To try or not to try... getting pregnant.

cartea01
cartea01 Posts: 156 Member
edited October 6 in Motivation and Support
So I started my weight-loss journey nearly 2 weeks ago. I'm due to weigh in on Saturday but I lost1.8kg (~4 pounds) the first week (lots of water weight I'm sure!). My plan is to lose another 9.5kg (~21 pounds) to be at my goal weight of 70kg (I'm 175cm tall). This said, my husband and I are wanting to try having a baby in the new year. Being I Type A personality I'd love to be able to plan everything down to a tee (including conception and delivery!) but being a doctor, I know that healthy couples only have a 1 in 5 chance of falling pregnant every month. So my question to you is do I wait the 2-3 months that I think it will take me to lose the rest of the weight before we start trying, or do I come off the pill now and wait to see what happens?
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Replies

  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I think that's something only you can decide.

    And I'm not a doctor, but I've been pregnant and watched my friends "try" to get pregnant and I'm going to tell you that you shouldn't "try." When the time comes, stop the BC and have sex and don't stress.
  • mwright24skinny
    mwright24skinny Posts: 122 Member
    Come off the pill now because it COULD take a while to get pregnant when you first come off.
  • strohst
    strohst Posts: 146 Member
    Honestly I would get off the pill... Me and my guy wanted the same thing I stopped taking my pill after 6 months I still wasn't pregnant so I decided to get back on the pill and wait a while long ... Come to find out when I went in for my appointment to get them I was pregnant...
  • jlnk
    jlnk Posts: 188 Member
    I just had my first baby in August and I can tell you that it is the absolute best experience. Everything in life falls into perspective and you will not believe the love you feel for your little one. I say go for it...just be ready to be dedicated to losing weight after baby.

    I was at 175 when I got preggars, which is about 25-30 over where I like to be. I was 225 at delivery (August), am at 197 right now, and plan to be back at 175 by February. Hopefully by his 1st birthday I will be at 145. Just a little background I thought you might find interesting...
  • lizgreenhill
    lizgreenhill Posts: 185
    Honestly i would say you should wait. I know ALOT of overweight women that were pregnant and said they had the hardest time trying to get around and stuff. The heavier you are when you are pregnant i think the harder it is on the baby. I gained 80lbs when i was pregnant with my son. My doctor told me that since i gained so much weight i needed to be careful because my baby could lose oxygen from not having enough room (needless to say my son was a heffer 9lbs 24inches long). But if you talk to your dr about it and he/she thinks that its okay for you to concieve now then i would say go for it.
  • mleoni092708
    mleoni092708 Posts: 629 Member
    My friend got pregnant right away when she went off the pill. It took me 3 months after stopping the pill to get pregnant. So I would say, if you are content with getting pregnant right away, go ahead. Honestly, I would continue and lose what weight you want to lose before trying. It will help you get on a habit of healthy eating throughout pregnancy, and you'll be more comfortable and not feel like a giant miserable beached whale (from experience unfortunately). Whatever you decide, best of luck to you and hopefully in 2012 you'll be bringing home a healthy new baby!
  • lcchrt
    lcchrt Posts: 234 Member
    A friend of mine and her husband decided to try, they thought it would take a few months. A month later she was a month pregnant. My husband and I were trying at the same time... 3 year later we have a beautiful little girl! You never know how long it will take. I would say just going off the bc and seeing what happens. If you need to 'try' after a few months so be it! But You may be able to lose the weight in the few months it takes! If not, breast feeding is a great workout ;)
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Come off the pill now because it COULD take a while to get pregnant when you first come off.

    Or it could happen on the first try. I know a lot of people who followed this advice. Several were pregnant about a month before their weddings (though they intended to get pregnant a month or two after). And my cousin, who has only one ovary and was supposed to have trouble getting pregnant, got pregnant on the first try.
  • lcchrt
    lcchrt Posts: 234 Member
    I just had my first baby in August and I can tell you that it is the absolute best experience. Everything in life falls into perspective and you will not believe the love you feel for your little one. I say go for it...just be ready to be dedicated to losing weight after baby.

    I was at 175 when I got preggars, which is about 25-30 over where I like to be. I was 225 at delivery (August), am at 197 right now, and plan to be back at 175 by February. Hopefully by his 1st birthday I will be at 145. Just a little background I thought you might find interesting...

