A rising percentage of women of childbearing age find it more difficult to get pregnant when they are overweight. Although losing weight can increase fertility, occasionally making lifestyle changes on its own won’t be enough to help someone lose weight. Bariatric surgery might be a possibility in certain circumstances.
Surgical weight-loss methods may be able to address the issues that are causing infertility by assisting the body in losing extra weight swiftly. Consequently, people who have had trouble becoming pregnant may be able to conceive and have healthy pregnancies.
But it’s important to educate yourself and give it some thought before deciding to get bariatric surgery as a treatment for infertility. If you’re thinking about pursuing it as an option to improve your chances of pregnancy, here are some important things you should know.
Can I get pregnant after a gastric sleeve?
Having a baby after a weight-loss procedure like a gastric sleeve is safe as long as you take care of yourself and the unborn child. Wait at least a year before trying to get pregnant following surgery to lower the possibility of problems. Keep a tight eye on your food requirements and weight increase throughout pregnancy. After weight-loss surgery, you might need to engage with a dietician and ob-gyn who are experienced with pregnancy. Pregnancy following weight reduction surgery is also on the rise as more women of reproductive age have the treatment.
1.Bariatric surgery can help improve fertility and pregnancy outcomes in several ways
A person’s ovulation cycles may be impacted by hormonal imbalances brought on by excess weight, which can make it more challenging to conceive. A disorder like polycystic ovarian syndrome, which affects fertility, may also be more likely as a result.
By encouraging more regular ovulation cycles and lowering insulin resistance, which can lead to high blood sugar levels and cause irregular or no ovulation, losing weight can assist with these concerns. Some people can adjust their lifestyles, such as their food and exercise routine, to obtain a healthier weight. Others may find that having bariatric surgery accelerates weight loss while also improving fertility.
A healthier weight can also contribute to improved pregnancy and delivery outcomes if a person becomes pregnant. For instance, there is a lesser possibility of issues like gestational diabetes, premature delivery, macrosomia (a baby that is bigger than typical), and stillbirth.
The medical team can more precisely execute prenatal diagnostic procedures like ultrasonography when a pregnant woman sheds extra weight. They might deliver more quickly and might also have a lower chance of developing postpartum problems like bleeding and infection.
2. Women and other people with uteruses should discuss the pros and cons of bariatric surgery for fertility with their doctors
As large surgeries with risks, bariatric treatments are not often regarded as the first line of therapy for infertility. On the other side, they could be the finest choice for assisting obese individuals in getting pregnant.
For those who have a lot of weight to shed or who have severe health issues related to being overweight, such high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, or sleep apnea, I think bariatric operations can frequently be successful.
I advise anyone who are considering having weight-loss surgery to speak with their family doctors in detail. Together, patients may weigh the advantages and disadvantages and choose whether bariatric surgery is the best course of action for treating their infertility.
3. Patients shouldn’t try to conceive right after surgery
Although bariatric surgery may result in quick weight reduction, people shouldn’t start trying to conceive right away. In our program, we advise clients to wait 18 to 24 months following weight-loss surgery before attempting pregnancy.
As we inform our patients, waiting allows their bodies the opportunity to lose as much weight as possible prior to conception because it is better to halt weight loss after conception. The danger of fetal malnutrition and problems like preterm delivery and low birth weight are decreased by delaying the delay and ensuring that their body’s vitamin levels are balanced.
4. Discuss post-surgery birth control options with your doctor
Following bariatric surgery, individuals must utilize birth control since postponing conception is so vital. However, since the drug isn’t absorbed as efficiently after malabsorption surgeries like gastric bypass, oral contraceptives like birth control tablets may not be effective for persons who have had them. These patients ought to take contraceptives other than oral contraceptives, such as an IUD or Norplant.
5. A multidisciplinary team delivers the best care
Following bariatric surgery, your bariatric surgeon, obstetrician, and nutritionist all play critical roles in assisting you in getting ready to conceive and having a safe pregnancy.
Deficits in minerals including folate, iron, vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D, all of which are essential for embryonic growth, are more likely following bariatric surgeries. Our post-operative patients’ vitamin levels are closely monitored, and if you’d like, a nutritionist may work with you to create an eating schedule and supplementation routine that are specifically catered to your nutritional requirements. After giving birth, you’ll keep working with a nutritionist, especially if you’re nursing because babies of gastric bypass patients who are nursed are susceptible to nutritional deficits.
In order to address concerns like intrauterine growth restriction, or poor growth of the baby while in the womb, and small size compared to gestational age, which can be more likely following bariatric surgery, your baby’s growth will be monitored after conception with regular ultrasounds. You could also require a gestational diabetes screening earlier than the usual 24- to 28-week window, depending on your medical history.
People who have undergone bariatric surgery have a strong chance of having an easy vaginal birth due to frequent monitoring by a group of skilled doctors. But for some people, the method might need to be changed if a C-section is required.
