CompletelyRevised

I'm right there with you guys! I was banded in 2007or2008 cant remember. I was overfilled and pregnant and only gained 12lbs so I was good with that. A few months after the baby I went and they completely unfilled me and said I'd stretched my pouch. Got an unfill and gained a bunch back. Went back in to check and see if I could get a fill and they said it was permanant damage and I'd have to get it removed eventually. For now I have a bit of restriction but not enough:/ to really help. So i was down to 169 and now I'm back up to 207. Which I'm thankful that I've still kept off about 100 lbs. I was over 300 before the band. I'm just so frustrated because it's my fault that I don't have the tool to help me now.

I was banded and about 1 1/2 years later got prego with my second. I was overfilled to begin with and all through the pregnancy I had reflux at night I thought it was just because i was prego and it would go away after the baby was born but it didn't. after the baby was born I went in and was told I stretched my pouch, I had to have a complete unfill and was told the pouch may never go back to normal and to come back in a 8ish weeks for a check up. I went back 6 months later and it was still stretched and I could not get a fill. All this happened a little over a year ago. My second child is almost 2 and I'm pregnant again (due at the end of June) and this time nothing is in the band. I plan on going back 6 weeks after the baby is born for another checkup and I'm just praying it's gone back to normal size after waiting all this time, and I hope I will able to get a fill. When I was prego with the band I only gained 12lbs but stretched my pouch and may not be able to ever get another fill only time will tell. Wasn't worth the risk but I made the bad decision of being overfilled in the first place. My advise is to just get an unfill. I refused to because I did not want to gain my weight back (My first I gained 60lbs), but it was not worth ruining my band!!! However I must add that I was overfilled to begin with, so as long as you are not too tight I would think you should be fine:) I do regret my decision of staying filled while pregnant though. I should have just played it safe and not taken the risk, but then again my band was too tight before getting pregnant.

1. Did you get an un-fill? If so, was it a total un-fill or just partial? At what point did you refill the band? I did not get an unfill, I should have. I had reflux through my whole pregnancy and realized after that it wasn't due to being pregnant but because I was too tight. I had to go in about a month ago and get completely unfilled and they determined that my upper pouch was stretched. I'll be going in about 1 month to get a slight fill. 2. Did you feel that your band in any way hindered you ability to eat enough foods or to breastfeed, to push during labor, etc. (especially if you did NOT have all your fill removed)I had a csection. My dr said in no way that it would effect my pregnancy the port and stomach is far enough away to not have any concerns. It did hinder me from eating much during pregnancy. I gained 12lbs so when I had the baby I actually had lost weight. I was afraid of gaining too much weight during pregnancy (I gained 60 w/ my first pregnancy) so I stayed filled. I'm very fortunate that I did not cause more damage other than my pouch being stretched (I asume I didn't I will find out for sure in about a month when I go back to get a fill). 3. Did you port give you problems as your belly got bigger with the baby? Did it become something that was visable or uncomfortable as more of your insides were filled up with the baby? I was a little uncomfortable but nothing major. It stuck out a little but no one could see it my hubby could feel it just by pressing slightly:) 4. Were you able to find an OBGYN who had experience with an expecting mother who had had the band or did you feel you had to do the educating of your doctor(s)? I went to the same dr as I had w/ my first pregnancy. He was not concerned as long as I was able to eat he said I was fine (I didn't tell him I had a hard time eating, against my better judgement). Hope this helps, the baby is 11months now:) Feel free to email w/any questions you might have. I looked and looked for info from people while I was prego and had a hard time getting any advise/experiences from anyone. So just send a message if you need support:)

I had my band for the whole pregnancy. There is no risk whatsoever according to my dr. However, I realize now that I had an overfill just before pregnancy and ended up having reflux (I thought it was just due to pregnancy) I did not get unfilled during pregnancy and I should have. I continued to have reflux after the baby was born and a little over 1 month ago I went in and got a complete unfill:( boo! I am lucky that I didn't slip since I was too tight for the whole pregnancy! I did cause the upper pouch to stretch. I'm planning on staying unfilled for a while and going back for a small fill. My only advise is to get a complete unfill, and that's what OCC will tell you too. I was too afraid I'd gain the weight back so I stayed filled (not understanding I was too tight in the first place) bad combo!

okay so how do i find the old post??? he he

I just had my baby 3 months ago(csection) and he is a cute, healthy bundle:). I do wish I'd gotten unfilled due to current reflux issues, but that's a different topic. While I was pregnant I did nutrisystem because I usually didn't want to eat (morning sickness) but I knew I needed to eat something. I also drank milk and protein drinks and lots of water. I prob ate about 1200-1500 calories a day. I tried to drink my meals because everything getting stuck. I only gained 12 lbs total and after the baby was born I lost about 35. I do not breastfeed because of my experience w/ my first child. I carried low so the port wasn't really an issue and my dr. assured me not to worry because the csection was nowhere near the band. I did get stuck a lot and drank water while I ate which is a big no no and think that's contributed to my reflux issues. If I could do it over again, I would get a total unfil and would NOT drink while I ate.

