their biological clock creep up and when it hits 35 they NEED to have a baby. I had an overwhelming desire to have kids that had been with me for years, and I knew I would regret not having one the rest of my life--so baby first despite my weight. I had a difficult pregnancy and delivery and am now heavier than I have ever been. I am trying to get approved for surgery now. I am really happy with my decision.

Others look up, realize they are 35 and forgot to have a kid so they have one because it's time and they don't want to miss an opportunity. My best friend was trying to get pregnant at the same time I was, had some difficulty, and decided to stop trying. She realized that, while she did want a baby, she didn't want the stress of fertility treatments and that she could easily accept the idea of not ever having children.

Both my best friend and I are happy with our decisions.

So my advice--do some real soul-searching.

If you wait and have the surgery, then wait the 1-2 years recommended after surgery and cannot conceive, how will you feel? Is that something that you can live with?

If you get pregnant while still heavy and have a difficult pregnancy can you deal with that?

I don't think the answer is going to come from anywhere but your heart.

Whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck and peace with your decision.

[SKCUNNINGHAM 298]

Have the baby first. Talk to your doctor about eating during the pregnancy to gain the minimum weight, the baby can draw on your excess weight for what it needs. A friend of mine did this and she ended up at a net weight loss after delivering the baby from where she started - and the baby was 100% healthy.

After the baby is here - start the prework for your WLS. Why is their a 12-18 month waiting list for your surgery? It only took me a year, and I thought that was about as long as anyone had to wait.

Good luck with your choice.

Sharon

[illgeturhairdid 176]

I'd go for the baby first. I'm 27 and if I was with someone to have a child with and had to decide between baby and surgery, I'D HAVE GONE WITH BABY!!

Now, my mother was an overweight woman when she conceived my sister and I. During both pregnancies she ate healthy (and dealt with morning sickness the whole pregnancy) she left the hospital weighing less then when she got pregnant. She lost 50 pounds with my pregnancy and 90 with my sisters. She didn't keep it off obviously but hey- ya never know!

[Lolly2369 18]

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' date=' 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.[/quote']

what did you decide to go with???

[erinbaker78 1]

I was 270 when I got pregnant with my son, and he's completely healthy. I had diabetes before the pregnancy too. I had a wonderful on gym, and I saw an amazing endocrinologist that took great care of me. Saw him every two wks and checked my blood sugar like 10 times a day. I also did everything he told me with regards to diet and exercise to keep healthy. It was totally worth it, and I would recommend pregnancy before the surgery. I had my surgery, so I could have another child without all the finger pricking, but I'm 33.

[Tori_AKA_Victoria 3]

I say try now don't put it off if you can have a healthly baby the way you now why not try and at 39 if you wait to long your chances of getting pregnant goes down and on up of that after you have surgery you may have to wait for 1 to 2 years to try

[Shun 12]

Baby first because children are indeed a blessing and a gift! Would be nice if you could have twins/ boy girl.

[MamaMelly 97]

I would try to have a baby, and then do surgery.

[motochic 45]

Beingover wt effects your fertility. I was 42 when I did ivf if failed. I put off getting the sleeve cause I wanted a baby. Almost a yr after my tubal reversal. N no baby I gotthe sleeve. I'm not preventing pregnancy I turned 45 last month. I have noticed. Increased fertility. Signs since I'm 26bmi.

Don't put having baby hold but get the sleeve and improve you chances

[AliciaA122 24]

I'm way late to this, but thought I'd throw in my opinion and experience. My husband and I tried to conceive for a couple of years on our own with no success. We went to a fertility specialist and began testing. At the same time I began looking into Lap Band. My fertility specialist AND primary doctor both told me to try to get pregnant first and then pursue WLS. I was 31 when I began fertility treatments. However, my fertility specialist told me that by having the surgery I would be taking another large chunk out of my fertile years. He could find no reason that my weight was affecting my fertility and as it was we were undiagnosed.

We began treatments including Clomid, injectable meds and IUIs. We conceived our daughter on an 'off cycle' after an IUI cycle. She's 14 months old and I'm now very close to having my sleeve surgery. SO GLAD I listened to my doctors.

Also, to the previous poster who commented that you can just adopt and that there are so many babies who need homes. If only it were that easy. Adoption is painfully slow, definitely not a guarantee and very expensive. You can't 'just adopt.'

Edited July 26, 2012 by AliciaA122