ErinMarie

Just wanted to come back and let you know that so far, so good! Saw baby wiggling on the sono today.

I know this is a few months after the fact, but I thought I would add my two cents.
I have an 11 year old and I am pretty sure I went un-diagnosed as having gestational diabetes (GD). He was born at 10 lbs. 2 oz. I also gained 40 pounds during that pregnancy.
With my second, 7 years old, I wanted to make sure that I got tested earlier. My sis had a baby between my oldest and my second and she was diabetic and she was fit and healthy. Had a new doc the 2nd time who told me I almost certainly was GD the first go-round and he tested me early in my 2nd trimester. Def GD. I ended up on an insulin pump during my 3rd trimester since I was giving myself around 4-5 shots of insulin every day.
Having said all that, I saw a maternal dietitian and had bi-weekly sonos and what not to make sure my son was measuring properly. She told me to follow the diabetic diet (high Protein, lower carbs, etc). I, too, was heavier, and this was way before getting banded, so I know this is different, but I lost weight while pregnant. The day I found out I was pregnant and the day I gave birth I weighed the exact same. Don't get me wrong, there were definitely fluctuations, but to answer your question: yes, it is possible to be pregnant and lose weight and still be healthy (both you and baby). My youngest was a perfect 7 pounds and did not have any issues postpartum.
My hubby and are talking about maybe having another so we'll see how it goes!

She suggested to focus on Protein and make Snacks S/F Jello and Popsicles... Things that won't strain the whole system and to give my stomach a break. I will say I don't ever remember being able to "feel" my band and it being adjusted, last night and this morning I am sore, muscle sore... Deep inside, not like I've been wrking out sore but adjusted sore. Which is a good reminder to go easy on her for a couple of days.
If I can get there you can... My doc said yesterday, everyone needs a reset once in a while and there is no shame in admitting that.

Hi all, I made it out of the doc with a smile and a great sense of support. Here's the short of the long story...
Weighed in and tears flowed... Ugh!
Fluoroscopy showed no stretching of the pouch or esophagus! I was cleared to have a fill, I ended up with a full 1cc. A second Fluoroscopy and found that was too much, so she backed out some and after a third Fluoroscopy, it seems we have a winner!
I was given a small task of eating a small bowl of taco time chili to see if food would pass and the cleared to go home. Liquids for the next 48 hrs and a phone in check up on Friday.
She reminded me to treat this fill as a first fill because it's been so long since the last fill. Sent me home with reminders on portion sizes, Water intake and her number for support!
I shared with her I posted on here and how grateful I was to have the support of people I may never met.
Thank you for thinking of me, replying and your support.
Nikki

I had my lap band placed on November 13. I've lost around 25 lbs, but have stalled there for about two weeks. I was getting very discouraged. I had an apt with my family doctor scheduled for yesterday and she always checks my thyroid as I've taken synthroid for several years. My tsh was 8.64, which is way too high and definitely hinders weight loss. She adjusted my medication, so hoping that will help. I have an apt for 2nd fill in February.

omg thank you!! So happy I found this group!!!

Yes rules from my doc are liquids for 48 hrs then you move on to regular foods but slowly

My somewhat normalized period (only in the last 6 months) was a little late, so I took a HPT, and holy crap, it was blaringly positive!!!!!!!!!! I've suffered from secondary infertility (13 medically assisted procedures-IUI and IVF, none successful) for the last 8 years and so I never thought this would happen. I've got a lot against me: I'm 40 and I've had six previous losses, so I'm keeping my head on straight and my heart guarded. I am not certain about how far along we are, maybe 6+ weeks? Went to the RE and they did a scan. Shows a baby and a yolk sac. Next week I go back to look for heartbeat and dating.
Wish us luck. I'm terrified. I'm not going to change anything in my diet except adding one more Protein Shake a day until I see my lap band doc in late December, provided the baby is still viable at that time.
Who else is PG with a band right now?

If you can eat enough calories with no unfill then there isn't really a need to losen it! If you are overweight then they won't get super concerned about minimal weight gain or even a little loss during pregnancy.
Just keep an eye on how you are feeling and if your band gets too tight when you swell up. And stay hydrated!!!

Hi there and congratulations on having the surgery in the rear view mirror. You are doing great! I could eat that much in cottage cheese, too, and you know what? Your body probably needed that. Don't worry! When your band is adjusted properly (remember, this is the whole idea of an adjutable lapband procedure) it will feel very differently. Take it easy, thank yourself -- you've done an amazing thing.

