5 FAQ’S ABOUT PREGNANCY & GASTRIC SLEEVE

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…that’s baby not stomach – the morning of the c-section…

One of the things that brings people to my blog (other than my milkshakes) is the fact that I’ve had a gastric sleeve.  (It’s a procedure where they surgically remove 80% of your stomach and permanently restrict your food intake.)  I had the procedure done to assist with our ability to conceive (turns out your fertility is severally impacted by being 80kg overweight and having PCOS).

I had the procedure done in 2009 (December 14 to be exact!) and between then and now I have lost just over 65kgs.  (That’s like 2 supermodels!)  I’ve also managed to realize our dream of being able to start a family (through the magic that is IVF).

I get a lot of comments on the blog asking about my sleeve and I’ve been really blessed that one of my posts has become a place that people exploring the procedure seem to come too looking for answers.  A lot of the questions are about the procedure, what to expect after the procedure and what people can eat once it’s done.

However, a reader left a comment on one of my posts asking about being pregnant after having the procedure. I thought I would put into a post, to share with everyone, the answers that I give when people ask about the gastric sleeve and pregnancy.

Here’s the top 5 (or more accurately the most memoriable) questions that people (and specifically Susan) asked when I was pregnant (and they knew about the sleeve):

The following answers are just my experience with life after the procedure.  I don’t know anyone else that’s had the procedure so it’s hard to compare experiences.  This information does not replace medical advice, it’s merely my experience and if you’re considering the procedure you should talk to your medical provider and follow their advice.

1. Will you starve the baby?

Always a great question to ask a worrying pregnant lady.  The answer I gave people was; “no, the baby is fine”.  When you’re pregnant the growing baby is your body’s first priority so any nutrients you put into your body go straight to your baby.  However, with a restricted intake you need to make sure to maximize the nutrients you are getting.

All of my doctors were aware that I’d had the procedure so they paid extra attention to the baby’s measurements.  I also went and saw my dietitian in the first trimester to find out what I would need to do to ensure I was getting enough food for the two of us.

She gave me a great eating plan and went through everything with me.  She recommended that I take a multivitamin to ensure that if I didn’t follow the plan that I’d be at least assured I was getting the nutrients.  My IVF clinic recommended the same thing so that was easy enough to do.

2. Were your Doctors concerned?

Yes, and then no. Initially they said that my pregnancy would be considered a “high risk” pregnancy because they would need to ensure the baby wasn’t being affected by it.  Basically it just boiled down to a couple more ultrasounds then the “normal” patient but it turned out to be all for naught.  (Except it meant we got to see the Little Man a lot more which was lovely!)

Ironically, they actually thought I was going to have gestational diabetes given the size of the baby on the scans.  I didn’t have it; I just had a big baby.

3. Was your eating impacted?

Yes, but again I suspect it was just one of the things about being pregnant and had nothing to do with the gastric sleeve.

I had morning sickness (which in some ways was better because of the sleeve; less to throw up!) and I had indigestion.  (Tums is the best invention in the world!)

I thought that towards the end of my pregnancy I would be spared the complaint of the baby pushing up on my stomach that I had heard other expectant mothers state. But alas, no the little tacker still managed to get his head/butt/feet in to that space enough to cause me discomfort.

I did find I was hungry for the first time really since having the procedure.  I found after having the procedure that I just wasn’t hungry any more.  I couldn’t tell you what I wanted to eat, my body just didn’t care for food in the same way.  However with the pregnancy I had my first ever cravings again.  I could tell you exactly what I wanted to eat and when.  It was brilliant!

After the procedure I developed an aversion to milk (which sucked because I adore milk) but while pregnant I would chug that stuff like it was water.  Once the baby was born, back to not being able to handle large amounts of milk.

4. When you were pregnant, could you see your stomach/gastric sleeve in your ultrasounds?

Nope, the only thing I saw in those ultrasounds was the baby.  (Well sometimes I suspected they were just showing me random screen snow! I mean seriously, how could they tell that was a kidney when the kid’s no bigger than a plum!)

5. How much weight did you gain? Have you lost it?

I gained 12kg in total for the pregnancy.  I have to admit it really hurt watching those scales go up instead of the down that I had become used to; I just had to remind myself that it was for the best.

