My Pregnancy – Post Weight Loss Surgery

Finding out that I was pregnant post weight loss surgery was a bit jarring.  Of course, I did not know what to expect because this was my first pregnancy.  I did wait for two years after surgery before I conceived.  It is recommended that all female bariatric patients wait for two years before they try to get pregnant.  Losing weight does make you much more fertile so be aware of that aspect of bariatric surgery.  I was ill for about 13 weeks and it was a lot of vomiting, severe nausea, and dizziness.  Once I was able to regain my appetite back, it was suggested by my bariatric surgeon that I try to eat at least six small meals a day.  These six meals would be protein primarily and of course vegetables.

Eating the six small meals a day resulted in a weight gain of 80 pounds, yes 80 pounds.  It was such a shock to my body to go from a very fit size 2 to weight just sweat or yoga pants.  I become somewhat depressed and I felt like all of my hard weight loss work had been thrown away and there was nothing I could do until after the birth of my baby.  Hence, to keep myself sane, I went on walks, kept my workout the same, but used lighter weights and made sure I took more breaks.

After the birth of my baby, I started exercising 3 week later.  I started slow, again walking and light jogs, and based my exercise on my stamina.  It did not take long before I started to see some results which gave me encouragement to know that I was headed in the right direction.  In two weeks, I lost 13 pounds and by the end of the month, I lost 30 pounds in total.  It did take a lot of self-motivation and determination to get there and I had plateaus and shed many tears and my plateau lasted 3 months.  It took a good six months to get the 80 pounds off that I gained with my pregnancy.

Some of the things I did as part of my exercise plan was light jogs, runs, weight lifting, using the yoga ball and meditation.  Remember to give yourself time and be kind to yourself through your pregnancy.  Know your limits, reach out for help when needed, but know that advice is here.  Any questions, email me.