    This exactly!!
    I was 150 when I got pregnant. I was 173 day of delivery and exactly 3 months later I am 142.
  • zml_mom
    zml_mom Posts: 270 Member
    I would say get off the pill now and then see what happens
    I was 160 when I got pregnant with my now 2 year old and gained 80 lbs with him and then I got pregnant again with my now 1 year old and total i gained 110 between them (but I had a ruptured disc and was immobile most of my first pregnancy so most people do not gain so much weight)

    I am not 156 and I lost all of it before my son's first birthday so it's possible

    and if your active now you can be active through the pregnancy and not gain much
  • livinginwoods
    livinginwoods Posts: 562 Member
    One of the reasons I started this site is to lose weight to not only be healthy but to have a baby. I want one like I have never wanted anything before. But I don't want to get pregnant at 380 lbs. It is not healthy for me or the baby and its not a chance I can take. My husband keeps saying God will protect us if I were to get pregnant by accident but I want to lose the weight first. You look good and I say go for it!!
  • mrsgrumpypants
    mrsgrumpypants Posts: 19 Member
    I'd never assume it's going to take months; my sister and I have always got pregnant straight away (I had my children in my mid-thirties), and there are at least four little accidents in my extended family!
  • Justien_c
    Justien_c Posts: 9
    If you lose 10% of your body weight your chances of getting pregnant increases. My advise is to continue b/c until you lose that much and when you stop your b/c continue eating healthy and working out but up your calorie count. You can get pregnant the first month off the pill. Some people are much more fertile when they first come off the pill. Whatever you decide to do I really recommend working out regularly through your pregnancy, even if it is just walking. Your labor will be easier if your muscles are strong. Just my personal opinion. You have to chose what feels right for you. Just don't assume it will take months to get pregnant, in my experience planning on it taking a few tries ends with you pregnant after 1 try. lol
  • WISHFULTHINKING
    WISHFULTHINKING Posts: 167 Member
    about a yr ago i weighed 255
    now i had lost bout 97 pounds and was at 157 almost right there where i wanted to be at then boom
    i ended up pregnant lol due in march (:
  • pupcamper
    pupcamper Posts: 410 Member
    What would you tell your patient if she asked you?
  • cartea01
    cartea01 Posts: 156 Member
    pupcamper - Good question :) It would probably depend on many things (how much weight does she have to lose, how old is she, any other medical conditions etc). It's much harder to give yourself advice!

    wishfulthinking - That's what part of me thinks will happen. We'll get pregnant once my head and my body are ready (but then again I see lots of women come in pregnant when neither their head or body is ready!)

    justien_c - Thanks for your advice. I certainly want to remain active. I've delivered a number of babies and then most "comfortable' labours have been those when the woman is active and able to move around the room and generally that's associated with her having been active during the pregnancy too.

    mrsgrumpypants - That's what I'm afraid of! I've always thought it would take me a few months but what if I'm super fertile!! I suppose the morning sickness may help with the weight loss! ;)

    livingsinwoods - I commend you on making this choice. Whilst your husband has the best intentions, your instincts about losing weight first before falling pregnant are correct. You are far more likely to have a healthy pregnancy if you are healthy first!
  • cartea01
    cartea01 Posts: 156 Member
    Thank you to all the other posters for your advice and experience! I couldn't see your posts when I was writing my reply hence I haven't replied individually. I'm thinking I'll give myself another month and come off BC in January. I'll continue my weightloss journey and whatever will be will be!
  • Amy_B
    Amy_B Posts: 2,317 Member
    Come off the pill now because it COULD take a while to get pregnant when you first come off.
    I agree with this. You can focus on losing the weight in the meantime.
  • EricNCSU
    EricNCSU Posts: 699 Member
    Do.... or do not.... there is no Try.....

