Gastric Bypass Pregnancy

Gastric bypass pregnancy can be a scary thought for many women. Women who have had, or are thinking of having, a weight loss surgery do so, in order to improve their health and lose weight.

Some obese women have infertility issues, which may be related to their obesity in some cases. Many obese women that lose a considerable amount of weight have become pregnant, after having infertility issues in the past. If you are having a gastric bypass pregnancy after weight loss surgery you need to take special care of yourself, and your baby.

Doctors recommend that you try to avoid getting pregnant until at least 18 months after gastric bypass surgery, but preferably two years.

The first 12 months after surgery is when you lose the most weight. During this time, you can only take in very small amounts of food. Usually, you start off taking in about 500 calories a day, and work your way up to 1200 to 1400 calories a day.

So during that first year following surgery, a gastric bypass pregnancy isn't recommended. Most surgeons recommend a year and a half waiting period before trying to conceive. During this time you barely take in enough calories to sustain yourself. Asking your body to support and grow another human being at this time can be dangerous for you and your baby. While pregnant, gastric bypass patients will need to eat additional small meals in order to best support the fetus, due to their restricted stomach pouch.

Gastric Bypass Pregnancy and Prenatal Vitamins

People who undergo gastric bypass surgery need to take nutritional supplements for the rest of their lives. Because of the re-routing of the small intestines, as well as the golf ball-sized stomach, your body isn't able to absorb all of the vitamins and nutrients it needs from your food intake alone. That makes prenatal vitamins a mandatory necessity for a gastric bypass pregnancy. You should discuss your nutrition concerns with your Ob/Gyn.

There are also chewable prenatal vitamins available, as well as liquid iron supplements. I offer these suggestions because when I was pregnant with twins, I tried a few different prenatal vitamins, in the form of pills. Some of them pass right through your body without being digested, and this was in a digestive system untouched by surgery. During pregnancy after weight loss surgery you do not want to take the chance of not receiving all of the vitamins you and your baby need. When taking chewable or liquid prenatal vitamins, your body can absorb them more quickly, decreasing the amount of malabsorption that naturally occurs after gastric bypass surgery.

Keep Your Doctors Informed

Your obstetrician and weight loss surgeon will both need to be contacted during your pregnancy after gastric bypass. Your WLS doctor needs to share some facts and risks associated with pregnancy after gastric bypass surgery that your Ob/Gyn may not be familiar with.

An example of this critical sharing of information would be the routine blood glucose-screening test given to most pregnant women. This test is performed to check for possible gestational diabetes. It is a sugar sweetened drink that is consumed orally, and your blood is drawn afterwards to test you glucose level.

The problem with this glucose tolerance test is that it will cause dumping syndrome to occur in gastric bypass patients. Dumping syndrome symptoms can include nausea, stomach pain/cramping, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue and heart palpitations. So your bariatric surgeon may be able to refer your Ob/Gyn to a different glucose tolerance testing method.

You should alert your weight loss surgeon and obstetrician if you experience stomach pain during your pregnancy. Though it may be nothing serious, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Birth Control After Gastric Bypass Surgery

To avoid a gastric bypass pregnancy during the first 12 months after surgery, it is recommended to use two forms of birth control. For example, you can use the birth control patch, or birth control pills, along with condoms for your partner. The birth control patch has to be changed once a week, while the pill must be taken every day at the same time. There are many other methods of birth control you can discuss with your doctor as well.

All patients who undergo an obesity surgery expect their lives to be improved by their decision, and the hard work they put in afterwards. Pregnancy is part of the natural circle of life. But it is best to be wise and cautious during a pregnancy after gastric bypass. You and your baby's health depend on it.

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