I did not get unfilled while I was pregnant. I didn't want to gain 60 lbs like I did previously. They said it wasn't necessary unless I was having a hard time eating and getting the nutrients I needed. I wish I had though. So the whole time I was prego, I laid propped up so I wouldn't throw up (stomach acids) in my sleep and then breathe it in. I've been doing liquid since Sunday and it seems to be better. I'm going to give it until next Sunday and then try solids again and if it's still happening I'll have to go get an unfill. I did go to the OCC and that's really the only place I feel comfortable going back to. Although, I've never been on a trip of any sort by myself so that's what makes me hesitant.

Susan how are you doing haven't heard anything lately? I'm having the same exact issue. This started happening to me right after I got prego, so I thought it would go away after I had the baby. It hasn't, so I'm doing the liquid diet for a week along w/ Mylanta/Maylox.

I don't have very supportive people around me, so that was a HUGE factor in my decision. I even told people I was "thinking" about getting the procedure done (I had already done it, and I wanted to know their reactions). IT WAS HORRIBLE, got talked down on for even thinking of doing something so "drastic", everyone said just exercise and eat right blah blah. That was even after I tried explaining the details. My hubby and sister are the ONLY people that know. I'm not ashamed and I do not regret getting banded, not for a second. It's a personal decision that each person has to make. I don't want to be judged and I prefer not to deal w/ the questions, so it's a secret I can always change my mind later, but once I decide to tell people, I can't take it back! So maybe in the future I'll tell people, maybe I won't. Most people (family around me) just see it as the "easy way out" because they don't understand or want to understand the details, they just want to judge. Like I said that's the people I know though, well most of my family and hubby's family lol. Family is the toughest cause they do know you best. I have a few friends that I know would be supportive and totally non judgmental, but for now I choose not to talk:)

Hey thanks for your help. I called my fill doctor here in Utah and told him I was pregnant and asked what I should do about being unfilled. He said to do nothing at all. He said that unfilling a pregnant patient was, in his exact words "bull crap and old school thinking." He said that as long as I was doing fine and not having any problems, they would just leave me where I'm at. I have a pretty good fill at 1.7cc's. I would say just about perfect. I am so glad to here from someone else who not only had the band while pregnant, but also kept your fill in the entire time. I think I am going to work on drinking more water too. Hey did you feel like your OBGYN responded well to you having the band? I wondered about them being judgemental or something. Anyway, thanks again for your help. My ob has been awesome! He doesn't treat me any different than with the first baby:) I did kinda expect him to ask questions but he didn't. I thought it would be an issue but I'm the one asking him all the questions:) He did tell me not to eat rice lol which I don't anyway. He's not concerned about my lack of weight gain (again something I brought up) because the detailed ultra sound showed everything was great and he has measured me to make sure I'm growing at the right speed. He did say to get plenty of protein and nutrients which I try hard to do:)

Actually I have heard of water poisoning (a nurse in the family-I get to hear all kinds of stuff) and I heard about that story too (the contest). I only drink a glass at a time though, not a gallon. I've been measuring it one day a couple of weeks ago and it's more like a gallon to a gallon and a half of water in a whole day THROUGHOUT the day, from the time I wake to bedtime:) I guess it just seemed like more as I'm always thirsty:) Thanks for the concern and article.

I too had lost about 60 lbs (took a year) and then got prego. I'm 30 weeks prego, have gained 10 pounds and never got unfilled (I think I'm at 2.8mm). I've had no complications so far. I take lots of vitamins and get lots of protein. I drink a TON of water, like 1-2 gallons a day (drives hubby crazy as he has to keep refilling our 5 gallon jugs (6 of them) at the water store ever week and a half to two weeks instead of once a month lol). I have to say drinking so much water has made a huge difference as I'm not getting cramps in my legs yet and I'm in the last trimester. I didn't drink as much water when I was prego w/ first and got cramps in the night in the beginning of the second trimester. I did have terrible morning sickness, throwing up a couple of times at the beginning and a couple of times this week. Feel free to ask me any questions at all!!! I only have 9 weeks left YEA! (csection a week early due to medical reasons). I'm not done w/ the pregnancy yet but I know I was scared in the beginning cause I couldn't find anyone else that had been prego w/ the band to talk to, so I'm here if you want to ask me anything:)

Hi, I'm prego (28 weeks). I had the lap band for a year before becoming prego. I've had no complications so far. I do take lots of pills though, throughout the day (can't take them all at once:) I take an extra chewable calcium, a prenatal, folic acid and DHA. In addition to getting lots and lots of protein. I by the protein shakes and drink plenty of those. I've only gained a total of 10 pounds so far but I lost 8 in the beginning from morning sickness and gained it back in the 2nd trimester along w/ 10 pounds. I never had an unfill as I'm too nervous about gaining a lot of weight (I gained 60 w/ my first). My dr is/was never concerned at all except about the baby getting the nutrients it needs. I guess the biggest prob w/ prego lapbanders is that they baby is anemic. All my checkups have been totally normal and I'm trying hard not to gain more than 15 pounds although the past couple of weeks I've been craving sweets and have given in, and also gained about 4 lbs in 2 weeks. So I just have to be strict again:) Also I'm having a csection and my dr is not concerned about complications since he says he will be nowhere near the band. Feel free to ask me any questions. I know I was super worried and couldn't find anyone that had been prego w/ the band!

That's what I was searching for, thanks guys!