Question about homebirth and breastfeeding after gastric bypass...

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

My name is Leigh-ann, and I am a 28 year old mother to three

wonderful boys. I am currently breastfeeding my 9month old, but

before my pregnancy with him I was in the process of getting

insurance verification for gastric bypass. Needless to say, that was

put on hold. Now, I am beginning to think about this again, but I am

worried that if I have this surgery it might somehow make my

pregnancy high risk, or cause me not to be a good candidate for

homebirth. I have read that there can be a problem with iron

absorbtion after WLS, and am wondering if this leads to anemia...even

borderline anemia can be a problem for homebirth due to increased

risk of hemmorage. Also, wondering if any mommas here have

exclusively breastfed a baby after WLS (no supplements or solids

until around six months)? Did you have any problems with milk supply

due to decreased intake of calories? I also want to add that while

homebirth and breastfeeding are important to me, I DO NOT JUDGE

anyone who does not do these things:) Thanks for any help or thoughts!

Blessings to all,

Leigh-ann

[Guest guest]

> Now, I am beginning to think about this again, but I

am worried

> that if I have this surgery it might somehow make my

pregnancy high

> risk, or cause me not to be a good candidate for

homebirth.

For almost everyone...pregnancy after WLS is lower

risk than it would have been had they not had WLS...as

the risk from the obesity is greater than the risk of being

malnutritioned.

> I have

> read that there can be a problem with iron absorbtion

after WLS, and

> am wondering if this leads to anemia...even borderline

anemia can be a

> problem for homebirth due to increased risk of

hemmorage.

IF you have a problem with anemia...then yes, it can be

a problem.

just like any pregnant momma...

> Also,

> wondering if any mommas here have exclusively

breastfed a baby after

> WLS (no supplements or solids until around six

months)? Did you have

> any problems with milk supply due to decreased

intake of calories?

I was breastfeeding my daughter (although not

exclusively) when I had the surgery..nursed her the day

of surgery and the day after surgery. didn't miss a day.

my son (pregnancy after WLS) I exlusively nursed,

too...no problem.

It's not like the severe decreased intake of calories is a

long-term thing.

> I

> also want to add that while homebirth and

breastfeeding are important

> to me, I DO NOT JUDGE anyone who does not do

these things:) Thanks for

> any help or thoughts! Blessings to all, Leigh-ann

>

My post-WLS baby was a homebirth breastfed

waterbirthed daddy-caught baby boy. =)

Soderblom CCCE CD(DONA) CLD

Student Midwife - Mesa, AZ

CAPPA Board of Directors

Doula/CBE/Pregnancy/Birth Photography

Owner: Birth Story Diaries - real births, real photos

http://www.birthdiaries.com

Owner: SouthwestDoulas.com

[Guest guest]

Welcome Leigh-ann,

You are just like me and a lot of ladies here in that one of the top

things on your mind when choosing to have WLS is whether it will have

an effect on any future pregnancies. You can see from many of the

women here, and their babies, that you can have a healthy pregnancy

and baby after WLS. I have had one baby after my RnY, and am having

another one in about a month.

In my experience, there can be nutritional issues resulting from WLS,

like anemia as you mentioned, but USUALLY, these issues are easily

monitored by blood tests, and easily remedied by supplements. Now, I

said usually, because once in a while you will meet someone who has

severe nutritional problems that are resistant to supplements. This

is one reason that it is important to have your blood work regularly,

and wait at least a year after your WLS before getting pregnant. By

that time, you will probably have a handle on what supplements you

need, and how much. Plus, you will be able to take in more calories

at that point to support your pregnancy.

My first post-WLS baby is 2 1/2 now. When I had my 6-week checkup

after his birth, I found that my Zinc levels had dropped below

normal, and I had to start taking extra Zinc to bring that back up.

When he was about a year old, I had more blood work, and found my

Iron had fallen, and had to start taking extra iron (Carbonyl type),

to get that back up to normal. These things were PROBABLY related to

breastfeeding, although I couldn't swear to it. But those are the

only minor problems I ran into with breastfeeding my son. I had

plenty of milk, breastfed him exclusively for over 6 months, and only

weaned him when he was almost 2yo so I could try to conceive baby #4.

