Pregnancy after Obesity Surgery - Obesity Surgery Guide

If you are a woman of childbearing age who is thinking of starting a family then you will be advised to wait for at least 18 months before doing so.  In the time beforehand you will be advised to use some form of contraception.  If you have had gastric banding then you will need to wait until at least 6 months following surgery.  If you have had gastric bypass or some other similar procedure then you are a looking at a wait of 18 months to 2 years.

Getting pregnant after surgery is safe: it is safer to become pregnant after surgery than before.  Even if you are morbidly obese and have had problems with fertility you will find that as a result of surgery (and subsequent weight loss) that this has improved.  Your hormone levels will return to normal which also helps.  This means you will be able to become pregnant.

What you need to keep in mind is that you may be at greater risk of pregnancy related conditions such as pre-eclampsia or high blood pressure.  And you may require a caesarean section at time of childbirth.  This tends to apply to those women who are classed as ‘morbidly' obese.

Your diet is of prime importance:  it is essential that you follow the diet that has been devised for you by your dietician and that you get plenty of iron, calcium, folate, vitamin D and vitamin B12.

Pregnancy does mean increased weight gain but try to avoid excessive weight gain as this puts a strain on both you and your baby.

If you are looking to start a family then discuss this and other issues with your aftercare team.