Differences between Pregnancies before sleeve than after sleeve

Thanks woodland I can't wait to hear back!

I was sleeved 16 months ago and lost 30kg. Im now 38 weeks pregnant and have gained 8kg this pregnancy. I gained 12kg when pregnant before sleeve. This pregnancy has been so easy, no morning sickness, no aches and pains, I've been so well and its amazing. I haven't given birth yet so can't comment on that side of it yet but I'll come back in and let you know how I got on and also update with post pregnancy weight loss.
All the best to you.

Thank you so much Firie75. Your response is so helpful. Thanks again.

Hi everyone. Just came across this thread and thought I might share my experience. I was sleeved in Feb 2012 and fell pregnant three months after with baby no 3 who is now 6 weeks old!

I did find that my energy levels did improve having lost some of my excess weight prior to falling pregnant so that was a bonus. Movement was also less awkward until of course the final few weeks of pregnancy where you find yourself feeling like a turtle turned on its back anyway! My glucose tolerance test results were great (I still marvel at how I managed not to spew all that horrid drink up!). Appetite wise, my appetite was not great, but it was not big in my two pre sleeve pregnancies either. I did find that I seemed to have nausea and vomiting almost right through this pregnancy, especially when eating. Thankfully since the birth, my appetite has returned and the nausea and vomiting has stopped. I can actually eat a bit more now. I found that a bit of a worry as I wonder at times if I still have a reasonably small stomach capacity still. I can happily say that I have found I still am satisfied with small meals, but have to be careful about snacking, and more to the point what I snack on. I find that when I breastfeed I want to munch on something all the time and I tend to make a few poor choices here, so I need to work on that. Weight wise I dropped 10 kgs post birth and have remained steady so far. I plan to start a decent exercise regime shortly seeing as things seem to be settling in more now. My labour was 1hr and 25 minutes! But then I seem to have faster labours than most women (my first was 4 hours, my second was 2.5 hours). It is normal for labour to be shorter with each baby you have, though some women can have longer second or third labours depending on size and position of the baby as well as any complications or interventions that can prolong labour. If you want labour to be potentially shorter, move around and be upright during the labour and if you can choose a good birth position (I was on all fours!).

On the down side, I did still suffer bad back and pelvic pain which was present in my pregnancy with baby 2. I had a few hopes that having lost weight that it might not occur or at least be delayed in returning. Unfortunately it hit me around 16 weeks and became worse than the last pregnancy. Unfortunately some of the aches and pains you have in previous pregnancies can come back en force and worse in following pregnancies. The pelvic and back pain did contribute to tiredness in the last trimester and reduced my stamina and energy at this point. I did find that chiropractic work helped to ease the pain. My midwife told me about a good chiro who specialised in pregnant women and I found him fantastic. I wished that I knew of him sooner! (If I am mad enough to have a 4th, I will be seeing the chiro again for sure!)

Im 37 weeks with number 3 so Ill answer as best I can.

Have you noticed a difference in your stamina or the back pain or just pain in general?
Ive had allot more back pain this time around and allot less stamina thats for sure.

How was the birth different? Was it easier with you having lost weight?
I havent given birth yet, Ill let you know.

Was your labour significantly different ie shorter lol (I understand labour hurts like H no matter what!!!)
See above.

Did you suffer less complications like gestational diabetes or has the sleeve caused more problems or have you even had more problems but not sleeve related?
I had GD for my second pregnancy, and my numbers this time around have been phenomenal so I havent had to worry about that this time around. I have had problems with a uterine prolapse this time which may or may not be a result of not so much the sleeve but of being overweight then loosing it. No other sleeve related problems.

I have read how several of the post sleevers have commented that their appetite has increased how was yours affected?
Mine definitely increased. My restriction is still the same, so I cant eat any more then I used to be able to but I have to eat a lot more often. If I dont eat something small every hour or so I feel very dizzy.

