Thursday, September 3, 2009

Questions about Post-op Pregnancy

Many people have asked me about pregnancy after surgery with questions about everything om fertility to nutrition.

Will this make it easier for you to get pregnant?
In general, losing the weight should make it easier for me to become pregnant. As many of you know, I have poly-cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) which effects the regularity with which I ovulate. PCOS symptoms include obesity, hair growth, infertility, irregular cycles, painful ovulation, and more. Insulin resistance and inappropriate hormone levels are highly connected to PCOS and the severity of the symptoms. Since fat stores hormones, losing the weight can help achieve an appropriate hormone balance, eliminate insulin resistance, and thus decrease the severity of PCOS, making it more likely to achieve pregnancy.

Since you can't eat that much, is it safe for you to get pregnant?

The key is to have stabilized my weight. Once I am maintaining a consistent weight (usually 12 months post-op), I will find a calorie/activity level that works for me and allows me to maintain a consistent weight. Then, once pregnant, I will add 200-300 calories a day (a couple small nutrient-dense snacks). This calorie increase is the same for all mothers--not just RNY mothers. My surgeon may recommend increasing the dose of my prenatal vitamins and may suggest testing your levels to make sure there are not deficiencies. In general, though, my body gives the baby what he/she needs first and I get the "left-overs", so if there are deficiencies in anything, it would effect me not the baby.

Are there other issues with surgery and pregnancy?

According to Booster Shots, an LA Times health blog, a woman who has weight-loss surgery before becoming pregnant may help break the cycle of obesity in her family, researchers say. A study published today in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that children of obese mothers who had weight-loss surgery before pregnancy have a lower risk of obesity and improved heart health compared with their siblings who were born before the mother had surgery."Full article here: latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/09/obesity-surgery-pregnancy.html

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