I tell my sleeve patients to hold off getting pregnant until they’ve hit their goal weight.

Which on average is between 12 to 18 months. Why? What’s the big deal you ask? Well, their body is going through such a huge transformation losing weight that getting pregnant right away can throw those hormones off balance. Your body is still recovering from losing weight, now it has to prepare to gain weight to carry a baby.

 

But what if you do get pregnant?

 

What happens when you have gastric sleeve surgery then get pregnant right afterwards?

 

Well, in the case of Brooke (a patient of mine) that’s precisely what happened.

 

And due to her suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and having had miscarriages in the past, she didn’t even think she could get pregnant.

 

Well, miracles happen.

And sometimes when we least expect them.

 

Brooke weighed 300 pounds when she came to me (Aug 2016) for weight loss surgery. She was told by her family doctor to look at the gastric sleeve as a life changing option.

 

It changed her life alright, and added a new one to the mix.

 

In April 2017 she gave birth to a healthy baby boy. That’s right, she was carrying a baby almost the whole time after sleeve surgery. Her body was simultaneously losing the weight due to the gastric sleeve procedure, but also prepping for a little one to be born.

 

It wasn’t easy. Like I said, I normally recommend patients wait 12-18 months. The body needs to adjust first to the weight loss before going through the changes that happen during pregnancy.

 

And being effected with PCOS or any other heath issue doesn’t help.

 

Brooke was a trooper and kept us up to date through her entire pregnancy. After the baby was born one of my staff members reached out to Brooke and asked her a few questions… here’s her answers.

 

When did you decide that sleeve surgery was your best option? 

I decided that sleeve surgery was my best option after years of trying to lose weight on my own unsuccessfully. I had seen the success of a friend (Brandi Carter) who had the surgery and decided to look into it.

 

What made you decide Dr. Alvarez was the right choice?

He was highly recommended by my friend and upon further research I knew he was the best choice. He has performed over 11,000 successful sleeve surgeries and has an excellent reputation.

 

How has the sleeve aided in your pregnancy?

The sleeve enabled me to lose 50 pounds throughout my pregnancy and eliminated my need for blood pressure medication. My pregnancy would’ve been much more difficult and high risk at close to 300 pounds due to my medical issues. I had a very safe and healthy pregnancy thanks to my sleeve!

 

How supportive was your family doctor through the process of pregnancy after getting sleeved? 

My doctor was very supportive. He could see the benefits of my weight loss and how it helped me have a healthy pregnancy.

 

What other health benefits did you experience as a result of the sleeve? 

Besides weight loss, I’ve gained so much more energy, come off my blood pressure medication, and my PCOS symptoms have subsided.

 

What advice would you give others thinking about sleeve surgery? 

My advice would be to do research and talk to others who have had success with the sleeve. Don’t let anyone discourage you from making the decision to change your life. My life has been changed in so many ways for the better because of my sleeve. I highly recommend Dr. Alvarez and am forever grateful to him for him changing my life.

 

If your doctor has recommended weight loss surgery or you know deep down that because of weight related illnesses it’s something you are considering I invite you to visit the Endobariatric website and social pages (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube). And, if you’re a Snapchat user you can connect directly with me (Dr A) and ask me questions, send me videos or just say “Hi” – all you have to do is enter my username: gmoalvarez where prompted.