Pregnancy After Weight Loss Surgery – What You Need to Know
Your weight can make a difference if you’re trying to get pregnant.
Being either overweight or underweight can affect your ability to become pregnant. This is usually due to ovaries not releasing an egg. Failed ovulation usually results in failed conception.
This is why weight loss surgery is so important to many women who are trying to start a family – by reducing your weight you can increase the chance of conception.
However, there are things you need to consider if you’re considering pregnancy after weight loss surgery. It’s perfectly normal to feel anxious, or to worry about what’s going to happen.
In this blog, we’ll cover everything you need to know about pregnancy after weight loss surgery. We’ve also interviewed a Tonic patient, Jess, to learn more about her mummy-to-be experience following her weight loss surgery with Tonic.
Is it possible to get pregnant after weight loss surgery?
YES! It absolutely is. In fact, many women choose to have weight loss surgery specifically so they CAN have children!
A high BMI makes it difficult for many women to conceive. By losing weight, you’re making it easier on your body to get pregnant. If you’re struggling to conceive and you have a high BMI, it may be your weight that’s making the difference.
Here are 7 more things you need to know about pregnancy after weight loss surgery.
Timing – how long should I wait after weight loss surgery to get pregnant?
It is generally recommended to wait 12 to 18 months after weight loss surgery before trying to conceive. This allows your body to stabilise and ensures that you’re not in the rapid weight loss phase, which can be nutritionally challenging.
Nutritional considerations
Surgeries like gastric bypass can affect how nutrients are absorbed. It is crucial to monitor and manage your nutrient intake to ensure both you and your baby receive essential vitamins and minerals.
You may need to take prenatal vitamins and additional supplements such as iron, calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and folic acid, as recommended by your healthcare provider.
Monitoring and care throughout pregnancy and beyond
Frequent prenatal visits are important to monitor your nutritional status, weight gain, and overall health of you and your baby.
We recommend working with a multidisciplinary team, including your obstetrician, a bariatric surgeon and a nutritionist familiar with post-bariatric surgery pregnancy.
Finally, while weight loss surgery can reduce the risk of gestational diabetes, monitoring is still essential as you can still be at risk.
Will I gain weight during pregnancy after weight loss?
Weight gain in pregnancy is normal. How much you’ll gain will vary from person to person, differing based on your pre-pregnancy BMI and type of surgery undertaken. Generally, the recommended weight gain is lower compared to typical pregnancy weight gain guidelines.
Much of the weight you’ll gain is due to your baby growing, however your body will also store fat ready to make breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider and closely monitor your weight to ensure you maintain a healthy weight range during pregnancy.
Potential risks and considerations
There are a handful of additional things that post weight loss surgery patients need to consider:
- Deficiencies in iron, calcium, vitamin B12 and folate can lead to complications for both mother and baby. You may need to consider supplements to ensure your baby gets all the nutrients they need.
- Small for gestational age (SGA): There may be a higher risk of delivering a baby that is smaller than average for their gestational age. Again, this can be managed by carefully managing your diet and taking supplements.
- While rare, it’s important to be aware of potential complications from the surgery itself, such as internal hernias or bowel obstructions, which may need to be addressed during pregnancy. Your support team will be able to monitor and manage this before it becomes an issue.
Delivery and postpartum
The mode of delivery (vaginal birth vs caesarean section) will be determined based on obstetric indications rather than a history of weight loss surgery – you can still deliver naturally after bariatric surgery.
Breastfeeding post-surgery is generally safe and encouraged, but you must ensure adequate nutrient intake to support both your health and milk production. Again, this might mean supplements.
Lifestyle and emotional health
Maintaining a healthy diet and appropriate exercise regime as recommended by your healthcare provider is incredibly important, both during and after pregnancy.
In addition, we highly recommend seeking support for any emotional or psychological challenges related to body image, nutrition, or pregnancy after weight loss surgery.
Pregnancy is an emotional time. It is perfectly normal to have concerns around body image, fertility, birth and parenthood. Make sure to talk openly about how you’re feeling – nothing good comes from keeping your feelings to yourself!
