Dani-X

Bump. I know I *cannot* be the only one in this situation. You moms with success stories, please share!

My band has always been sensitive to my hormones (super tight when I have my period) so I got a small unfill at about 10 weeks. I went from 8cc in a 10cc band to 7cc. I pretty much stayed there until 20 weeks when I needed to back down to 6.5cc. At 40 weeks I could barely keep Water down so they unfilled me to 3.5 cc. Baby came at 41 weeks and I started getting filled again at 8 weeks post-partum. I put on 40 lbs which is about 10 more than I was hoping for. If at all possible, I would recommend NOT getting your band unfilled all the way. I had been at my goal weight for over 2 years and thought I'd never put any weight back on. Trust me, it's easier than you would imagine. Just know and listen to your body. If you don't want your band unfilled all the way, tell your doctor. This is about YOU, not him.

I just delivered in March and can TOTALLY relate. Screw the morning sickness, the port pain was probably the worst part of my pregnancy. It was intermittent up until 30 weeks... then it got worse from 30-36 and the last 4 (well, 5 weeks for me!) it was intermittent again. My doc told me to take some Tylenol and that help a bit. Unfortunately, nothing made it completely it go away so hang in there! FYI - my doc had a difficult time finding my port after the baby... with all the moving around in there and that extra "mummy tummy" things change. It's *slowly* getting back to normal and they found my port on the first stick on my 3 adjustment post baby. All the fun stuff you have to look forward to :smile2:

I had my baby 3.5 months ago and I really thought the baby weight would be coming off so much quicker than it has. I gained 40 pounds with my pregnancy and still have another 32 to lose. My band is *finally* starting to get to my sweet spot after 3 adjustments. I'm scheduled for another one in 3 weeks and hopefully, that will put me at my sweet spot. Can anyone share their anything that worked for you post-baby? Did you notice that your metabolism changed? Or, it is slowing from lack of sleep? The first time I lost my weight, I had all the time in the world to get to the gym and am on a much tighter schedule this time (obviously!). Between working full time, 4-6 hours of sleep a night, taking care of the little man, seeing my husband - I have to find some time to take care of me. Thanks in advance, ladies!!!

For those of you who have delivered, did your band have any impact on your contractions? I've had crazy port pain throughout my pregnancy and am wondering if it will continue through my labor? Does the epidural help as far "north" as our port? thanks!

Rain: Everyone's weight gain is totally different. I have friends who gained 30 lbs in the first trimester and then leveled off at a total of 35 lbs for the whole pregnancy. I have another friend who didn't put on anything until almost 24 weeks! I'm due on Sunday and to date, I've gained 35 lbs... today is the first day I haven't worked and I'm a little nervous about gaining a few pounds between now and my delivery date since I'm not as active as I am when working and boredom can contribute to eating when not hungry! Karen, losing half of a 60 lb weight gain after delivery is unrealistic so don't beat yourself up about it. During delivery, you should lose the weight of the baby (7-8 lbs), the placenta (1-2 lbs) , the amniotic Fluid (2 lbs), and perhaps some blood and Water (3-5 lbs). That's a maximum of about 15 pounds... delivering the baby doesn't make us lose the extra fat stores we put on over the course of the pregnancy. I'm in a similar situation to you as I've lost over 110 lbs and was at goal for years before I got pregnant. I had a *very* hard time with seeing myself grow larger with the pregnancy. I maintained my 3-4x/week workouts up until week 33 but since then, I've just relied on the 2 mile walks I'd get from commuting to NYC. The good thing for all of us is that we've got the tools and the drive and we already know how to get the weight off again. Here's to HEALTHY babies and happy moms who keep our kids active :frown:

My doctor prescribed me "Select-OB." I absolutely LOVE them. No nausea, no heartburn... just a pleasantly blueberry flavored chewable. Just a side note, my doctor told me to take my regular DHA/Omega 3 supplements as this particular prenatal didn't include them. As a side note, plenty of my friends had great luck with Flinstones gummies too!

I ended up getting pregnant on the first try. I read all the reviews on the Clearblue easy electronic ovulation predictor kit and I ended up getting it. I was glad I did! The first time we used it, it worked! I also lent it to my friend and she got pregnant the first time too. She said she probably wouldn't have on her own that month as it said her peak day of fertility was on day 18--she was expecting 14 or 15! It was worth the $150 for the unit and the sticks on Amazon and my flex spending covered it. Good luck!

Hormonal changes in my body seem to cause fluctuations in my band... so when I found out I was pregnant, I ended up needing a slight unfill as I suddenly became tight. I ended up having a second unfill but still have some pretty good restriction when I need it so I'm at a good place. Yes, you can have all of the saline taken out but you only need another 300 calories/day for the baby in the second and third trimesters so if you can manage without a complete unfill, I would go for it. The hardest thing for me has been the body change. I was at my goal weight for nearly a year and a half and then to see me get fat again was devastating. I wasn't ready for it... and no, nobody else would ever call me fat but it's just how I feel. I'm not 155 lbs anymore :bored: Anyway, keeping your fill (if you can) will just make it that much easier to take the weight off post-baby. Our bands are all so different so I don't really think there is a universally correct answer. Just do what feels right for you. Your band will be there to help you get back on track post-baby.

