Post Partum after High Risk Pregnancy w/Gastric Sleeve

[Faerietailz 2]

This is going to be kind of long, but I want to air out everything because any time I've read anything from you guys it's been awesome advice, and I know that most of this is my fault (sort of).

I had my surgery 12/21/2012. I was 289 Starting, I had lost a little over 100 lbs. Then I had put on 10 lbs, and I was like wth... My eating/exercise/daily life patterns had not changed. Everlything was exactly the same. This was 16 months later so April 2014. At first I didn't think anything of it, just figured I had been eating more sweets than normal because it was around Easter, and I visited home for my sister's wedding. Those 10 lbs just stuck there no change (197). Then I skipped a period. I took a pregnancy test it came back negative. So I was like okay. Then I skipped another one. I had plans to get a tattoo so I took another pregnancy test, still negative. Took another one a week after that, still negative. Here I am thinking wth, but still only 10 lbs with skipped periods. So then my hubby and I started talking about TTC, and due to my age went in to talk about fertility. Well my OB makes you take a pee test no matter if you're there to talk about pregnancy or not. Not sure why, but whatever... Well she comes in and says congrats your pregnant. I was like wtf... really???? So she started to do my ultra sound, and low and behold I WAS STARTING MY SECOND TRIMESTER!! So of course tears of joy, and then panic set in. It made sense why I had gained the 10 lbs. But I had just got a brand new tattoo, I had drank 1 alcoholic beverage socially (which I know I know just 1), I was taking something to help me sleep occasionally. Then of course my fear started to set in. That OMG what about my babbbbbbbby. Of course everything was fine. So I stayed with the 10 lbs until August. In conjunction with my normal OB I also was being seen by a High Risk Dr. In August I found out that I had incompetent Cervix. That night, I was pulled out of work, put on confined bed rest (I call it house arrest), and was told basically I needed to have surgery or I was going to most likely lose my baby. So yay me, surgery it was.

During pregnancy I kept putting on weight, and more weight. This was a mixture of issues. I had gone from 187 March 2014 to 233 lbs by Dec 2014. I was put on Progesterone Suppositories, put on restricted bed rest, and just continued to watch the weight add and add and add. Dec 1st, I had my sutures removed from my cervix, and on Dec 3rd my beautiful baby girl was born. Within 3 weeks, I had gone down to 200 lbs, but now am back up to 210. I know right now I'm only sitting at a +23, but it's enough to make me depressed (not overly depressed where I'm eating feelings), but clothes are starting to fit tight, and I can tell my legs thickened back out again, and it's just I feel defeated. While on bed rest I could only stand on my feet for 10 - 15 min every few hours, however, my MFM didn't even want me to do that. I could take showers every other day. I was told I could go to the restroom, make lite meals, otherwise I was to be in bed the remainder of pregnancy. Finally after the first few weeks I got one reprieve and that was to go to dr's appts. I had asked if I could do small walks, and he immediately said No way! I was like great, there goes my metabolism. But I was not going to risk losing the baby so she was def way more important.

We are now 2 weeks shy of my baby being 4 months old. All I want lately is carb carb carb. I don't know how to nip this in the bud. I was doing so well prior to getting pregnant, and I feel like all my hard work, is being shoved out the window. I even called my surgical center to see about going from VSG to Gastric Bypass. I know really I just need to get my arse into the gym or exercise, but I'm finding very limited time to do any of this. I also have noticed that my eating is way more than what I could handle originally. For example I could eat a full bean and cheese burrito whether homemade or from T-Bell, and a thing of their chips and cheese. I can eat 2 eggs, some lil Minnie wieners, and a piece of toast (sometimes 2). It was not like this prior to becoming pregnant. I could maybe make it through 1 egg, and a piece of toast or half of a burrito if I was lucky.

So here is my dilemma...

My work schedule is 5pm to 1:30am. My husbands shift is from 5am - 2pm (40 min away). I've ready too many horror stories about children being neglected at the different local gyms we have here to even remotely think about bringing my daughter to one while I go and work out. I could go walk at the park for now, but with summer coming we're talking about 100 degree plus weather. (I know these are a ton of excuses. I know that, I already beat myself up about it, but at the same time this is what I have to work with). I was thinking of starting up P90x or one of those type of work out videos. I know I also need to change my eating habits and get rid of my carb in take (But it's so hard! Wah! lol)

If any of you have gone through the same type of thing, and can share a success story on how to lose the weight, that'd be awesome. I feel like a giant failure. I told myself that I would never let this happen, and here we are... and it's happened. Even if it's harsh advise I'm all ears, and have my BGP on. Oh and because I'm in the sharing mood, here's my little munchkin.

ETA.. 263 was at time of surgery. Technically my Starting was 289.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Faerietailz

[MichiganChic 3,262]

Just want to say your baby is adorable!! Congratulations!

With a new baby, I think what you are going through is normal. Give yourself some time. You lost a significant amount of weight, so you know what to do. Back to basics, Protein first, you know the drill. Rid your house of the junk. Detox from those carbs. I'd say take some time to make it easier on yourself by having foods that you like, that you should have, readily available. Set yourself up for success. You can do it!

[Aliyah14 41]

This is going to be kind of long, but I want to air out everything because any time I've read anything from you guys it's been awesome advice, and I know that most of this is my fault (sort of).

