WLS and fertility

My husband and I have been trying for about a year to get pregnant; however, due to my weight the doctor said it would be unlikely.  My surgeon said that fertility skyrockets after WLS.  I also know that I have to wait 18 months after surgery to try to conceive.  I was just wondering if there are any girls out there that were unable to conceive before surgery; however, was successful after?  How long did it take once you tried in order to get pregnant? 

I was told it was supposed to increase as well.  My surgeon told me that I should have all the weight that I am going to lose in 9 months so if I lost the majority of the amount I want I could go ahead and try. I also have fertility problems as well.  I have had 4 miscarriages and 1 stillborn.  Good luck on you journey!!

 I had fertility problems but instead of having the surgery (like I should have) we went the IUI/IVF route. We now have three kids and are done. However, I have a good friend who had the lap band and lost about 100 pounds. They started trying to get PG and when they were not successful within six months she started putting the weight back on.   Now they've stopped trying to conceive and she's working her band again trying to lose the weight. She said that her mistake was switching to the maintenance program and TTC at the same time; it was too much at once. So now her goal is to get back down to goal weight, do maintenance for six months until she is used to it, and then go back to trying to have a baby. She's worried because she's in her late thirties but her OB/GYN told her that with the weight loss she really shouldn't worry about the age issue.

Good luck to you!

I wish when we were going through infertility issues, the docs had been honest with me from the git go that my weight was inteferring with me getting pregnant.  One finally did say my weight wasn't helping.   We did have several factors such as endometriosis, a luteal phase defect and my husband having some issues too, as well as me pushing 40.  However, I always knew in my gut that my weight was a big issue.  Now I'm in my mid 50's, so fertility is a moot point.  I will say, though, that out of that difficult struggle, we ended up with 2 beautiful daughters, through adoption, so I have nothing to complain about, and everything to be grateful for.    Good luck to you with getting pregnant after surgery,  I'm sure your chances of success will be significantly increased.

My husband and I have been married 5 years in Oct. We were together three years prior. I stopped taking BC about 3 mos before we got married. I found out I was pregnant July 3, 2007 and lost it 7 days later. It was very difficult to get over. The following April I was pregnant again. This time I went to the doc for blood testing. I went 3 times that week and lost that one almost a week later, much like the first misscarraige. We found out I wasnt producing enough progesterone. The obgyno didn't even suggest my weight could be a problem. She suggested fertility treatments.

Fast forward to 2009, I found out I had hypothyroidism which is directly related to weight as well as hormone production. I started at a new obgyno. SHE told me that yes my weight could have something to do with difficulties getting pregnant.

I went to her for my annual checkup pre-op and shared with her about my surgery. She seemed very optimistic about my chances down the road. I asked if she had any patients post Bariatric surgery and she said yes and they had very successful healthy pregnancies -specifically patients with gastric bypass though, not the sleeve. But she still felt good about it! She hadn't had any sleeve patients come through yet.

Even Dr. B told me my chances are greater when I get the weight off. So far I havent had anything like PCOS or other physical complications it's basically been hormonal.

I'm trying to focus my energy on losing the weight, getting healthy b/c 18 months seems like a long time to wait to even try to get pregnant, but I also feel that even after the weight comes off if I can't conceive I will accept it and have always thought adoption was a great option!

Don't rush things! Take each day as it comes and maybe in a couple years we'll be sharing our post op baby stories together!

I asked my surgeon the same thing yesterday. He said that alot of his paitents have become sucessful after surgery and some "too sucessfull" whatever that means! Apparently he doesnt realize how much I would love to become "too sucesfull" at getting pregnant. But I havent had my surgery yet, but I wish you and eveyone else the best of luck. Also I've met a lady who had teh band and had PCOS and got pregnant when she was 15lbs away from goal after having three kids prior to surgery only through medical intervention.

 Well, I had to use fertility drugs to get pregnant with the triplets, this was before surgery. Then for seven years after they where born we never used any birth control and never once even had a pregnancy scare, I got the Lap Band and lost 96 lbs in a year and BINGO pregnant with the baby they said I would never have! 

I had my tubes tied just in case after he was born LOL I am not big on playing with fire and I figured with my luck I would get pregnant again right away if we didn't do something to stop it from happening and as much as I love my kids four was more then enough for me. 

 I'm not a doctor, but I've always questioned them using weight as a primary reason for women having infertiflity issues. I think they use it as a catchall sometimes, because either they dont know or they just dont think being overweight is healthy for carrying a child.

I was 375 lbs when I got pregnant and actually lost weight while carrying my son. They were making all kinds of big deals, had me on all kinds of meds, talked about how big he would be, all of this other crap. My son was born 7lbs 12 oz. He. Was. Fine. Not a single health problem. Then they said he would likely be overweight because he was born to a fat mother. My son is about to turn 5 and is 48 lbs, slim for his height. 

So... who knows?

I conceived my child weighing almost 400 lbs. I didnt "show" until I was past 8 months. I lost weight. My baby was born perfect.

Just throwing that out there.

I haven't been to any fertility doctors as I believe it is my weight....my periods have been known to last a year at a time, which has landed me in the hospital getting iron infused blood transfusions.  The gyno says its because estrogen will attach itself to fat tissue.  I was on Progesterone which regulates it, but since my sleeve, I stopped taking them due to them being larger and being coated.  I'm fixing to get a NuvaRing just so we don't have any mishaps during my weight loss. 

We're going to wait 18 months like my doctor suggested; but, if we aren't able to get pregnant, I will sell the clothes off my back or go in debt in order to adopt or for IVF.  All I've ever wanted to be is a mother...

I got pregnant by accident 8 years ago at age 35 weighing about 195 pounds but I was very active (training for a 2nd marathon) and had a textbook perfect pregnancy. My husband and I have not used any form of BC since then (while my weight has constantly gone up to a high of 265) and we've not had any pregnancies at all. I've always attributed it to my weight.

While my daughter is my world, I've never felt a burning desire to have another child, so I've never pursued any sort of fertility treatments. (Figured if it happened, great. If not, no biggie.) But my surgeon did tell me I needed to be on BC after surgery because of the huge increase in fertility...even at age 43. Both my brother and I were born when my mom was in her early 40's so the age thing has never bothered me. But obviously I don't want it to interfere with my 'honeymoon' phase so I will go on something.