Gastric Band/Bypass affecting fertility.

[Meggie]

My sister called earlier saying she'd seen a report saying having a gastric band/bypass can seriously affect your fertility and that only one person in Britain has managed to get pregnant after having the surgery. Does anyone know anything about this story and whether it's true?? I couldn't quite work out whether she was just trying to scare me or not!!! I obviously would never want to risk my chance of having kids (I'm 28).

 

[dsarah1977]

i DONT KNOW MUCH BUT WAS TOLD AT HOSP THAT CAN BE PRREGNANT AS LONG AS AFTER 18 MONTHS I DONT THIBNK THIS IS TRUE MY OPINION M8 IS TO TALK TO DOCTOR X

 

[dsarah1977]

I also know many ppl have had babys x

 

[Meggie]

I think it may be this story............

 

[dsarah1977]

Theres a user on here pregnant as well x

 

[shelbell]

Oh my lord, I must be famous Seriously, if only 1 person has ever got pregnant after WLS, it must be me!

(shucks, I'm going to have to go and tell those girls on the pregnancy after WLS forum that they're all wrong lol, and some should give their babies back!).

Your sisters got the wrong end of the stick. there was an article about a lady who is the first to get pregnant after having a band AND a bypass, as having both isn't common, but WLS doesn't lessen your fertility, if anything it improves it. The lady in the article had been told she couldn't have children before she lost weight

 

[babyflower]

I can name at least 2 dozen people on other forums off the top of my head who have become pregant after wls - bands and bypass.

The only advice is not to get pregnant within 18 months of surgery as this is optimum weight loss time, and also the time of highest malabsorption with the bypass.

WLS and losing weight increases fertility, i think the article your sister read was quite badly written and somewhat misleading.

They wouldn't do bypasses on women of child bearing age if it stopped chances of having babies. My consultant said to me last week (when I asked about living with a bypass) - he said life would be normal - I could even make babies (!)

 

[Meggie]

That's what I thought it meant in the article. I told her that it was prob the opposite. I think she is justy worried about me having what she deems as unecessary surgery. The more info I get the more determined I become! Congrats on the baby by the way!

 

[fuze]

I have been categorically told that having a bypass increases fertility. When I was first considering the surgery I was put intouch with someone by my Dr who had a bypass and she had just given birth 6 months previously! One of the big reasons I am having the surgery (besides a healthier and longer life) is that it will be easier and safer to get pregnant and have a baby!! I cant wait till im 2 years post op and can start trying!

 

[cazbandy]

Found this info, its just guidelines as everyone who has the surgery is different.

[FONT=Courier New, Courier, mono]Gastric bypass patients have maximum weight loss during the first few months after the surgery to about a year. This is due to the very limited amount of food taken by the patient, which can only be about 500 calories a day. As time goes by, the amount of food intake increases to a maximum of 1200 calories per day.

With this fact about the surgery, weight loss surgeons recommend that their patients postpone pregnancy until 18 months after the surgery. This is to let them regain their normal condition and stabilize nutrition absorption. After 18 months, most of the patients should have reached their ideal weight.

Once a gastric bypass patient knows about the pregnancy, she should consult not only her ob-gyne, but her weight loss surgeon as well. Not all gynecologists are familiar with the ins and outs of gastric bypass surgery. For a much better and healthier pregnancy, both health professionals should always be consulted all throughout the pregnancy.

There are also some usual tests that gynecologists recommend their patients to undergo that should not be done by gastric bypass patients. An example is the standard glucose tolerance test to check for gestational diabetes. Since the fluid required for this test is mainly glucose, this will definitely cause dumping syndrome to gastric bypass patients.

Thus, the weight loss surgeon may advise the gynecologists to test the patient's blood sugar instead. Also, weight loss surgeons may recommend a more effective prenatal multivitamins than what gynecologists usually recommends.

Pregnant women who have undergone gastric bypass surgery are also recommended to eat more often. Since they can only eat so much in a meal, eating more meals in a day is recommended to achieve proper nutrition both for the mother and the baby. Still, the post surgery diet, which is high-protein, low-carbohydrates and low fat, should be followed to avoid possible complications.

Pregnancy for gastric bypass patients is definitely possible and can even be healthier than other normal women. As long as proper precautions are taken, having a healthy baby will be a reality .[/FONT]

 

[twinklyhb]

hi meggie the person the article is on about is michelle bowater md of wlsgroup and i think she is the first person to get pregnant with a band and a bypass surgery go on wlsgroup website and you can read about it xxxheather

 

[thinkbethin]

You're gettting some "True stories" of pregnancy after weight loss surgery here. If anyone knows about it then the peeps on here are the ones to ask. Good luck meggiemoo and don't be put off by the newspaper article.

 

[fuze]

I have just had a read through the story and I think I now understand what they are saying. They are saying that she had a band done, and then had a bypass done and they left the band in place. I think they have just made a big deal about it because she had her band left in which is very unusual as they normally remove it at the time of doing a conversion (im having a conversion at the start of August [all being well]).

Anyway i would not take everything you hear in the news as fact or a total portrayal of the truth. This is off topic but I was looking at the BBC news web site yesterday and there is an interview with a young guy who has had a bypass and lost 17 stone but he is on there having a moan about how he cant get a tummy tuck on the NHS untill he has had a stable BMI for 2 years. Now i understand that you are left with alot of excess skin after that kind of weight loss, and I myself am expecting to have lots of excess skin but the NHS PCT in question have said they will fund it but that for clinical reasons (to make sure his BMI is stable) he cant have it for two years), and the reporter/ story makes a big deal about it all saying that it is all so unfair and that he cant leave the house due to the excess skin as he is self conscious. There is a video of him on the website and let me tell you he looks AMAZING, when he has his clothes on you cant tell!! Anyway I have gone totally off topic and i have rambled, im sorry for having a go and i will now get off my soap box!

But the moral of my story is dont forget that the 'media' puts a certain spin on the stories they report on!!