Is the Lap Band forum discussions slowly being phased away? Perhaps by natural selection?
I always click "New Content" under lap band forums, and find it is predominantly all posts from people with other surgery procedures, such as Gastric Sleeve....
At first I thought that maybe people were not aware where they were posting,and that there are different categories, but lately there seems to be no boundaries between the types of surgery forums.
Nothing against other surgery types, but I feel experiences between them are different. And when I see a post, and it is from someone with another type of surgery, I cannot respond having no experience....and when there is a thread concerning the Lap band, people with other surgeries respond giving a less than sincere-accurate opinion.
I have heard that most Dr.'s are no longer doing Lap band surgeries and that other procedures are preferred...Least that is what is being said....so is that reflective on this forum also??? And eventually the Lap banders will be over-run and extinct?

I'm with superdave. We both got really comfortable after marriage.
We got married and moved 700 miles away. Then we ate out a lot.
Within first year I went from a size 12 to a size 16.
Then stayed comfortable for 5 years eating whatever I wanted and he put on 50 more pounds.
Then I got pregnant and blew up 60 pounds during pregnancy
Never lost that and only got bigger.
With my second I didn't gain an ounce during pregnancy.
But the. Evry year I dieted - lost weight and regained. Every time with a 10 pound added to base.
So at 240 and a 16 yo -and 12 yo. I did it.
Now at 173

@@AshB
Girl, you and I are (or were) in the same boat! I had half of my Fluid out during pregnancy too due to swelling and gained 60 lbs too. I didn't get any more fills until I was done breastfeeding (4-5 months PP) because I had a low supply anyway and always had to supplement.
Try not to dwell on your body right now...stay focused on your baby! It took 9 months to gain that weight so it's not going to disappear overnight! Also keep in mind it could take up to a year for your hormones to go back to 'normal'. My guy is 19 months now and I'm almost in the green and 25 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. I'm going slow with fills and I'm 2 cc's away from where I was before my pregnancy unfill, but I doubt I'll even get back up to that many cc's...at least not for a while! I'm only getting 0.5 cc's at a time and it has worked out to every 2-4 months because I am still losing at a moderate pace.
Message me on here if you want and I'll give you my email so we can't band baby buddies! You aren't alone!

Here is an excellent article from the Boston Globe on how to respond to someone who makes rude comments about your weight. I happen to wholeheartedly agree with the advice. It is rude and tacky to comment on someone's appearance.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2014/11/08/advice-how-shut-fat-shamer/JKE06xIgCc69xNGVefV2PI/story.html

I usually only weigh myself at my doctor appointments, which up to this point have been about every month between my PCP and surgery center. So yesterday I started back to the gym and knew that they would weigh and take measurements. I weighed myself in the morning on my home scale but knew it wasn't accurate. I was weighed in the afternoon and the gym, then again this morning at my doctor office (PCP). Three weigh-ins within 24 hours and 3 different weights! 2 of them were 10 lbs. apart! Not really a big deal, I try not to stress out about weighing myself, but trying to get an accurate reading from time to time. I'll go with the lowest weight and go with it!! lol

I'm so glad I stumbled on this thread. My wonderful daughter was never overweight until she had her first child. She lost some of the extra weight after her first was born, only to gain even more extra weight during her second pregnancy. Many months later, she is still overweight. I want to say something to her to warn her that extra pounds not only don't fall off by themselves, they frequently recruit more. I so don't want her to repeat my mistakes, and live the bulk of her adult life as an obese woman. But you guys are right. It's never helpful to point out something that someone already knows. And I certainly didn't appreciate my mother telling me that I needed to lose weight. I'll just keep my mouth shut.

Weight loss surgery has to be a personal decision and if she has not mentioned it, then I think you would be better off just showing her that you are an example of weight loss surgery. I know when I was fat I didnt want anyone to mention anything to me.

I've been watching this show for the first time this season but I doubt I'll be watching any more after tonight. I'm so tired of hearing people talk trash about WLS. One of the contestants has had a lap band so they were discussing why he failed with it and one of the coaches threw out the only 10% (or some arbitrary low number) succeed with WLS. I'm so tired of hearing this. Um if he's working out and eating right I'm sure that band is in there helping and if he had done that and followed the program he wouldn't have had to go on the show. I got curious because one of the teams needed a large number from one of their teammates because the other 2 had lower weight loss and so bam! This guy pounds out 15 lbs ...how con-veeeeenitant. I read that there have been a number of contestants gain back all the weight again and/or they used sketchy practices like making the dehydrated to skew the numbers. I hate reality shows except dancing with the stars. I'm over the biggest loser

I just love this thread.

