Pregnancy Following Weight Loss Surgery

November 29th, 2017

Doctors recommend that women who have weight loss surgery (also called bariatric surgery) wait at least a year and a half before trying to become pregnant in order to avoid complications like fetal growth problems, preterm delivery, and neonatal intensive care unit stays, but new research from the University of Pittsburgh reports that many women don’t follow this advice. Researchers collected data from 710 women ages 18 to 44 who had recent weight loss surgery and found that 4 percent of study participants were actively trying to get pregnant and an additional 42 percent reported having unprotected sex during this at-risk post-surgical timeframe. During the initial eighteen-month post-surgery period, changing hormonal levels that accompany rapid weight loss can lead to a boost in fertility. Unfortunately, this type of surgery and weight loss can also lead to nausea, lack of appetite, and nutritional deficiencies that can cause problems for a growing baby. Researchers caution that it’s important for women who have had weight loss surgery to use an effective birth control method and wait for weight to stabilize before trying to conceive. “Contraceptive counseling both before and after bariatric surgery are critical pieces of the multidisciplinary needs of the bariatric patient. This study clearly shows that early conception rates and contraceptive practices after bariatric surgery are not ideal,” said study co-author Anita Courcoulas, MD, MPH, FACS, director, minimally invasive bariatric and general surgery at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC. “The findings highlight the need for more frequent referral to counseling for contraception guidance throughout the bariatric surgery process.”

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