So, good luck on your decision, your future pregnancies, and your

homebirth too. I am a little envious of the homebirthing moms here.

I wish I could have one too, but my husband is totally against it.

So, as with my last baby, I will probably be showing up at the

hospital ready to push so I have to be there as short a time as

possible!

Hope this helps.

Lynn

Baby #4 due 12-3-03

> Hi all,

> My name is Leigh-ann, and I am a 28 year old mother to three

> wonderful boys. I am currently breastfeeding my 9month old, but

> before my pregnancy with him I was in the process of getting

> insurance verification for gastric bypass. Needless to say, that

was

> put on hold. Now, I am beginning to think about this again, but I

am

> worried that if I have this surgery it might somehow make my

> pregnancy high risk, or cause me not to be a good candidate for

> homebirth. I have read that there can be a problem with iron

> absorbtion after WLS, and am wondering if this leads to

anemia...even

> borderline anemia can be a problem for homebirth due to increased

> risk of hemmorage. Also, wondering if any mommas here have

> exclusively breastfed a baby after WLS (no supplements or solids

> until around six months)? Did you have any problems with milk

supply

> due to decreased intake of calories? I also want to add that while

> homebirth and breastfeeding are important to me, I DO NOT JUDGE

> anyone who does not do these things:) Thanks for any help or

thoughts!

> Blessings to all,

> Leigh-ann

[Guest guest]

Welcome Leigh-ann,

You are just like me and a lot of ladies here in that one of the top

things on your mind when choosing to have WLS is whether it will have

an effect on any future pregnancies. You can see from many of the

women here, and their babies, that you can have a healthy pregnancy

and baby after WLS. I have had one baby after my RnY, and am having

another one in about a month.

In my experience, there can be nutritional issues resulting from WLS,

like anemia as you mentioned, but USUALLY, these issues are easily

monitored by blood tests, and easily remedied by supplements. Now, I

said usually, because once in a while you will meet someone who has

severe nutritional problems that are resistant to supplements. This

is one reason that it is important to have your blood work regularly,

and wait at least a year after your WLS before getting pregnant. By

that time, you will probably have a handle on what supplements you

need, and how much. Plus, you will be able to take in more calories

at that point to support your pregnancy.

My first post-WLS baby is 2 1/2 now. When I had my 6-week checkup

after his birth, I found that my Zinc levels had dropped below

normal, and I had to start taking extra Zinc to bring that back up.

When he was about a year old, I had more blood work, and found my

Iron had fallen, and had to start taking extra iron (Carbonyl type),

to get that back up to normal. These things were PROBABLY related to

breastfeeding, although I couldn't swear to it. But those are the

only minor problems I ran into with breastfeeding my son. I had

plenty of milk, breastfed him exclusively for over 6 months, and only

weaned him when he was almost 2yo so I could try to conceive baby #4.

So, good luck on your decision, your future pregnancies, and your

homebirth too. I am a little envious of the homebirthing moms here.

I wish I could have one too, but my husband is totally against it.

So, as with my last baby, I will probably be showing up at the

hospital ready to push so I have to be there as short a time as

possible!

Hope this helps.

Lynn

Baby #4 due 12-3-03

> Hi all,

> My name is Leigh-ann, and I am a 28 year old mother to three

> wonderful boys. I am currently breastfeeding my 9month old, but

> before my pregnancy with him I was in the process of getting

> insurance verification for gastric bypass. Needless to say, that

was

> put on hold. Now, I am beginning to think about this again, but I

am

> worried that if I have this surgery it might somehow make my

> pregnancy high risk, or cause me not to be a good candidate for

> homebirth. I have read that there can be a problem with iron

> absorbtion after WLS, and am wondering if this leads to

anemia...even

> borderline anemia can be a problem for homebirth due to increased

> risk of hemmorage. Also, wondering if any mommas here have

> exclusively breastfed a baby after WLS (no supplements or solids

> until around six months)? Did you have any problems with milk

supply

> due to decreased intake of calories? I also want to add that while

> homebirth and breastfeeding are important to me, I DO NOT JUDGE

> anyone who does not do these things:) Thanks for any help or

thoughts!

> Blessings to all,

> Leigh-ann