Question:
How does weight loss surgery & drastic loss affect fertility & pregnancy?

I had my surgery in Dec. of 2000 and have since lost 111 pounds. In the past I was told by my doctor that the chances of becoming pregnant and carrying full-term were slim to none due to my weight as well as having had cancer cells removed from my cervix (which apparently weakens the cervix). I was just wondering if anyone out there would know how having the surgery and losing this much weight in a short time frame might affect my chances of conceiving and not experiencing a miscarriage. My husband & I are wanting to have children and have been finding it difficult to conceive. Any suggestions? Thanks for your support. God Bless ^j^ Andrea    — Andrea H. (posted on October 27, 2001)

October 27, 2001
Andrea, many women find that after they lose lots of weight they are MUCH more fertile, primarily because MO women often have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). You many or may not have had that problem in the past, so your fertility might be higher now than it was. The standard line is unprotected sex for a year and if still not pregnant, talk to your doctor.<br><br>Your cancer cells on your cervix (since I assume they are all gone now) are not relevant to the health of your future pregnancies. Removal of cancer cells does not weaken the cervix unless they also removed a large portion of the cervix itself. If they did, as soon as your pregnancy is confirmed, your midwife or doctor can perform cervical circlage, where basically they stitch the cervix shut and then remove the sutures as you go into labor. You are also not any more likely to miscarry than anyone else.<br><br>I'd highly recommend the book <i>Taking Charge of Your Fertility</i> if you want to more actively try to become pregnant. This book is quite useful all-around. You could also check out the website http://www.ttc.com as there are lots of good resources there. Good luck!
   — Julia M.