Pregnancy after Bariatric Surgery
Every woman desires to be a mother, but in some cases excessive weight gain and obesity can shudder her dream. Obesity increases fertility problems in couples and makes pregnancy risky.
How can obesity affect pregnancy?
Obesity is a harmful medical condition for aspiring mothers. Being obese inhibits normal ovulation and ability to get pregnant naturally. Its adverse effects include the failure of in- vitro fertilization (IVF). With increasing BMI the risk of unsuccessful IVF increases.
Women who are obese can face following problem during pregnancy:
- Gestational Diabetes: Diabetes that develops during pregnancy.
- Preeclampsia – Increased risk of high blood pressure and organ damage.
- Infections: Obese women are at an increased risk of getting urinary tract infections.
- C- Section- Less chances of normal vaginal delivery, C-Section needs to be performed.
- Pregnancy loss- Increased risk of miscarriage.
How does Bariatric Surgery facilitate pregnancy?
Bariatric surgery is a weight loss treatment for people with obesity. Pregnancy after bariatric surgery can be successful and safe; it requires the procedure to be conducted correctly and complete care needs to be taken post surgery.
In fact researches have shown that pregnancy after weight loss surgery can be safer for both mother and baby.
The weight loss surgery protects woman and baby from obesity related problems like: gestational diabetes, preeclampsia- high blood pressure and signs of damage to body organs, more often kidney.
What precautions should I take before pregnancy after bariatric surgery?
- If you are planning a baby after the bariatric procedure, consult your doctor for preconception planning.
- For a healthy child birth it is suggested that you should wait for getting pregnant until your weight stabilizes, that would be after 12-18 months after the surgery.
- Consult a dietician to understand your nutritional needs. You have to stick to a rich and healthy diet for speedy recovery after surgery.
- It is recommended to take nutritional supplements like- folic acid, vitamin B-12, Vitamin D, iron and calcium.