Pregnancy advice needed...

[my_friend_amber]

Greetings fellow bandsters!

After several years of being overweight and trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant, my husband and I decided a few years back that it was time for a drastic measure - Lap-Band surgery at the OCC! It was a wonderful experience and now, a couple years and nearly 100lbs later, I am thrilled to announce that I am just over 6 weeks pregnant!

I do have several questions out there that I would specifically like to have women (or the men in their lives!) answer about pregnancy after the band:

1. Did you get an un-fill? If so, was it a total un-fill or just partial? At what point did you refill the band?

2. Did you feel that your band in any way hindered you ability to eat enough foods or to breastfeed, to push during labor, etc. (especially if you did NOT have all your fill removed)

3. Did you port give you problems as your belly got bigger with the baby? Did it become something that was visable or uncomfortable as more of your insides were filled up with the baby?

4. Were you able to find an OBGYN who had experience with an expecting mother who had had the band or did you feel you had to do the educating of your doctor(s)?

That's all I can think of for now. I appreciate any/all responses!!

Many thanks,

Amber

[CanadianBandster]

1. Did you get an un-fill? If so, was it a total un-fill or just partial? At what point did you refill the band?

I had an unfil pre-pregnancy, I was actually just about to go in to have a little put back in....then found out I was expecting so I left it alone (with dr advice). All is good now I have 1.6 is my 4 cc band

2. Did you feel that your band in any way hindered you ability to eat enough foods or to breastfeed, to push during labor, etc. (especially if you did NOT have all your fill removed)

lol - okay this is a hard one because a)I will not breastfeed due to a med I am on and i have to have a c-section (due to having 2 previously and it isnt an option here for a v-bac)

I have to make sure I am eating enough though because I am not hungry often, so I have to write everything down to make sure I am eating enough

3. Did you port give you problems as your belly got bigger with the baby? Did it become something that was visable or uncomfortable as more of your insides were filled up with the baby?

I am 17 weeks tomorrow and not huge yet, but I am thinking as it seems now that it wont cause problems. I tend to have smallish babies though! My port was a bit visible before after losing, but I am not worried about it- no one would know unless I pointed it out and that wont be happening.

4. Were you able to find an OBGYN who had experience with an expecting mother who had had the band or did you feel you had to do the educating of your doctor(s)?

My doctor did a lot of research once I told her I was getting banded. Where I live no way would someone have experience with it

[my_friend_amber]

That is good info, Canadian. Thank you! Anyone else out there have a pregnancy experience after being banded?

1. Did you get an un-fill? If so, was it a total un-fill or just partial? At what point did you refill the band?

I had an unfil pre-pregnancy, I was actually just about to go in to have a little put back in....then found out I was expecting so I left it alone (with dr advice). All is good now I have 1.6 is my 4 cc band

2. Did you feel that your band in any way hindered you ability to eat enough foods or to breastfeed, to push during labor, etc. (especially if you did NOT have all your fill removed)

lol - okay this is a hard one because a)I will not breastfeed due to a med I am on and i have to have a c-section (due to having 2 previously and it isnt an option here for a v-bac)

I have to make sure I am eating enough though because I am not hungry often, so I have to write everything down to make sure I am eating enough

3. Did you port give you problems as your belly got bigger with the baby? Did it become something that was visable or uncomfortable as more of your insides were filled up with the baby?

I am 17 weeks tomorrow and not huge yet, but I am thinking as it seems now that it wont cause problems. I tend to have smallish babies though! My port was a bit visible before after losing, but I am not worried about it- no one would know unless I pointed it out and that wont be happening.

4. Were you able to find an OBGYN who had experience with an expecting mother who had had the band or did you feel you had to do the educating of your doctor(s)?

My doctor did a lot of research once I told her I was getting banded. Where I live no way would someone have experience with it

[CompletelyRevised]

1. Did you get an un-fill? If so, was it a total un-fill or just partial? At what point did you refill the band?

I did not get an unfill, I should have. I had reflux through my whole pregnancy and realized after that it wasn't due to being pregnant but because I was too tight. I had to go in about a month ago and get completely unfilled and they determined that my upper pouch was stretched. I'll be going in about 1 month to get a slight fill.

2. Did you feel that your band in any way hindered you ability to eat enough foods or to breastfeed, to push during labor, etc. (especially if you did NOT have all your fill removed)I had a csection. My dr said in no way that it would effect my pregnancy the port and stomach is far enough away to not have any concerns. It did hinder me from eating much during pregnancy. I gained 12lbs so when I had the baby I actually had lost weight. I was afraid of gaining too much weight during pregnancy (I gained 60 w/ my first pregnancy) so I stayed filled. I'm very fortunate that I did not cause more damage other than my pouch being stretched (I asume I didn't I will find out for sure in about a month when I go back to get a fill).