Hi there, I just had my port replaced on Friday morning. I was losing my fill very quickly (9.5 to 3cc's in under a week) and was putting on some weight. I'm getting married in 3 months so I wanted to get this done ASAP as I had just hired a trainer 2 weeks before this to get me buff for the big day. I was so nervous because I didn't tolerate the anesthia and morphine well after getting my band placed (nausea and some vomiting for 14 hours - ugh!). I talked to them about the anesthia and they used a local and a sedative... they call it "twilight." It's basically the same thing they give you if you've ever had a colonoscopy. The surgery took 15 minutes and I was out of the hospital within 3 hours of me hopping up on the table. AND, I got a low profile port out of the deal. Pretty sweet for me as you could see my regular port poke through my skin even with my clothes on. The healing hasn't been too terrible either. The first night was tough as turning over in bed can be painful. I took a few percocets and by Sunday, I was just on Tylenol and back at work on Monday. The incision looks to be about the same size as my original port incision. I'm still not sure exactly what happened that I needed it replaced. My doctor had several surgeries and I could have waiting an hour to see him but I just chose to ask him at the follow up appointment and head home. I'm not sure if they pumped me with gas or not but I was so swollen that I looked like I was 4 months pregnant. I called the office to see if it was normal and they said it could be the result of not having a BM yet in addition to the surgery. So the swelling has gone down somewhat and I'm seeing them on Thursday for a post-op visit. I can't wait to get back to the gym. I think the hardest part for me has been psychologically. I always said to myself that I'd never let myself get fat again. Since the leak I had gained 15 pounds. Ugh... I was totally disgusted with myself. I really thought I had it all under control - that even if I lost my band, I'd be ok on my own. What a reality check that turned out to be. The comfort though is having my band back. I asked him to fill me a bit while he was in there so it's nice to feel a little restriction again! If you have the option - definitely go with the low profile port :thumbdown: I love that I can barely feel it!

Hi there, I just had a port replacement on Friday morning and my belly is a bit swollen. I'm not in any more pain than one would expect and actually feel pretty good. The only thing that I'm a little curious about is that my belly is swollen. Having lost most of my excess weight, my stomach was pretty flat so imagine my surprise when I see a pooch again! Just wondering if this is normal. I plan on giving my doctor a call tomorrow (today's Sunday) but wanted to see what symptoms some of you guys have had. Thanks in advance!

I still remember my first lunch outing post-surgery. My team went to an Indian restaurant and I had Soup and a fabulous glass of wine. You should be mindful of where you get your calories but for most of us, wine is not going to be the reason that our progress has slowed. I drink a glass almost every day... exercise and smart food choices allow me to have it when I want it. I love my band!!!

I totally second Rainer's suggestion about thinking what you'll order before you get the the restaurant. You'll be less tempted by the other "goodies" on the menu. When I go out I normally eat sashimi, Soup, or salads. I try to make the right choices most of the time but if I want chicken fingers, I get them. I can't eat more than one and I try to get my Protein in first so that also limits me to maybe 3 or 4 french fries. Salads are always a pleasure to eat for me. There are so many different flavors and textures and they are just a party in your mouth! I still order my dressing on the side and dip my fork prongs into the dressing before spearing my lettuce. Trust me, I do not want my calories coming from salad dressing! Fish is always a good choice for me too as it's light and flaky and I can not worry about getting stuck. One of my favorite meals is filet mignon. As tight as I am, I can eat a few bites of fliet - especially if it has a delicious bernaise sauce on it. Also, every Sunday I make a pot of soup for the week. I eat the soup for lunch and dinner on various days. It's healthy and I know everything that's in it! Some favorites are white bean and spinach and my chicken tortilla soup. So, your choices are out there... life is so much better with my band! I have pizza maybe once every 3 months or so - just no interest at all. As for Chinese food, well - I prefer Japanese now - but if it's Chinese, I usually do garlic eggplant (nice and mushy!) or get this, Pork Lo Mein. It takes a lot of trial and error but you'll find what works for you... and you'll probably be surprised by how much variety you'll be able to have. Good luck to you!

I agree with the others... I wouldn't put a drink on top of some stuck food. Especially anything cold! Fortunately, I've never had to PB in front of people. I've always known that I needed to step away and have had plenty of time to reach a restroom. If I feel something is stuck, I try to stand up and walk around a little. Putting the arms over the head does help - along with a few deep breaths to try and relax yourself. If I know it won't go down, I do a downward dog pose and it usually comes right up.

L&D, It sounds like you're getting reflux which may be causing you to aspirate in the middle of the night... it's happened to me too--no fun! Call your doctor ASAP and tell him what's going on. A tiny unfill could fix the problem. In the meantime, try not to eat for at least 2-3 hours before bedtime. Good luck and let us know how it goes.