I'm doing it!

[Dubai_MGB 13]

Hi

I am Mary, 30 years old and I weigh 202lbs my BMI is 34.6, I gained most of my weight during pregnancy. My baby is now 2 years old, and before having another child I need to lose weight. After failed attempts (dieting, weight watchers, workout 5x a week with 3 different personal trainers), I decided to have weight loss surgery - specifically the Omega loop/mini gastric bypass. No date scheduled yet, getting all the pre surgery tests done.

I have never had any surgery so I don't really know what to expect! Anyone on here had this surgery recently? Any insight would be appreciated, regarding recovery, food intake, pregnancy after surgery, etc..

[Berry78 4,261]

Your BMI wouldn't qualify you for surgery under most insurance plans in the US. (In other words, you're not that big! Which is a good thing). Has your doctor said you shouldn't get pregnant at your current weight? I'm a bit taller than you, but had no issues with pregnancies at 250+ pounds.

My concern about surgery prior to pregnancy is two-fold. Pregnancy and lactation does require a lot of nutrition, and when you've hindered your absorption through surgery, you'll be doing a double-whammy on your own nutritional status. The baby will get what it needs, but at your expense. (Some nutrients are super hard to replace when depleted, especially those that come from your brain).

The second concern (which may or may not hold Water in your case), is the fact that surgery gives a ONE TIME opportunity to reset your metabolism and set point.. but by the very nature of pregnancy, you will be gaining weight, and might have as hard a time losing it again as you would have without surgery.

What was your problem with the diets you tried? Was it that you didn't lose weight at all, or that you couldn't stick with it and keep it off? (It does make a difference, pointing towards what kind of metabolism you have).

[Dubai_MGB 13]

@Berry78 Yes my insurance won't cover it, so I would be paying for it on my own ($16,000). My doctor hasn't said anything regarding my weight an pregnancy. It's my personal choice, I do not want to be at risk of pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia. The problem with the diets I have tried is that If I loose, it's a small loss, which makes me frustrated and not continue with the diet. I have been loosing the same 11 pounds for so long!

[Berry78 4,261]

I'm not hearing anything that is making me change my mind. R.E. Preeclampsia.. had it with my first pregnancy, when I became pregnant when I was 169lbs. I did make it full term, but induced when I started dropping Protein in my urine. Baby and Mom were fine.

My next 3 pregnancies all went fine with no complications, with starting weights at 180lbs, 225lbs, 245lbs. I gained 40lbs with each one, except #2 where I gained 65!

Do you see a trend? After each pregnancy, I did drop the pregnancy weight gain each time, but some of that weight always made its way back after weaning, in time for the next pregnancy.

I didn't develop gestational diabetes, but 10 years after the last pregnancy, I became prediabetic.

What the surgery does is clean up old metabolic issues and gives you a clean slate. (At least, that's the hope.. works for some, but it's not guaranteed). What you do with that clean slate is up to you.

After you get surgery, you really have to be on a "diet" the rest of your life. You can always gain weight back, the same as anyone. But, the surgery is a one-time opportunity.. and I'm SOOOOO glad my family was complete before considering going under the knife, so my clean slate can remain that way.

Maybe you can talk with your doc about how risky they believe a pregnancy will be (before or after surgery).. a lone voice on the internet shouldn't necessarily sway you one way or the other, but I urge you to get as much information from your own network as possible.

Many people here get the surgery so they CAN get pregnant. Without it, they are infertile. For those people, they only have one choice if they want to be parents, and I wholeheartedly support them. For you, it sounds like you have options. And if slow weight loss is discouraging enough to stop your diet attempts... it's a bit concerning to me, since postop it is nothing but dieting.

What I would love to see you do, is try one of the diets again (and I can give you one if you like), work on your mind game and nutritional status.. drop a few pounds, and when you're ready, get pregnant, have your baby, and after a couple years get the surgery. Sure, you'll be a few years older, but you'll use those years to learn more about the surgery and practice healthful eating, so when you do get the operation, you'll be completely ready.