Girlfriend!!! I am so with you on this! The first guy that I semi-seriously dated this summer kept telling me how hot I was. I just laughed. But it made me feel good. I hadn't been told that in so long! He did make me feel desirable and beautiful. And when he flaked out on me, I was tempted to shut down. But I realized that I wanted more of that feeling The guy I've been seeing for a few weeks now gives me that feeling. He smiles when he sees me. I smile when I see him...it's fun and exciting and terrifying all at the same time!

I post about all kinds of things on this forum knowing that if I'm feeling them, or experiencing them, so are others. So..I don't feel that I can leave out the fact that I've begun dating again. Scary stuff...and especially as I'm right in the middle of body image issues, and this brings up rejection issues, and control issues for me. I feel like I'm walking in a field of landmines. Talk about being vulnerable...sheesh.
So last night, the fella I've been dating for a couple of months is coming to my apartment. My train is late and I get home and text him to find out if he's on his way. Turns out he's already waiting for me and comes up a couple of minutes later. I'm still in my work clothes..which happens to be a very handsome dress in a rust/coral color and he stares at me and says that I look fantastic in that dress and the only thing that would look better is if I was out of that dress..lol.
It's been such a long time since anyone has shown that kind of attention to me. I'm not a kid so no worries about being swept off my feet by a few choice words but it none the less, warmed my heart to know that someone wanted me again. Desired me again. I must be somewhat attractive for an older and somewhat wrinkly old broad.
I feel like I'm on a high today in the office. This was not on my radar. My WLS was to allow me to walk without pain and to get my mobility back. That was the plan. This romance stuff has been a really nice addition to the mix. Yes, I know putting myself out there is risky but right now I'm enjoying it and I hope to keep on enjoying it. If it's vanity, well so be it. I think I deserve a little vanity after all I've been through. I'm so happy to know that I don't have any surgeries coming up in 2015. That sentence alone tells you some of what I've been through.
So friends...back to my conference call. Break's over. Have a great rest of the day everyone!

Great job!! Here's a bit of my journey...I had one pregnancy before being banded and that little guy is now 4 years old. I was 216 when I got pregnant with him and gain 45lbs. I had gestational diabetes, Protein in my urine and TERRIBLE kidney stones. I lost all that weight in the first few weeks, just due to my horrible eating habits and the fact that I was too busy with him to eat, I didn't nurse him so I wasn't too worried about my own nutrition. I waited a year after being banded before trying to get pregnant again and was down to 165, it took much longer to conceive, 7 months instead of happening the first month like it did the first time. I couldn't even keep Water down and had half of my Fluid taken out at 10 weeks. After that I had an AMAZINGLY enjoyable pregnancy living it up and being able to eat all the things I hadn't in the last year and a half and I gained 60 lbs... But I had NO health issues at all this time! It's really was a fantastic pregnancy, but the weight didn't come off near as easily as it did the first time around! My daughter is now 3 months old and I'm struggling to balance weight loss with nursing. I lost half of it in the first 6 weeks and then went in for a fill, but it's been pretty slow going since then. Good luck and try to find an OBGYN who is knowledgeable about the band if you can, then you can relax and enjoy your pregnancy knowing they've got you covered on both ends!

I'm really struggling with this right now! My daughter is 3 months old and I'm nursing so I know I'm suppose to have extra calories to be able to keep my milk supply up. But I had to take half of the Fluid out when I was 10 weeks along because I couldn't keep Water down even. After that I had a wonderfully enjoyable pregnancy, during which I gained about 60 lbs. :-( I lost half of it and I've had one fill since then and felt very tight for a few days but have only lost a few pounds.
I really have this internal conflict right now about quickly losing this weight vs being healthier so I can keep nursing. This is not a real popular thing where I live so my doctor is 5 hours away and none of the doctors here seem to be very knowledgeable about anything to do with the band.
I just can't seem to find anyone who's going thru the same thing as me that I can talk to about it, the non-banded just don't understand! :-)

ErinMarie, it's like you are reading my mind! I'm in the exact same spot!! My band baby is 1.5 and I can get started:(
But I'm determined! Tomorrow starts a two week all liquid diet to shrink things up. We can do this!!

Hi all... Looking for some assistance on how I can best support a friend....
My friend is having lap band surgery and I don't know the best way to be supportive. Certainly, I have, and will continue, to listen when she needs to talk, but I'm not sure if there's something *I* should be asking or doing.
Is there anything you wish someone had done for you? Something you wish they hadn't?
Any help you can offer that can help me be the best friend I can would be greatly appreciated!