3. Did you port give you problems as your belly got bigger with the baby? Did it become something that was visable or uncomfortable as more of your insides were filled up with the baby? I was a little uncomfortable but nothing major. It stuck out a little but no one could see it my hubby could feel it just by pressing slightly:)

4. Were you able to find an OBGYN who had experience with an expecting mother who had had the band or did you feel you had to do the educating of your doctor(s)? I went to the same dr as I had w/ my first pregnancy. He was not concerned as long as I was able to eat he said I was fine (I didn't tell him I had a hard time eating, against my better judgement).

Hope this helps, the baby is 11months now:) Feel free to email w/any questions you might have. I looked and looked for info from people while I was prego and had a hard time getting any advise/experiences from anyone. So just send a message if you need support:)

[CindyLou]

Well, I don't exactly have "experience" but I am 7wks today!!! I plan to keep my fill that I currently have. I was pretty tight but it seems since I got pregnant, I'm a little loser. Weird cuz I thought for sure it would be tighter. But I feel like I'm at a good sweet spot with my band and I intend to keep it that way!! My Ob/Gyn just by coincidence is married to a doctor that does Lapband fills! So I feel comfortable knowing she will refer any questions to him for his "free" input...

I had not yet met my goal, so I do not plan to gain much weight (if any) while pregnant. I plan to continue eating as I was before pregnancy, and I was losing approx 1-2 lbs per month as I am eating now. My doc said as long as baby is growing during the pregnancy and I feel like I am eating the right foods, then she is fine with me not gaining weight or gaining minimal weight. She explained that even if I'm eating minimally but eating a balanced diet, then the baby will take what it needs. She also reminded me that prenatals are super important for me and I MUST take them!

Oh, and as far as the port. I can feel it now, but it's not visible to the eye unless I press in on that area. From where it is, I am guessing I will be able to see it once I get very pregnant (8 months or so)

So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that 1) My band won't get too tight 2) I won't gain much weight 3) That I won't have a problem with hearburn

[Kristi]

Amber,

I don't have any advice for you on pregnancy while being banded.

However, I want to say Congrats! That is wonderful news.

Hugs,

Kristi

[AlanaH]

Hey Amber ..... congrats!!!

I was banded almost 2 years (August) ago at the OCC .... its been a slow process for losing weight as that December / January I got pregnant. I wouldn't change the band at all! And I definitely wouldn't change having Kate although in a weird sense, I was upset to find out I was pregnant because I wanted to lose the weight!

1. Did you get an un-fill? If so, was it a total un-fill or just partial? At what point did you refill the band?

I didn't get an un-fill. I had a fill in November and thought about going back to get it un-filled but the restriction wasn't bothering me. I work at a hospital in the Operating Room and I my OBGYN works there too so if I ever had questions, I could just ask him. He wasn't concerned about my restrictions as long as I could still eat foods and get it down. Throughout my entire pregnancy I didn't have much of an appetite though and only gained 10 pounds. I had Kate on September 5th and 10 days after that I was back to the office for another fill -- I wanted to be aggressive! I really think it depends on you and how you are feeling. I definitely would have had a de-fill if I couldn't get foods down!

2. Did you feel that your band in any way hindered you ability to eat enough foods or to breastfeed, to push during labor, etc. (especially if you did NOT have all your fill removed)

I did have some good restriction while pregnant, but I also didn't have much of an appetite -- perhaps it was related? I really don't know. I'm not much of a big eater, just chose the wrong foods to eat! I had tested positive for the Triple Screen test which indicates a possiblity of Spina Bifida in my baby....after being sent to the city for 2 ultrasounds with a Perinatologist it was determined that Kate was ok, but my obgyn was still concerned -- it could be an indication something could happen in labor to me. So he had me induced. And with alot of inductions --- a c-section is the result. So I never had to push ..... I had labor for a few hours but due to Kate's decrease in heart rate -- they did an emergency c-section. So I can't honestly tell you if it would hinder any ability to push while in labor.

3. Did you port give you problems as your belly got bigger with the baby? Did it become something that was visable or uncomfortable as more of your insides were filled up with the baby?

My port started to hurt a bit at the end, but that was only the last couple of weeks .... I honestly had no complications with the band. I used to make my husband feel it all the time cause it would stick out a bit

4. Were you able to find an OBGYN who had experience with an expecting mother who had had the band or did you feel you had to do the educating of your doctor(s)?