How did the pregnancy affect your weight, were you able to loose the baby weight easily vs pre sleeve pregnancy baby weight?
At 37 weeks so far I have gained 4 kg, the weight gain was only really in the second trimester, it slowed right down towards the end and I have stayed the same for quite a few weeks now so I expect that Ill only gain 5kg in total which is in line with my dietitians expectations.

FNM you gorgeous creature, thank you so much for the time and effort you put into responding to this query.
Im glad it's been a relatively easy pregnancy for you, I suffered! lol
I wish you an easy and safe birth. Let us know how you go and I would love to see pics. Bit of a sucker for little bubs!!!

I can't offer any comparisons as my first pregnancy is post surgery.
Have you noticed a difference in your stamina or the back pain or just pain in general?
I have had very little pain. I am in my final 7 weeks and have only just started to feel pelvic pain. I have been extremely well throughout the whole pregnancy. I've heard that this is relatively uncommon and that most women have a harder time. My obstetrician thinks it's because I am in the best shape I have ever been in.

How was the birth different? Was it easier with you having lost weight?
Not given birth yet. However the birth process can be more risky and difficult for overweight people.

Was your labour significantly different ie shorter lol (I understand labour hurts like H no matter what!!!)
Don't know. Again overweight people sometimes have difficult births which need intervention.

Did you suffer less complications like gestational diabetes or has the sleeve caused more problems or have you even had more problems but not sleeve related?
I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. However, my case is atypical, my blood sugar goes up after consuming concentrated sugar - particularly in liquid form. My body then produces lots of insulin which lowers the blood sugar quite a lot. They are starting to think that its just the way my body works now and doesn't seem to be dangerous for me or the baby and so I am just being monitored to make sure everything remains well. It is likely a result or the sleeve. I also have a pre-existing thyroid condition which is being looked after which is unrelated to the sleeve.

I have read how several of the post sleevers have commented that their appetite has increased how was yours affected?
I had very bad cravings for sweet and carb things during the middle of the pregnancy which I pretty much gave free reign to. I have also been able to eat more in general - I seemed to have more room available! This is pretty much over now and I fill up very quickly now. I think my stomach may be slightly squashed by the baby.

How did the pregnancy affect your weight, were you able to loose the baby weight easily vs pre sleeve pregnancy baby weight?
I have put on 7kgs which my dr is happy with as I was already overweight to begin with (65kgs) most women would put on 10-14kgs. From here I should gain about .5kg a week or less. I'll let you know how losing the weight after goes.

I am the first sleeved patient most of my caregivers have seen so they don't really understand my particular issues. You get treated in a cookie cutter fashion. I just try to listen to everything and do my best to comply with what I can and ignore what I can't. For example, getting the diabetes educators to understand that I eat almost no 'traditional carbs' and get along just fine without them is still a struggle.

I'll be keeping an eye on this post too. Getting sleeved in March and when I drop to a certain weight and depending on the length of time after being sleeved will start trying again for another one. It's a long shot at my age but I'm hoping the weight loss will balance that out for me.

Great topic, Im interested to know also, I am pre-sleeve and hope to be done in a few months or less. Next year we are planning another baby, bring on the replies ladies

:)
Angela

Hello ladies,

I am wondering if anyone can tell me the differences they felt between their Pre sleeve pregnancy vs those who've been pregnant again post sleeve? Here are some of the things I've been wondering.

Have you noticed a difference in your stamina or the back pain or just pain in general?
How was the birth different? Was it easier with you having lost weight?
Was your labour significantly different ie shorter lol (I understand labour hurts like H no matter what!!!)
Did you suffer less complications like gestational diabetes or has the sleeve caused more problems or have you even had more problems but not sleeve related?
I have read how several of the post sleevers have commented that their appetite has increased how was yours affected?
How did the pregnancy affect your weight, were you able to loose the baby weight easily vs pre sleeve pregnancy baby weight?

I can't seem to find a topic where these questions have been compared or discussed and I'm very interested to know as I'm hoping to be one of you later this year or next.