Can women get pregnant after weight loss surgery?
Yes that is the wonderful effect of weight loss surgeries. An obese woman may experience a renewed and a rejuvenated fertility after having her bariatric surgery. Over 70% of obese woman got back to their normal menstrual cycle after their bariatric surgery. The other positive signs on the woman’s sexuality are sex hormones getting normalized and the near disappearance of polycystic ovarian syndrome, popularly called PCOS.
These are the 4 points a woman who wants to get pregnant after having a successful weight loss surgery should keep in mind.
- Not immediately – Though you are feeling good now with rejuvenation in your sex hormones and the near normalization of your menstrual cycle do not get pregnant immediately. It is recommended that you get pregnant only after a minimum of 18 months after the surgery is over. A two year wait should be idea.
- Nutrition to your baby – This is the very reason for the wait. Your body is rapidly undergoing weight loss and is coping to stabilize. Pregnancy puts the body into newer challenges and hence it is not recommended. Also because of the fact that the body is undergoing a rapid weight loss, essential nutrients cannot be delivered to the baby in the womb and this might lead to complications.
- Gestational Diabetes – The possibility of having gestational diabetes is great and hence you may have to look out for this. You have to definitely keep your gynecologist posted about your weight loss surgery and similarly you need to communicate to your bariatric surgeon about your pregnancy. So in this way, both can offer you help during your pregnancy and can closely monitor the health of the baby and yourself.
- Delivery of the baby – The good part of the bariatric surgery is most of the time you can expect normal delivery but since chances of caesarean delivery is also a possibility, you have to prepare for it too.