My obgyn may or may not have had experience with the band -- we never actually talked about it. Bad, I know .... but he never brought it up after the one conversation we had. In our town of 65,000+ we only have 2 obgyn's (I kid you not!) and I went with the best in town .... if he wasn't worried about my band, then either was I. Now, if I lived in Edmonton, then perhaps i would have found a doctor who had experience with the band.

Kate was the best thing that happened to me - I didn't expect it to happen so quickly after getting banded, but I definitely don't regret the band or Kate! Hard to believe she'll be a year in September already ..... I often think that if it wasn't for the band, I wouldn't have gotten pregnant and stayed pregnant (I had 2 miscarriages before the band)....

Good luck and enjoy every minute of being pregnant!

Alana

[heidiinSD]

My advice while pregnant is really watch what you are eating! I was not banded while I was pregnant and gained 57 pounds the first time and 52 the second time. I do have a friend who was banded by Dr Ortiz and got pregnant two months later. She never had a fill and she was fine. She did say by month seven it was very hard for her to eat. She did a lot of shakes at the end of her pregnancy. I wish I was banded while I was pregnant. You ladies are lucky.

Good luck and congratulations!!!!

[my_friend_amber]

Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes and the advice. It's really hard to find information about being pregnant AND banded, so I appreciate you guys! CindyLou - we'll have to stay in touch since we're both going through this at the same time!

Best wishes,

[CompletelyRevised]

I was banded and about 1 1/2 years later got prego with my second. I was overfilled to begin with and all through the pregnancy I had reflux at night I thought it was just because i was prego and it would go away after the baby was born but it didn't. after the baby was born I went in and was told I stretched my pouch, I had to have a complete unfill and was told the pouch may never go back to normal and to come back in a 8ish weeks for a check up. I went back 6 months later and it was still stretched and I could not get a fill. All this happened a little over a year ago.

My second child is almost 2 and I'm pregnant again (due at the end of June) and this time nothing is in the band. I plan on going back 6 weeks after the baby is born for another checkup and I'm just praying it's gone back to normal size after waiting all this time, and I hope I will able to get a fill. When I was prego with the band I only gained 12lbs but stretched my pouch and may not be able to ever get another fill only time will tell. Wasn't worth the risk but I made the bad decision of being overfilled in the first place.

My advise is to just get an unfill. I refused to because I did not want to gain my weight back (My first I gained 60lbs), but it was not worth ruining my band!!! However I must add that I was overfilled to begin with, so as long as you are not too tight I would think you should be fine:) I do regret my decision of staying filled while pregnant though. I should have just played it safe and not taken the risk, but then again my band was too tight before getting pregnant.

[ErinRed]

I too have gotten pregnant after being banded.

I had lost almost 40 pounds since banding without getting a fill. I was just looking into fill options when I found out I was pregnant.

I am now 23 weeks pregnant and have gained back almost the whole 40 pounds!

My husband absolutely will not let me even look into getting a fill while pregnant, he tells me there will be plenty of time after the little one comes.

This is our third and this is so far the most weight I have gained, I am on track to gain 60 pounds at the rate I am going.

I don't feel like I even eat all that much, I just think that after eating so little for a while my body just sucks it all up and stores it for a rainy day!

I hate that I am back to square one, or even worse.

But I guess I have the rest of my life to lose weight, right?

[CanadianBandster]

Amber - how is it going??

My baby is 9 months now

[lovesMaui]

Well, I don't exactly have "experience" but I am 7wks today!!! I plan to keep my fill that I currently have. I was pretty tight but it seems since I got pregnant, I'm a little loser. Weird cuz I thought for sure it would be tighter. But I feel like I'm at a good sweet spot with my band and I intend to keep it that way!! My Ob/Gyn just by coincidence is married to a doctor that does Lapband fills! So I feel comfortable knowing she will refer any questions to him for his "free" input...

I had not yet met my goal, so I do not plan to gain much weight (if any) while pregnant. I plan to continue eating as I was before pregnancy, and I was losing approx 1-2 lbs per month as I am eating now. My doc said as long as baby is growing during the pregnancy and I feel like I am eating the right foods, then she is fine with me not gaining weight or gaining minimal weight. She explained that even if I'm eating minimally but eating a balanced diet, then the baby will take what it needs. She also reminded me that prenatals are super important for me and I MUST take them!

Oh, and as far as the port. I can feel it now, but it's not visible to the eye unless I press in on that area. From where it is, I am guessing I will be able to see it once I get very pregnant (8 months or so)

So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that 1) My band won't get too tight 2) I won't gain much weight 3) That I won't have a problem with hearburn

I know this was written over a year ago........but I have never, ever, ever, heard of planning on gaining no weight while pregnant or very little. My daughter is 6 months pregnant right now and I have been to many of her doctor visits and this is not what her doctor says.