I’d love to say I didn’t gain too much because I ate so well and exercised regularly.  Far from it, I ate like a horse and I didn’t move my arse off the couch the entire time.  I just got lucky.

The dietitian told me to expect to put on between 10 and 12kgs and that would be a healthy gain for my height, etc.

On the day of delivery I lost 7kg (I had a 3.5kg baby) and by the time the Little Man was 3 weeks old I had lost 17kg in total; I was under my pre-pregancy weight.

Again, love to say it was all diet and exercise but it was sleepless nights, anxiety, lack of hunger and illness that did it.  (I’m such a great role model for healthy living!)  My lack of hunger was so bad that it was an issue with the midwives while I was in hospital.  They kept telling me to eat more and I kept having to tell them that I had a gastric sleeve and that was as much as I was going to get in.  It was annoying, but they meant well and they were worried about me so you can’t be annoyed with that for too long.

And a bonus question,

6. Did it affect your ability to breastfeed?

Nope.  Ultimately my milk never came in but that’s just the luck of the draw.  We did everything we could to try and make it happen but it didn’t.  The Doctors and Nurses said it could be down to a number of factors (PCOS, c-section delivery, IVF) but no one really knows why and no one ever mentioned the gastric sleeve as a possibility.  Personally, I don’t think it played a part in my inability to breastfeed at all.

So, that in a nutshell is my pregnancy experience as it relates to being a gastric sleeve recipient.  It is by far still the best decision I have ever made.  I look at the Little Man everyday and thank the Lord for him and know that having this procedure played a crucial part in the dream coming true.

If you’d like to know anything more or what me to expand on something above, just leave me a comment.  I might not answer it straight away (running around after the baby and packing to move is currently cramping my style) but I will get to it.

 

A YEAR ON & A LIFETIME OF DIFFERENCE

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It’s been a year since I had my gastric sleeve operation.  In some ways it seems like it’s been a lifetime ago, but in others it seems like just the other day.  I guess what everyone else wants to see are photos, so here’s the obligatory before and after.

Before & After

So, what do you think? Can you tell I’ve lost over 40 kilograms?

It’s funny how things go.  Some days I really notice that I’ve lost the weight and then other days I still feel like I way 130kg.  I’m 2 kilograms away from the goal I wanted to have reached by this day, but I’ve really got no one else to blame for that but me.  I’ve not done any exercise or watched what I’m eating to try and reach that goal.  That aside I’m still really happy with where I’m at.  I never thought I would get under 100kgs.  Never! But here I am.

It’s been interesting to read over the things I wrote about when the procedure was first done.  Sometimes it feels like I’m right back there struggling to know my limits and other times it feels like I’m a world away from those early limitations.  It’s been an interesting journey.  I’d do it again in a heart beat.

I could probably wax lyrical about all the things that have happened, but really at the moment it doesn’t seem to matter.  What matters is that today I wore a dress to work for the first time in over a decade.  (See, it’s the big things in my world!)  That’s how I celebrated.  I can’t wait to see what the next 12 months brings.

FIVE FAQ’S ABOUT LIVING WITH A GASTRIC SLEEVE

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In December 2009 I opted to have a gastric sleeve operation performed.  It wasn’t a spur of the moment decision, in fact it took me over a year to make the decision.  But it’s proved to be one of the best decisions I ever made.

For those who’ve not heard of the procedure before it’s where a surgeon removes 80% of your stomach and leaves behind a tube of stomach.  Unlike the Lap Band it’s irreversible.  Which means that it’s about a life long commitment.

When I tell people about having had the procedure the news is met with a variety of reactions, but the predominant one is of curiosity.  So in an attempt to help answer some of those questions I thought I’d put together a list of questions and responses.  If you have anything else you’d like to know leave me a comment and I’ll be more than happy to answer them.  Who knows I may even collect them up and do another post!

The following answers are just my experience with life after the procedure.  I don’t know anyone else that’s had the procedure so it’s hard to compare experiences.  This information does not replace medical advice, it’s merely my experience and if you’re considering the procedure you should talk to your medical provider and follow their advice.

