Pregnancy After Weight-Loss Surgery

Nutritional deficiencies, such as anemia, are common but can be remedied. "My post-op pregnancy was a little different from my first two in that I had to take a B12 shot every month," says Wendy, who says she didn't have much trouble meeting the diet and supplement requirements necessitated by having a pregnancy after weight-loss surgery. "I just made sure that I ate protein with every meal and with snacks, [and took] my multi-vitamin, calcium, and iron daily. I didn't have any complications with my pregnancy and was able to nurse my baby until she turned a year old."

The physical changes of pregnancy can be difficult to deal with emotionally. "It is hard," says Gittings. "I know I need to gain weight for the baby, but…it's hard [when I've] had years of eating disorders and then had major surgery to lose weight. I'm lucky to have a great therapist to work with me on these issues."

It's important to talk to other women with similar experiences, says Wendy, who recommends online groups as an excellent source of support.

Despite the struggles, moms who have had weight-loss surgery before becoming pregnant will tell you that it is worth it, says Barbara Herrera, LM, CPM, a certified professional midwife in Encinitas, California. "There's an immense joy that women feel having a baby after having infertility for so many years," Herrera says. "[There's a sense of] amazement that comes with a pregnancy where a woman can move, walk, breathe, and function, compared to being morbidly obese."

*Last name withheld by request.