Hey...Has anyone had to deal with deciding to have surgery first (waiting through 2 insurance companies and feeling like your not getting anywhere) or have a baby and hope to have surgery after. I'm in my mid twenties but my husband is twelve years older. He wants me to be healthy...but I'm ready for a baby yesterday. He would rather not wait but will if I want to. I know I would have to wait 18 months to two years to get pregnant after surgery. So does anyone have any advice. I'd really like to hear from anyone that has had a band and then became pregnant, but anyone's advice is welcomed. I'm almost 300 pounds and know what a pregnancy could do to my body-diabetes, pre-eclampsia, mandatory bed rest, etc. Just would like some support or ideas. Thanks,

Kadtie.

Hi!

I had my daughter in October, 2004. When I got pregnant I weighed 302lbs. I had no problem getting pregnant, but I've always had regular cycles. I used the Clear Plan Easy Fertility Monitor because I wanted to get preggers really quickly. It took me 2 months to get preggo.

I made it through the first 16 weeks or so with no problems whatsoever. I was very happy that I had made it through without getting morning sickness when it hit. From that point on (when most ppl get over the morning sickness in the 1st trimester) I threw up at least once a day. Even a week after my baby was born I was still suffering from morning sickness due to hormones!! I ended up losing around 40lbs during my pregnancy due to nausea/vomiting and my baby being up so high. I literally couldn't eat that much for about 2 months before she was born because if I did I got sick (kinda like a band!).

The only piece of advice I can give you is if you are healthy and want a baby go for it. I had no complications. I did however end up with a c-section due to failure to progress after 18 hours of labor, but I think that could happen to just about anyone regardless of their weight.

The most important thing you can do is take prenatal Vitamins BEFORE YOU GET PREGNANT to make sure you get enough folic acid to prevent birth defects and find a size friendly provider. You need someone to support you and provide proper medical care not critize you for your weight.

You can check out:

http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/firstindex.html

I love this website!! It has information about pregnancy and a list of size friendly providers.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Best wishes to you!!

I was wondering about this too. I decided to have the band first, because I didn't want to be really uncomfortable during the pregnancy. I mentioned something about waiting 18mths to 2 years to my surgeon and he said "don't wait that long, start now"!! I have decided to compromise and wait 9-12mths before I want to start trying. My Hubby is approaching 40 and I am 31 so time is starting to become an issue for us too. I would say go the band first and then think about babies, but I was lucky, living in Australia, I decided I wanted the band and 6 weeks later I had it. But, of course, you must do what is right for you. Good Luck whatever you decide

I actually opted for the band in the middle of trying--because I was told that losing some of the excess would up the chances--now I am on my band journey and still not preggers yet--but have 44 less lbs of me to worry about while we try. I am happily losing weight and not worrying about it all so much--frankly--I am really glad I didn't wait--because the more I weighed--the more depressed I got--and the less I would have been able to do for/with my other two little ones and any new one(s) I wanted to have. May you choose what makes you healthiest and happiest--all the best

shrina

7/12/05

272/230/125-150 (maybe with a break in there somewhere--lol for baby?)

Good question! I made DH go back to using condoms this month to specifically avoid any chance, even though we quit using contraceptives 2 years ago when we decided we wanted a baby (we never started "trying", just "trying to stop it").

I figure - in the big scheme of things, what's a year? With a baby it's a year, and that makes me a year older, a year before I can enjoy it, and a year older before it's out of the house! With surgery it's weight loss, significantly reducing the risk of complications, better chances of conceiving, better overall baby health, potentially easier healing...

I always said if I had a baby I would do it by the time I was 30. When I tell 30 in Feb and that gives me 1 year and 3 mos to conceive. Hehe. I weighed out the options and decided the health for me & baby was worth it!

That's one of my reasons for wanting to get this. A smaller reason. 2 years and no baby yet - hoping weightloss will help that. Plus I don't want to cary a baby overweight and put it & myself at greater risk for complications.

I've heard of the 18 mos. to 2 years for gastric bypass patients but not for band patients. My surgeon said I only had to wait a year to get pregnant. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Mine told me to wait 2 years for my weight to stabilize before getting pregnant again.

im in the same boat, the primary reason of be bended was to lose weight and be pregnant.. i'm 8 years married and i have not kidz yet .. its an issue for me (34) and my husband (44) .. we want soo much a babe.. i hope when i ll lose enough to be mom some day

MsButterKup23 thank you for the interesting link!! i will read it right now!

