Pre-band prego questions

[Bean_blossom86 0]

okay I'm 22 and I've been married 5 years (I know I'm young and weird) I've have 2 misscarraiges and they don't know why, I presonally think it's beause of my weight (I'm 333lbs). I've been concidering the lapband for about a year now and here is my delemma... My hubby FINALLY agreed to "try" to conceive (both times before were suprises) I REALLY REALLY REALLY want a baby, but... I'm so overweight , plus I'm bipolar and I feel like everything is against me! should I wait to have the band until after I have a healthy pregnancy or get the band and wait ANOTHER year in hopes that I will have a Healthier pregnancy? I want to give my child every possible chance at a healthy start and as it is I will be going off my meds and trying to deal with the bipolar without them because the risk of clef pallet in the baby is higher with all bipolar meds, and part of me is realy hoping if I lose enough weight the bipolar might get easier to deal with (I heard weight loss can even out hormones) so I know this is really long and I'm sorry but I'm soooo confused and don't know what to do and don't have many friends that 'get it' so any advice would be great! thanks!

Angelia

[Daisalana 33]

For the health of you & baby, you should wait till after banding and after weightloss. This is the most ideal, so you can avoid any of the complications of overweight pregnancies.

And not to point out the obvious, but you're young and have plenty of time to have kids

Edited November 19, 2008 by FairyFacade

[HeatherO 7]

My sister, who was in the neighborhood of 300 pounds pre-pregnancy, got pregnant and carried the healthy baby to term. Unfortunately, she not only gained a healthy baby . . . she also picked up a very bad case of diabetes that she still struggles with to this day (several shots a day and pills at night to control it while sleeping). She also had a very difficult pregnancy that was interspersed with several hospital stays at that time. This was about 9 years ago.

Since that time she has miscarried twice. She had a set of beautiful twin girls last year, although one of which was not healthy and has had multiple surgeries for a variety of health problems . . . and more surgeries to come in the future as well.

Before this pregnancy, she had no health issues other than being morbidly obese.

Everyone is different and you never know what experience you will have . . . many women over 300 pounds give birth to healthy babies without serious consequence. However, statistics show that obesity leads to a more difficult pregnancy.

I think it is healthier for you and the future baby to lose some weight through banding first. Even 50 pounds less can make a tremendous difference in your health and how you feel.

Plus at 22 you have lots of time. Not to mention how cute you will look with a baby bump if you give it a little time :0). I lost my weight first even though I wanted a baby very much . . . now I am loving pregnancy at a healthy weight, everything is so much easier.

One last thing about banding . . . as you lose the weight, hormones that have been stored over time in your fat cells are released. For me, the first few months with the greatest weight loss were like PMS all month because of me being super hormonal. My periods became worse as well. I also noticed my son and husband started "hiding out" when I got home from work, lol. Now everything is stable and happy-go-lucky since I have lost the weight.

I think most women who are overweight and lose weight fast go through this stage. If hormone fluctations will make the bipolar issue worse, it might be worthwhile to do banding before baby. Having a first baby is hard on patience and emotions naturally, extra doses of hormones will make it even more trying. Motherhood is easier when you start out at your best.

[eejaydiva 3]

My buddies Heather & Fairy make some excellent points. Bean, I encourage you to listen to them. I myself was banded 8 months ago and just found out I am pregnant. (Due to worsening health issues, I was given the go-ahead to try early). As impulsive as I am, I made sure to get 50 lbs off before trying. If it took 4 months then great, if it took a year, then oh well. That put me at a nice, even 200 lbs or so. I fluctuate up and down about 5 lbs, but you get my point. At 333 lbs with unexplained miscarriages, I would highly encourage you to wait.

I have been with my husband for 8 yrs. I know that when you've been with someone for so long, it can feel natural to want to take the next step. For you, I hope the next step is realizing you are valuable enough to improve your mental and physical health before becoming a mommy. Not to completely get cheesy, but you truly have to love yourself first.

Time flies after banding! Your life becomes a great rhythm of optimism and change, you are proud of yourself and your body for what it can accomplish with this tool. A day will come when you feel comfortable and well-adjusted to band life. I don't care what time limit the docs put on you, THAT is when you're ready for babies.

Good luck! Please do the band first, you won't regret it!

[alicez 0]

For the health of you & baby, you should wait till after banding and after weightloss. This is the most ideal, so you can avoid any of the complications of overweight pregnancies.

And not to point out the obvious, but you're young and have plenty of time to have kids :wink2:

Well said, pregnancy after Lap Band Surgery is better option for you and your child, If you need further information please read Lap Band Surgery and Pregnancy section.

For your safety and the safety of the baby it’s very important to avoid becoming pregnant for one year after Lap Band surgery as this is the time where one’s weight loss will be most significant.

Good Luck

[StephOinAZ 0]

I know I'm a little late on this post, but I was wondering...have you been tested for PCOS? I'm asking because PCOS causes the hormonal imbalances that lead to miscarriage and MAJOR mood swings. Especially since you are over 300 lbs (as am I) the chance that you have PCOS is pretty high. MANY women are mis-diagnosed as being bi-polar when in fact, it's PCOS mood swings. I was diagnosed as bi-polar when I was in high school and was on medication for it and everything. The meds kinda sorta helped, but never fully kept me from getting depressed again. Once I started noticing other symptoms (like dark facial and body hair, thinning scalp hair, skin tags, missed periods, etc) I went to the doctor and was officially diagnosed w/PCOS.

Anyway...if you haven't been tested for it before, I would! It may mean that you don't need to be on bi-polar meds at all. Also, if you DO have PCOS, that would explain the miscarriages, and your doctor could put you on Metform so that when you do get prego again, the Metformin will reduce your risk of miscarriage by something like 73% (I forget the exact percentage). Loosing weight will deffinately help balance out those hormones. And I can't tell you how much I understand how badly you want to have a baby right this very second. But I really encourage you to wait!