Meet Jess – a Tonic patient on a journey to becoming a mummy
Jess had gastric bypass surgery with Tonic on the 22nd July 2023.
Since then, she’s been documenting her incredible journey to motherhood on Instagram.
Before her surgery, she struggled to conceive. They tried for so long but got nowhere – Jess knew that she needed to do something about her weight.
Fast forward a year and Jess is pregnant (due in October 2024 – congratulations!). The whole Tonic team are delighted to see the change in Jess; you can see from her pictures that she’s glowing!
Patient FAQ
Our patient Jess answers some questions about her experience with weight loss surgery and how it helped her fall pregnant.
I knew I wanted to be a mum from such a young age. When I was finally at a stage in my life where my partner and I felt we were able to bring a baby into the world I was almost 25 stone and not even having periods.
We were trying and trying and nothing was happening. The biggest reason for me having surgery was to get pregnant and have a family, it’s what I’d always wanted at the end of the day & I would without a doubt do it again just to finally be at this stage in my life.
My biggest challenge during pregnancy after weight-loss surgery has to be the food aversions. I know that’s normal during pregnancy anyway, but once you’ve had weight loss surgery you have to have a certain amount of protein and it’s like my body hated anything with protein in it.
So, I must admit the start of my pregnancy was difficult when it came to keeping everything balanced! Once my morning sickness passed, I got myself back on the right path!
My healthcare team at tonic have been amazing since I told them about my pregnancy. I have calls with Bruna, the nutritionist at Tonic, to help make sure I’m eating the right things and to get advice on vitamins, what to take and also what not to take.
I have monthly emails from the nurses at Tonic to make sure I’m getting on okay with everything, it’s just a little bit of extra support and reassurance because life after weight loss surgery can be tough, being pregnant after weight loss surgery, especially less than a year after, has been hard. But I’ve gotten through it with the support of the Tonic team!
My emotional and mental well being has taken a toll during my pregnancy, I won’t lie to you. It’s been a whirlwind.
I have some really bad days, but I am lucky to have a really good support system around me. I also have really good days.
4 weeks before my surgery I had one last meal where I sat with my partner and ate at my favourite restaurant. Last week, we went back there, couldn’t eat half of what I had the year before but I sat there and I said to him “this time last year we was sat at this very table, I was 25 stone, infertile and unhappy” and all he replied was “what a difference a year can make”.
My advice for anyone who has had surgery and is wanting to start a family would be to rely on your support system.
Be patient & get ready for your next adventure. Trying to conceive can be a tough journey in itself, I’ve been there and after weight-loss surgery I had to learn to be kind to myself in order to even begin to start this chapter in my life.
Weight loss communities – you’re never alone!
Not only do Tonic patients have support from a group of bariatric (weight loss) specialists, but they also get exclusive access to our support community and private Facebook group.
This means that there is always someone else who understands what you’re going through that you can talk to; someone else who is also post-op, or who has already had a child after surgery.
Many of our new mums form fantastic relationships with other Tonic patients. The best part? The community is there for you to share whatever you’re comfortable with. There’s never any pressure to post or engage, just use it as you see fit.
Considering weight loss surgery?
If you’re looking to start or grow your family and fertility is an issue, your weight may be holding you back.
Don’t worry – you’re not alone.
Want to talk to a member of our friendly team? Don’t hesitate to book a free consultation today by clicking the link below
We’re here to answer any questions you may have, and to provide pressure-free advice about whether weight loss surgery is right for you.
We’ll never recommend surgery unless it makes sense in your circumstances. If you prefer to call, you can do so on 0300 124 5520.
Related blogs
Looking for some further reading? We’ve got you covered – check out our selection of blogs!
Covering everything from bariatric surgery to general weight loss tips and tricks, there’s something for everyone here.
See all blogs
Tonic Newsletter – Lift yourself lean
Bariatric surgery association with male gonadal dysfunction due to obesity
BMI Calculator
Use our BMI calculator below to find out if your weight is healthy.
A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2 is described as within a ‘healthy’ weight range.
Join our community
Follow us on your favourite social channels to see how Tonic patients are taking back their lives.
Contact us today
For further information, please contact our team on 0115 950 4662 to discuss your individual case.
Book a FREE Consultation