Well I had a baby 2 years ago...while I was @ 300. I did end up having high blood pressure and was put on bed rest several times. My doctor was wonderful and the only thing he every told me was when we were trying and I wasn't even have a regural cycle was that if I would loss some weight it could help. I lost 30 pounds and with modern medicne we had a little boy. I to had a c-section due to failure to progress.

So now I do want another but I decided I wanted us to try on our own this time and I wanted to be healthy for my husband and son so that is why I got the band. I knew going in this I should wait a year before getting prego and I think I am going to stick to that (I have never heard of waiting 2 years and I asked several doctors when I would go to seminars.). Sure it puts me a year older but that is ok with me. I want to make sure I don't have any problems.

It's amazing to ready how many people are having the same problems. I have PCOS (I think that is is) and I know it can be weight related. So I thought what the heck lets give the band a try and see where I am in a year. I think honestly lossing the weight will make be have a better pregnancy and I think I will enjoy it better because I will be healther.

Good Luck in your desicion...I know it's tough but just make sure you are healthy because you are the one that has to carry that baby.

My son is 2 today!! I was 312# when I got pregnant and delivered at around 325#

I had no complications and had a c-section because baby was side-ways. Baby was wonderfully healthy and came into the world at 7lbs 14oz.

We are going to have another but waiting for me to lose a bit more.

Ladies I am so overwhelmed by all of this support!

It is so amazing, I'm sitting here reading each of these to my husband and he is so happy for me. It's nice to see both sides, but especially nice to see several of you that got pregnant around my weight and with or with out complications had babies!

My husband and I have decided to appeal the insurance company one last time and if they still deny then here comes baby. By the time I can switch insurance companies at work I could have the baby and be ready to go, but I was so aprehensive about getting pregnant at this size. I know it's a risk either way but I was so ready a year ago to have a baby and I just can't wait unless I know I'm definately getting the band. My regular doc was the one that said women have been having babies for all time and they all weren't skinny-but he's a man-it's nice to hear from women what has happened to them.

I am going to recheck and let my band doc know that several of the women I talked to have been told a year, maybe somebody messed up in what they told me. Docs have those days to I'm sure.

I just can't thank you all for the overwhelming since of peace talking to all of you has given me. This website is a godsend for me-I'm so glad I stumbled across it. Thank you all so much.

PinkMary - similar boats! We had our 8 year anniv last weekend. FOr the first 5 or 6 years neither of us wanted kids, but that changed - almost over night. I'm 29, DH is 32.

I can't remember who said or even what thread it was in...but someone said that their doctor told them...the good thing about the band is that if you get pregnant tomorrow you are okay. I know they like people to wait a year or more...but heck this is the band not the rny...you don't have viatiman promblems or any problem absorbing all of your calories. I think right now I could eat plenty of food to support a pregnacy if I wanted...I don't wanna..but I could if I wanted to. Good luck on whatever you decide. Either way just eat clean and healthy and you should be fine

Melissa

I'm glad your waiting, there are plenty of women that have healthy pregnancies at 300 + pounds just know the complications that come along with that too, not only for your health but for the baby. There are tons of articles and books on the subject. My doc said that I should wait about a year for my weight to stablize and you can always have the fills taken out and be able to resume anything you want. That is the good thing about the band. Fact is, it is just easier to get pregnant when you are at a lower weight and the pregnancy should be much easier. I got the band for this very reason. You and I are both young still and waiting an extra year to have a more healthy child and self will be well worth the wait. Good luck in your decisions.

Hi Kadtie,

I would wait until you lose some weight. I was pretty healthy and had my first baby at age 29 at over 300 pounds and my second child at age 37 at over 300 lbs as well. My first one was a C-section. I had some irritation at the stitch line because of my hanging pannus. The second was a C-section as well and I had incredible swelling and preeclampsia the last 4 weeks. I weighed 312 on a Friday and blew up to 325 by Monday. They went in 3 1/2 weeks early for fear I might have a heart attack on the table. THe rest of the pregnancy was quite normal though. You are young enough to wait another year. You could easily get your weight down 50-100 pounds in that time and have a much healthier pregnancy. Just my opinion.

Babs in TX

334/180

-154

We had been trying for 8 years to get preggers. My fertility dr at the time advised that if I would just lost 30 pounds that could make all the difference. I lost the 30 pounds and two months later I was preggers. I was 285 and 32 when I started and by the time I had my daughter I was down to 240. I carried her full term and alot of people never even knew I was preggers. My second pregnancy happened naturally and quickly. I was at 260 and 37, by the time I had my son I was down to 241. But, had I had the time, I would have waited until I had lost more weight. I had alot of hard times with swelling feet and hurting back on my last pregnancy.