Pregnancy after bariatric surgery

Question
QUESTION: My 21 year old daughter is planning on having the Roux-enn-Y gastric Bypass Surgery in December. I think she needs to ask more questions BEFORE having the surgery. I would like to know how many women have babies after having the surgery? how hard is it to keep up protein and vitamins to sustain a healthy baby? what is the success rate for healthy babies? does it make it more common for miscarriages? Would it be more rational to stay on the pre-surgical diet and lose some weight that way until you have a baby or babies? I am a worried mother--no matter how old our children get-I am still her mom and need answers. Thank you

ANSWER: Hello Martha,

It is wonderful that your daughter has such a loving, caring mother.  I am not a doctor and I'm certain that it would instill more confidence in you to hear this from your daughter's bariatric surgeon, but here it is.  Gastric bypass surgery does the wonderful things that it does for the obese BECAUSE of the limitations that it puts on the body's ability to receive nutrients.  However, there is no reason that your daughter would be unable to conceive, birth and nurture a child.  It does take extra effort on the part of one who has had bariatric surgery to injest an adequate amount of protein and vitamines, but it is absolutely not impacting to the point that it would affect successful health of offspring or cause a miscarriage if your daughter is diligent in her approach to personal nutrition.  Regardless of whether she intends to bear children or not, nutrition requires the same amount of diligence to survive and to thrive.  It is always helpful to pursue a pre-surgical diet in order to reduce the amount of stress on the body from gastric bypass surgery, but if diet alone was enough, your daughter would not be pursuing the surgery and her doctor(s) would not have agreed to perform the surgery.

I don't know the metrics regarding pregnancy and gastric bypass; it is possible that your daughter's doctor may.  But you should encourage your daughter to discuss her intent to bear children with her doctor so that he or she may asuage the fears of both your daughter and you in the process.

I noted that you did not mention whether or not your daughter desires or has plans to have children and I encourage you to temper your desire for grandchildren in favor of your daughter's intent to live a more healthy and fulfilling life if those are her desires.  If that is a problem, you should address those issues independently and avoid adding to your daughter's stress and pressure so near in time to her surgery.  I had my surgery on December 13, 2006 and I can tell you that my life began anew on that day.  A more healthy daughter who wants children seems to me to be the best of all possible worlds for you.  I encourage you to be the support that your daughter needs when she needs it most.

I wish your daughter all the best and hope that you send me a picture of your grandchild after he or she is introduced to the world.

Please let me know how things progress and please ask any other questions that you might have, no matter how trivial they may seem to you or your daughter.

Best wishes,
Steve

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I already have grandchildren. I am not pressuring her to have any now. She just got married on Halloween. It is hard to be supportive when I read so many testimonials and I also know people that have the surgery and regain the weight. I, myself, feel that a person may as well eat a controlled diet...I know that is not easy...but, diarrhea, constipation, pain,dehydration, vitamin deficiencies and other complications don't really appeal to my senses either...and still gain the weight back.

I just would like to find out more about the results of having healthy babies, if she would chose to have them. I encourage her to be healthy with her food choices. She doesn't live with me, she is with her new husband, who has very poor eating habits. She gained 70 pounds since she met him-I feel she should look inside and see why she has gained this weight...she has lots going on in her life.

I am just concerned that she hasn't really given these other options a real chance to work---like more than a month at a time with a weight loss program.

Did you try team weight loss programs before you had your surgery?

Thanks  Martha

Answer
Martha,

Glad that the desire for grandchildren is not yours alone; sorry I brought it up but I see if often along with many other family pressures for the obese ones to "maintain the status quo".  I'm glad that's not the case here.

You say that you know it's "not easy" to eat a controlled diet.  For some, and I was one, it will NEVER, EVER work to eat a controlled diet - I tried over and over again to eat normally.  I assume that if your daughter is preparing to undergo the surgery and has been cleared by her surgeon, she is in the same boat.  I know that I am a total success story but I have not experienced any of the negatives that you mention and I also have not gained the weight back.  So, it is possible that your daughter could live a totally normal, long, happy life as opposed to dying earlier than she should.

It is good for her that you care this much - and even better that you have considered all the factors that could be impacting her ability to live the life that you would have her live.  

You say that she's due to have the surgery in December.  Since most insurance companies require documentation of an attempt to lose weight without surgery prior to approving payment for the surgery, I would assume that she's been working up to this for at least six months.  

You say that her husband has very poor eating habits.  That means if she pursues the surgery, she is going to be fighting uphill against those habits.  She needs someone like you, a strong parent, to be on her side.  Do the research regarding children after bypass - ask her if you can speak with her doctor about it.  But get all the answers you need and then get on her side - she'll need your help.  And with it, I'm certain that she'll be successful.

I tried everything I could short of surgery - I spent tens of thousands of dollars on weight loss products and programs.  Some of these work for some people, MOST DON'T.  If your daughter has geared herself up for this path, you should get behind her and help her push the rock up the hill.  Otherwise you'll see her go through the pain of the surgery and in no time at all, the weight will come back.  Help her by being WITH her.  I have faith in your daughter and IN YOU!

Any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.  I'm always here to answer.

All my best,
Steve  

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