well, I just found out...

[eisermanr7 0]

I just found out last night that I am pregnant. It is a welcome surprise, however it is a surprise! I just got banded on July 1st & I know our docs prefer that this didn't happen until a year after being banded. I guess I just don't know what to expect now. Do I have to get completely unfilled now? or can I just keep on going?? I feel like I eat enough, I have been losing about a pound a week. I'm scared about gaining weight from being pregnant-- I promised myself that I would never go that direction again!! I'm caught in a bittersweet moment right now (although I know it'll be a wonderfully-sweet moment in the end!) If anybody has some input on this-- PLEASE help me! :thumbup:

[HeatherO 7]

Congratulations on the pregnancy.

Your body is still recovering from the shock of surgery and the baby directly after is going to be hard on your body. If you focus on nutrition you should be OK.

I would say if you can eat comfortably and are not vomiting, then it may not hurt to keep the fill. However, you should definitely ask your fill doctor for their advice.

[Daisalana 33]

Congrats!!

I went in deciding I wasn't going to worry about the weight, but my obgyn is a stickler (stupid skinny ass..woops did I say that?) about gaining weight during pregnancy. I gained more than she wanted me to, everytime I visit, so I get to hear a lecture.. and despite my best efforts, I'm starving 24/7 and I'm doing better than I expected to. I would like to totally binge eat right now, and I'm not.. I'm not making the best food decisions but I'm not eating like the cow I want to be eating as.

I have gained 17lbs in 4 months, which is bad. I get sad sometimes, but then I remember.. post-baby I will be able to fill the band back up and get back on the wagon :smile2:) And on that note, I have finally stalled. I was gaining regularly week to week, and for a few weeks now I have bounced between the same 3lbs.

About the unfill, depends on your docs preference. My obgyn has no input in it (I'm her first banded preggo), and my band doc.. well I'm his first preggo bander. He unfilled just a little bit because I had gotten very tight and trouble eating.. but I think that swelling went away so now I am more open than I want to be.. but if I get it filled back up, I'm afraid that swelling will come back and he's 3 hours away..

Edited November 17, 2008 by FairyFacade

[JaimeSTL 4]

I am just shy of 9 months post-op and found out I am pregnant about 3 weeks ago. I'm 8 weeks. My OB has no problem if I continue to lose a little weight (he said 10-15 lbs) or just maintain. With my other two children pre-band, he also wanted me to gain minimal weight since I'm overweight to begin with. I don't plan to get an unfill anytime soon and when I see my surgeon, if I still feel the same as I do now, I might even ask if he'll give me a tiny fill. I'm starving all the time and eating like crazy. I'm only 8 weeks! My weight has been up and down the same 5 lbs or so for the last few weeks. I've had no morning sickness, just some queasiness in the morning and I just don't want to eat much, but then in the afternoon and evening, I'm starving. I feel like I'm going to gain way too much weight and it is so depressing.

[losingjusme 12]

congrats on the pregnancy!!

my advice - be aware of what you eat but dont obsess... lately i've been HORRIBLY bad (cheesecake anyone??)... my OB appt is tomorrow and i'm sure i will gain quite a bit this month... who knows though?

dont worry about it too much... dont stress... enjoy your pregnancy.

good luck

[HeatherO 7]

I stopped really trying to diet in that I don't want to stay hungry. If I am hungry, I eat.

I have now moved from about 3 meals a day to about 5 on average although they are still small, but I am still making sure that I am eating the good healthy stuff and avoiding the unhealthy stuff 95% of the time (of course this does not include my first week back in the US after Halloween, I am blocking that whole week from my memory . . . it didn't happen, it didn't happen, lol).

However, if I had a cheesecake in my house (perhaps pumpkin or lemon or maybe even a mocha swirl) . . . there is no telling how much I would eat of it over the course of a week . . . maybe the whole darn thing. I am trying, trying, trying not to bring that stuff in the house, lol.

My intake is definitely up, but I am down to 141 as of this morning which is quite a shock. I began this pregnancy somewhere around 155. I can't understand how I can go from a really restrictive diet with tons of exercise to a loose diet with extra calories . . . and 5 days a week of exercise to maybe 2 1/2 days (since I decided to take naps instead on the other days, lol) and still continue to lose weight.

I feel like I have just been lucky for now . . . my metabolism must be really cranking since there is no other explanation for it. I am just hoping it doesn't all catch up with me at once during the last trimester.

[losingjusme 12]

gahhh... up 14 pounds... guess the unfill 'worked'... :thumbup:

[Daisalana 33]

gahhh... up 14 pounds... guess the unfill 'worked'... :eek:

My unfill is still working better :thumbup:

[losingjusme 12]

Fairy - but that's in ONE MONTH....

[Singinmusicchic 0]

I just took four pregnancy tests over a span of a week cause I wasn't sure, but I am going to call my obgyn tomorrow and make and appointment before I start to freak out about my band. If I am, pregnant, I will be at the end of the first trimester when my year comes up. I have only gotten one fill because I can't afford and I was about to make one when I found out I might be pregnant. I am sort of scared that I will have some pain, or weird things going on with my band as time goes on through the pregnancy process, labor, and delivery. They have what to expect when your expecting, but they should make a book called what to expect when you expecting and banded!!! If I am pregnant, then this will be my first baby, and I frightened about the band more than anything else. Any one who has gone through one completely banded yet? Advise PLEASE!!!

Kaly Nicole

[Daisalana 33]

Many people have gone through completely banded..

[HeatherO 7]

I have not finished through to delivery yet, but other than initial tightness and the need for a bit of an unfill . . . it is like i don't even have a band. There is no effect.

If you have only had one fill then you probably won't even need an unfill if you have no restriction problems. I wouldn't worry about it.

[eisermanr7 0]

thank you everybody for all of your advice! sorry it took me so long to get back on here! but i'm sure you can understand it's been hectic lately and i've been having a few spotting episodes. so far i still have all of my fill in... i actually haven't even called my band doctor yet and told them. I figure they want to see me back in January so i'll just tell them then (plus that was when they wanted to see me next anyhow and I pay out of pocket). Everything is going well so far, able to eat fine... one thing though... since probably about 1 1/2 weeks before I found out I was preggo, my port side has been a little tender, like muscle soreness? it's very dull and it doesn't constantly ache. also, it doesn't hurt when i poke or prod at it, so i don't think it's infected or anything.... could it be my hormones??

[slcmommy4 0]

The great thing is that you know you can lose weight with the lap band, so you'll be able to lose again. I got pregnant 7 months after I got the band, this is my 5th child. I was freaking out a little at first, but just remember the babies health is the most important. I got my fill taken out at 17 weeks. If I could do it over again I would have gotten half taken out, and then at 6 or 7 months looked at where I was at and maybe had the rest taken out. I'm in my 7th month now and have gained back 17 pounds, but I gained all of that since my unfill. I went back at aboutt 22 weeks and had them put a little back in. But I still have no restriction, so I am a little worried. But I just keep thinking that I lost weight before and I'll do it again. So don't worry about it, and just see what happens. If you are losing to much weight and it's 3 or 4 months then have a little taken out. But you never know you could gain the weight you need just fine. Hope this helps.

Good Luck