    I'm sorry I couldn't resist. :)

    I will agree with not "trying" too hard... just let it happen because stress will certainly not help.
  • Puffins1958
    Puffins1958 Posts: 614 Member
    Just because you get pregnant, doesn't mean that you have to gain a ridiculous amount of weight. My first son, I gained under 25 lbs, and my 2nd son, I gained about 17 lbs. Pregnancy does not mean you can get out of control and gain so much weight. I think the ultimate decision about wanting to have a baby now, or wait...should be ultimately up to you and your husband. :bigsmile:
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
    I'd go for it. You both want the baby. Life is too short... next thing you know our ovaries shrivel up. LOL I'm TTC myself right now. It doesn't always happen right away... You can always bounce back.
  • AmandaCaswell1982
    AmandaCaswell1982 Posts: 170 Member
    I work at an OBGYN office- I cannot tell you how many people go off the pill before they are ready because they think it will take a while to get pregnant. If you're not ready NOW then stay on. But seriously, I don't know how "ready" anyone can ever be! Having a baby is an amazing experience! Good luck!!!! ♥
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
    Get pregnant now.
    Why have to lose the weight twice?

    Also, you may get pregnant very quickly, it took us like 5 minutes. I know many people take months or years, but......................
  • CRSE1214
    CRSE1214 Posts: 196 Member
    Just because you get pregnant, doesn't mean that you have to gain a ridiculous amount of weight. My first son, I gained under 25 lbs, and my 2nd son, I gained about 17 lbs. Pregnancy does not mean you can get out of control and gain so much weight. I think the ultimate decision about wanting to have a baby now, or wait...should be ultimately up to you and your husband. :bigsmile:

    ^^^^THIS.....I was on BC from 17 years of age to 31 years of age took me and my hubby 8 months to conceive our now 3.5 year old son. I gained 32 lbs. with him (lost 37 of it through breastfeeding) 22 months later had my second son gained 17 lbs with him (lost 23 of it also through breastfeeding).
  • Bellyroll
    Bellyroll Posts: 316
    I would wait the 3 months and lose the weight so you have a healthier BMI while pregnant and after.
  • candj2009
    candj2009 Posts: 36 Member
    Went off the pill Nov. 2, 2009. Found out I was pregnant Dec. 2, 2009. I honestly though after 7 years on birth control it would take some time. One of my good friends was off of the pill for 2 years before she got pregnant. Everyone is different and do what is best for you. I went into my 2nd pregnancy about 30 lbs. overweight and it was a lot harder on my back and hips than the first one......
  • bethdris
    bethdris Posts: 1,090 Member
    Long story short..(becuase it really is a long story)...When we FINALLY got pg with my youngest, I had just lost 35 pounds and was at 217, I gave birth at 254...I never had ANY problems during pregnancy...the only problem we faced was an emergency c section, and that was because of his heartrate dropping and not coming back fast enough.

    Our other 2 boys were blessings from the adoption stork.(if it was only so easy) .so I didn't gain weight with them! :)

    I would stay stop the pill now, but thats b/c it took us forever!!

    Either way..its your and your husband decision, best of luck to you!
  • etremoi53
    etremoi53 Posts: 45 Member
    I am with the "you need to decide what is right for you" camp. I have three beautiful children, two of them are fully grown and none of them was exactly "planned" for the right time. With childbirth, planning does not work that often but I am hoping you are able to be pregnant when you want to be. With my last child (age 40) I got pregnant just after losing a substantial amount of weight. I gained more than I should have--about 40 pounds with pregnancy and it never really came off like it did the first two times when I was young. Hence the reason I am on this website 13 years later trying to finally lose the "pregnancy weight" haha!

    I suggest that you are careful not to gain too much when you do get pregnant, to keep your weight gain in whatever range your doctor recommends using all the will power you can muster and to eat the very best diet that you can. You should start to take folic acid though, ahead of time so you can prevent birth defects--but you already know that, being a doctor. Good luck with your decision and on embarking on this fantastic parental journey.
  • pupcamper
    pupcamper Posts: 410 Member
    FYI - you can plan as much as you want but neither your head nor body will truly be ready for what lies ahead! I wish you the very best of luck and hope you enjoy your journey as much as I have mine! :flowerforyou:
  • Lainn
    Lainn Posts: 281 Member
    What I would ask you....if you do not fall pregnant this month or next (whether you tried or not) will you be disappointed?

    When husband and I where "planning" our last pregnancy we had decided to wait till July, but when we didn't fall pregnant a couple of months later (even though we where trying to prevent) we both admitted we where disappointed. We realized that we had decided to try for a baby which meant we wanted a baby...but for some reason (I cannot remember them) we decided to wait.

    So if you have decided you want to have a baby, will you be content with waiting?
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