female only Pregnancy Post-op

[LisaDM 194]

Hey ladies! How long did you wait to get pregnant after vsg? My surgeon suggests waiting 18 months before trying to get pregnant. I have read about women who got pregnant unplanned, much sooner than that. I worry a bit about pregnancy weight gain, but mostly I want to be healthy and have a healthy baby. My husband and I do not have any children yet and have been getting a bit of baby fever lately. Of course it started after I was already in the process of trying to have surgery. We agreed I would do the surgery first, then think about having a baby. I feel like one year out would be ok to start trying. It may take awhile anyway. I am newly sleeved, so I have awhile to go yet, but it is something that is on my mind. And thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

[Bufflehead 6,358]

I am not pregnant or planning to be pregnant -- but I can tell you what the bariatric nurse told us at surgery boot camp. She said they strongly advise against getting pregnant until you are one year out, but after that they think it is okay. You would need to work closely with your OBGYN and your surgeon's office about nutrition.

She also disclosed (and I don't want to appear like I am endorsing anything here, I AM NOT) that each year they have at least a couple of pre-one year pregnancies among their patients, because a lot of women just get more fertile after surgery and also aren't as careful as they need to be with birth control. She said that with all of those patients, they had to work really hard with their OBGYN, the dieticians on staff, etc. to get the proper nutrition and Vitamins but they all ended up with healthy moms and healthy babies.

I wouldn't advise anyone to disregard their own doctor's advice, this is just what the nurse told me and my fellow pre-op patients.

[ItsMe2033 143]

I think that what you really want to know is the answer to two separate questions. Once you know the answer to those two questions then you can decide what your priorities are.

The first question is: "At what point after the surgery is it safe to become pregnant that won't cause any additional health problems to me or to a baby?" You could research this, but a tentative answer might be one year after surgery.

The second question is: "How long after the surgery should I wait to become pregnant in order to maximize my weight loss and the odds of keeping the weight off.?" The answer to this one is probably much more difficult to find. My guess is that you would want to get to you goal weight, and be stabilized there for some period of time prior to getting pregnant. I know that there is supposed to be a 12 - 18 month honeymoon period after the surgery where it's easier to lose weight. I think that even if you go to goal prior to 12 months that you would still want a substantial period of time at goal to stabilize your weight and your lifestyle prior to getting pregnant. So if I had to answer this question, my guess would be that the optimal period of time to wait would be two years. When you look at this question you should find the answer to this question by putting aside any "baby fever" and just try to figure out what is optimal.

Once you have answered question one and question two, then you should decide how important optimal weight loss is to you versus wanting to have a baby quickly. As an example, if the answer to question one is 1 year, and the answer to question two is 2 years, then perhaps you might decide that you are willing to have less than optimal weight loss and go ahead and get pregnant at 12 or 18 months. In that case, you would understand what you were trading off, and be happier with the outcome. It's fine if you want to make that decision, but just keep an awareness of the tradeoffs you are making. You should try to find the best possible answer to questions one and two. And you should answer those questions as objectively as possible. Your decision should come when you try to figure out what you are willing to trade off.

Edited October 20, 2013 by ItsMe2033

[ChristineR 128]

With the rapid weight loss in the beginning I would wait the 12 months. Then it would seem easier to maintain and follow a safe, healthy routine for you and baby.

[LisaDM 194]

Thanks for your thoughts! I am def planning to wait at least 12 months. I do want to optimize my weight loss before getting pregnant as much as I can. I do worry about weight gain with pregnancy, but I plan to work closely with a nutrionist to ensure the baby is getting what he or she needs and try not to stress too much about my weight.

[ItsMe2033 143]

One thing I forgot to mention is that if you start working out a lot between now and the time you get pregnant, and work out moderately after you get pregnant, you will both increase your chances of keeping the weight off, and provide an optimal environment for your health and the baby's.

[ItsMe2033 143]

For a cautionary tale of what can happen if you get pregnant at 12 months after surgery see the thread at:

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/97860-how-to-go-back-after-almost-a-year/