I had my surgery 12/21/2012. I was 289 Starting, I had lost a little over 100 lbs. Then I had put on 10 lbs, and I was like wth... My eating/exercise/daily life patterns had not changed. Everlything was exactly the same. This was 16 months later so April 2014. At first I didn't think anything of it, just figured I had been eating more sweets than normal because it was around Easter, and I visited home for my sister's wedding. Those 10 lbs just stuck there no change (197). Then I skipped a period. I took a pregnancy test it came back negative. So I was like okay. Then I skipped another one. I had plans to get a tattoo so I took another pregnancy test, still negative. Took another one a week after that, still negative. Here I am thinking wth, but still only 10 lbs with skipped periods. So then my hubby and I started talking about TTC, and due to my age went in to talk about fertility. Well my OB makes you take a pee test no matter if you're there to talk about pregnancy or not. Not sure why, but whatever... Well she comes in and says congrats your pregnant. I was like wtf... really???? So she started to do my ultra sound, and low and behold I WAS STARTING MY SECOND TRIMESTER!! So of course tears of joy, and then panic set in. It made sense why I had gained the 10 lbs. But I had just got a brand new tattoo, I had drank 1 alcoholic beverage socially (which I know I know just 1), I was taking something to help me sleep occasionally. Then of course my fear started to set in. That OMG what about my babbbbbbbby. Of course everything was fine. So I stayed with the 10 lbs until August. In conjunction with my normal OB I also was being seen by a High Risk Dr. In August I found out that I had incompetent Cervix. That night, I was pulled out of work, put on confined bed rest (I call it house arrest), and was told basically I needed to have surgery or I was going to most likely lose my baby. So yay me, surgery it was.

During pregnancy I kept putting on weight, and more weight. This was a mixture of issues. I had gone from 187 March 2014 to 233 lbs by Dec 2014. I was put on Progesterone Suppositories, put on restricted bed rest, and just continued to watch the weight add and add and add. Dec 1st, I had my sutures removed from my cervix, and on Dec 3rd my beautiful baby girl was born. Within 3 weeks, I had gone down to 200 lbs, but now am back up to 210. I know right now I'm only sitting at a +23, but it's enough to make me depressed (not overly depressed where I'm eating feelings), but clothes are starting to fit tight, and I can tell my legs thickened back out again, and it's just I feel defeated. While on bed rest I could only stand on my feet for 10 - 15 min every few hours, however, my MFM didn't even want me to do that. I could take showers every other day. I was told I could go to the restroom, make lite meals, otherwise I was to be in bed the remainder of pregnancy. Finally after the first few weeks I got one reprieve and that was to go to dr's appts. I had asked if I could do small walks, and he immediately said No way! I was like great, there goes my metabolism. But I was not going to risk losing the baby so she was def way more important.

We are now 2 weeks shy of my baby being 4 months old. All I want lately is carb carb carb. I don't know how to nip this in the bud. I was doing so well prior to getting pregnant, and I feel like all my hard work, is being shoved out the window. I even called my surgical center to see about going from VSG to Gastric Bypass. I know really I just need to get my arse into the gym or exercise, but I'm finding very limited time to do any of this. I also have noticed that my eating is way more than what I could handle originally. For example I could eat a full bean and cheese burrito whether homemade or from T-Bell, and a thing of their chips and cheese. I can eat 2 eggs, some lil Minnie wieners, and a piece of toast (sometimes 2). It was not like this prior to becoming pregnant. I could maybe make it through 1 egg, and a piece of toast or half of a burrito if I was lucky.

So here is my dilemma...

My work schedule is 5pm to 1:30am. My husbands shift is from 5am - 2pm (40 min away). I've ready too many horror stories about children being neglected at the different local gyms we have here to even remotely think about bringing my daughter to one while I go and work out. I could go walk at the park for now, but with summer coming we're talking about 100 degree plus weather. (I know these are a ton of excuses. I know that, I already beat myself up about it, but at the same time this is what I have to work with). I was thinking of starting up P90x or one of those type of work out videos. I know I also need to change my eating habits and get rid of my carb in take (But it's so hard! Wah! lol)

If any of you have gone through the same type of thing, and can share a success story on how to lose the weight, that'd be awesome. I feel like a giant failure. I told myself that I would never let this happen, and here we are... and it's happened. Even if it's harsh advise I'm all ears, and have my BGP on. Oh and because I'm in the sharing mood, here's my little munchkin.

ETA.. 263 was at time of surgery. Technically my Starting was 289.

Your baby is beautiful !! God bless you will get the weight back off.

[cmhueto 167]

Your baby girl is SO beautiful!!! Congratulations!!! I can totally understand your frustration and love MichiganChic's reply. Start small, one step at a time, first clear your house of any junk, then next week, maybe detox to cleanse your pallet. Then remember, you've done it, you've already accomplished a HUGE mountain of losing the weight in the first place. Don't beat yourself up, it's a mental thing. Once we have to deviate from "the path" it's SO hard to get back. You can do this, You will do this, I'm sure of it! Take one change at a time, a week at a time if this helps.

[momof4intexas 5]

Your experience really resonates with me. I was also shocked to find out I was pregnant, 18 mos post VSG.

I noticed I didn't have near the restriction that I did before my pregnancy. I gained 40lbs during my pregnancy and spent 4 mos on very strict bedrest / combination hospital bedrest. Watching the numbers go up instead of down really messed with my head. After giving birth 1/16/15, I lost 25 lbs in the first few weeks. But since then I have managed to gain 10lbs back.

It's hard work! I stress about eating to little and messing up my milk supply. I also worry if I work out too much I could hurt my supply.

So I've decided to go back to basics. I'm doing 3 shakes a day just to increase my calories and Protein consumption. I'm eating lots of veggies and healthy fats. I'm working out 5 days a week, 2 hours each.

I sure hope to see results in the coming weeks. In my opinion it's trial and error. Just figuring out what works best for your body.

I found a gym where they are amazing with my baby and my toddler. I can view them at all times in a CC TV. Honestly, with 4 kids it's the only me time I get.

Can you find a different gym where you feel comfortable leaving your sweet baby girl? I attached a pic of my little Vivian. ????

Are you on MFP? I'd love to be friends and support each other!