1. What can you eat?

I can eat whatever my heart desires; just not in big proportions.  Unlike the Lap Band the stomach isn’t restricted so there’s nothing for food to get caught on.  Of course I couldn’t eat anything straight away I had to build up to it over a period of six weeks post surgery.

There’s been some significant changes to the food that I do eat.  Prior to the surgery I was addicted to hot chips, after the surgery I really don’t enjoy them any more.  I used to be a big milk drinker, now milk products make me sick.  It was worse just after the surgery.  I would have a mouthful of milk and I’d be sick.  Now I can eat some cheese and it’s not a big deal.

I can eat bread, pasta and rice.  I used to eat a lot of pasta prior to the surgery, now I don’t eat nearly as much as I used to.  It’s just too heavy and fills me up too quickly.  I tend to eat more rice now as I get a decent size portion before I feel full.

I can eat all meats, it’s just I can no longer eat a Hog’s Breath steak.

2. How much can you eat?

It varies.  When I first moved on to solid foods after the surgery I was struggling to finish 250g of baby food.  However these days I can eat a recommended portion size.

If I have a sandwich I try to have a maximum of three toppings on it, any more and I’m just not going to finish it.  Even with three toppings I’m most likely only going to get two thirds of the sandwich in before I feel full. I try not to eat bread rolls as they are really bulky.

If we eat out in a restaurant I’ll normally only get half a meal in before I’m full.  If we eat fast food, for example McDonalds, I’ll only be able to have a burger or chips – not both.

I can eat more rice than pasta.  Unfortunately I can eat a lot of potato chips in one sitting, so I try to avoid them.  Same goes with lollies or chocolates.

They recommend that you don’t drink while eating, but I’m yet to master that art.  So if I drink either immediately before the meal or during the meal I’ll get a lot less food in.

I have found that the longer I go without food the bigger that first meal can be.  It’s still no where near what I used to be able to eat, it’s not even a full plate of food, but it’s a lot bigger than what I can eat if I’m grazing all day.  I don’t make a habit of going long periods without food, but it’s been an interesting observation.

Image source: Getty

3. Do you get sick?

If I eat to much I don’t get throw up sick, but I certainly get the “I’ve eaten too much and will now have to lie on the couch and make moaning sounds”.  In the early days I used to go from eating to full in super speed and I didn’t see it coming.  Now as time has gone on I have a better idea about when it’s time to stop eating.

Interestingly I’ve developed a physiological reaction to being too full, apart from the obvious full feeling.  As I get close to being full my nose starts to run, if I don’t heed the warning and keep eating it turns into full blown sneezing attack. I have no idea why it happens, but my Father has the same thing happen if he drinks too much red wine, so I’ve assumed it’s a family trait.  I’m actually getting to be quite fond of it as it makes me pay attention to what I’m eating.

4.  How fast have you lost the weight?

It’s different for everyone, but I’ve managed to lose 33kg since 1 December 2010.  I need to preface that with the fact that I haven’t watched what I’m eating at all and I haven’t done any other exercise apart from Roller Derby Freshmeat.

After the surgery the weight really fell off, however since May 2010 I’ve only lost 2 kilos.  I think I’ve reached the point where I now have to start doing regular exercise and be more selective about what I eat.  I am still eating a lot of junk food.

I only have another 10kg to go and I’m in the healthy BMI range for my height.  I suspect the last ten are going to make me work for them, but I think it’s about time I did some hard labour.

5.  What do you find most different since the surgery?

It’s been such an interesting experience, one that I wouldn’t trade for all the world.  I have however really struggled with adjusting to the new portions.

We’re told all our lives that we should finish all the food on our plates, but now I rarely get a plate of food with the right portion on it so I find myself often starring at a plate covered in uneaten food.  It can be really hard mentally to get past that.

There’s been times when my frustration level has gone through the roof because I just can’t eat the portion size that I want it.  I know that it’s all mental, I’m actually getting all the calories that I need to survive.  In fact I’m getting more than I need!

I don’t enjoy eating out like I used to.  I just see it as such a waste of money because I end up throwing out a large portion of what I get served.

Image source: Getty

That’s the answers to my top five questions, I hope they’ve been helpful in some way.  If there is anything you would like to know about living with a gastric sleeve please let me know either in the comments, or you can contact me via my contact button on the right sidebar.