Pregnant and banded? (or wannabe) a warning for you

I sit here this evening having just gotten home from the hospital today for my "band exchange" surgery. I had to have my little band exchanged for a larger band and my doc seems to believe (as do I) that it is pregnancy related.

I had my beautiful, wonderful daughter on March 8th. Literally on March 9th my band tightened up and hardly relented until, well, today. I was able to get it to a barely liveable state, but I knew I was living on the edge. My band obviously had been empty since last October, but I felt the same amount of restriction as being filled, if not more.

Like I said, it was "liveable" until I flew to Phoenix, and that sent me over the edge. I had all the symptoms of a slip...reflux, vomiting, midnight puking, that barf in the lung thing...the whole nine.

I seriously considered removal, but I thought, let's try the BIG BAND. I'm glad I did. I feel much much better, although very sore. I wouldn't change ONE THING. However, I might have been more patient and careful had I known this could happen.

So a warning, be aware that your hormones will play a number on your band and pay close attention. I'm just so thankful to GOD that this didn't happen before my wonder girl was born.

OMG, what is the barf in the lung thing?!?!

Good point you made though. I am TTC right now and I know my hormones already mess with my band around Aunt Flo time. God only knows how pregnancy hormones will affect it!

I forget what it's called, but it's where you have stomach acid, or whatever is in your stomach ending up in your lungs and choking you while you sleep.

It's a huge sign that you need an unfill, or in my case, a band replacement.

BARF IN THE LUNG = ASPIRATION.

QUESTION: IS A SLIP THE ONLY THING THAT CAN CAUSE THE MIDNIGHT PUKING, REFLUX AND ASPIRATION??

i'VE BEEN HAVING THOSE PROBLEMS AT NIGHT, ESPECIALLY IF I EAT TOO CLOSE TO BEDTIME OR GET UP IN THE NIGHT FOR SOME WATER.
NO PROBLEMS DURING THE DAY. COULD MY BAND JUST BE TOO TIGHT?

I just gave birth to my third Lap Band baby. I will say that my Band has definitely been different since pregnancies than before. I've been unfilled for all three pregnancies, but have never successfully been refilled after pregnancy.

I know that my doc will do a big time unfill when people have that problem. In my case, I was already totally emptied, so I had to have surgery. PLEASE get yours unfilled before you have a major problem.

Asperation can cause pneumonia, along with all the other obvious problems.:omg:

I'm glad this thread is here! I have been trying to get preg. for over 2 yrs and have finally come to the conclusion that I am just too darn fat to get preg right now! Soooo almost 3 wks ago I was banded and am doing great! It is very interesting to read about the complications associated with preg and band land! How soon after surgery did you have sex also how soon after did you get preg? How does pregnancy effect your further weight loss?

Oh yeah, it's weight related. My former ob who now does natural wellness told me that fat stores estrogen and keeps your system from being able to do what it's supposed to.

Need proof? Five years ago, lost 50lbs, got pregnant. 14 months ago, lost 60lbs, got pregnant.

There is a natural supplement that I took both times from a company called AdvoCare called Fem20. It's not marketed as a contreception aid, but it sure worked for me.

It took me 7 months to get preggers this time. I was on Fem20 1 month. Last time I was on it 4 months and got preggers.

Can't remember how long until we did the deed, but I suppose it's ok by now for you.

All these posts are so helpful. I think I seriously need to reconsider my time schedule for getting banded and getting pregnant (neither one is really in my control either I guess).

Holliwagz- I lost 50pounds and got pregnant with one shot. The lap band doctor said that while you are losing weight you are really fertile. I guess so b/c I wanted another baby but did want to wait until I lost more weight but God wanted me pregnant in June so that is what happened. When are ready just go at it and give it to the Lord! I am 33 weeks pregnant now with a second girl!

I keep getting e-mails that I haven't been on line in a while and decide to check out whats been happening, what a difference! I wish this group had been on last year! I got preg. after having my band for a year and about 20lbs. from my goal weight. In my 3d month I was still having a lot of morning(all day) sickness ad at work got horrible pains and then could not stop vomitting. At the hosp. I was admitted and had to have my band removed, it had slipped. My son was fine and was born in April and is truly a blessing, our 3d. The Dr. in the hosp. told me if I rushed back in before losinf the baby weight he might be able to get me another, but it didn't happen. So now I'm 45lbs. away from my goal weight...but I have a beautiful son.

Did you gain any weight in the midst of your change?? And since your bigger band, have you lost weight? I ask because I had the smaller band for 2 yrs, with 80 lb weight loss. I then slipped, gained 25 lbs and had the larger band placed in march or april of this year. i have no lost a single freaking lb, I am soooooooo pissed and hate this new surgeon! Now I am pregnant so I am for sure going to gain, which is ok, Ijust want my baby to be ok but I am soscared considering I havent lost anything since this new band was placed, I dont think I will lost after the baby.....what do you think??

I haven't lost since getting the new band, but I haven't gained. I have had some big time reflux issues since the beginning of the year. I have recently found out that my grandmother used to have this really bad, so it could be band related or it could be natural.

My band is very wide open right now, but I'm not gaining so I'm ok with it. Would I like to lose more? Yes, but I know I'm not doing my part, so I'm not mad at the band.

Because of religious practices, I fast every once in a while. I have found that doing that really helps my stomach to reset and I don't have to always get tightened. But don't do anything like that until the baby comes.

I'm ok with how things are, but I do know that should I choose to I can get my band tightened a lot from this point. But I wont do it until I'm ready to commit to the weight loss lifestyle.

Hi, Im experiencing similar problems at the moment. I had the entire fill taken out of the band while i was pregnant, then 2 weeks after i delivered, i suddenly got very tight restriction and have had the problem now for 10 months. The doctor says the band looks fine after he did a gastroscope and a barium swallow to see if he could find the cause. He has no idea why i cant eat anything solid anymore and says this is the first patient of his that this has happened too. I did have a infection from the catheter from the c section around the time I started to get restriction, so im not sure if thats the cause. I cant work out the other theory though of the band just getting too small because even though i put on 20kgs with the pregnancy i am still smaller than what i was when i first got banded so i cant see why i would need a larger band. I just dont know if this is the cause or a low grade infection from the catheter that is swelling my stomach because it has found a foreign object in my stomach... Im seriously considering getting the band removed all together as i feel i have no quality of life left from all the vomiting when i try and eat solids.
Very depressed!