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Can I get pregnant after having Gastric Sleeve Surgery?


Hi everyone, I’m Nina, welcome to Mexicali Bariatric Center. The question that I wanted to share with you today is about a call I got yesterday from a very young patient that just scheduled surgery for next month. Her wedding is only a year away. She’s actually having surgery to be ready for her wedding and she wanted to know if she can get pregnant after gastric sleeve surgery. The answer is: yes you can. Same answer applies to other weight loss surgeries like the gastric bypass, lap-band, DS, etc.


We actually have patients that want to have gastric sleeve surgery because they want to get pregnant. Sometimes the doctor has told them they cannot get pregnant because of their weight so they come in to have surgery and several months or a year later, we receive pictures all the time of them getting pregnant or even of the baby himself. Weight loss surgery is actually something that helps you become pregnant by becoming more fertile. 



Now, there are recommendations of course: we ask you to wait at least a year before getting pregnant. During this first year is when you will be losing weight very rapidly, your sleeve will still be very small, so take advantage of that period and try to avoid getting pregnant. Another recommendation is please take some form of birth control. Some of our patients tell us “no, I don’t have any problem, my period is very regular, I can take care of myself and it’s been a while since I became pregnant”. But as you lose weight you will become more fertile. We have patients that get pregnant without planning it and sometimes only a few months after surgery, so please do take some form of birth control.

Now, the good thing is that when patients have gastric sleeve surgery and then get pregnant, their pregnancies are much healthier. They gain only a little weight, so it is very easy to lose it afterwards since the stomach is still very small. Another concern patients have is about eating enough food for them and their babies with the sleeve. The answer is yes you will. You will follow the same protocol and recommendations as you would without surgery. Go to your doctor monthly, take the supplements they give you… just to everything the same. The only difference is that instead of eating three big meals a day, you will be eating several small meals. That’s the only difference. Besides that, resting, water, etc, stays the same.
I hope this helps and hope to see you soon.