Hi all! This is all hypothetical, but I'm just wondering what would happen if I got pregnant before my six-month "probation (?)" period is over? Is it really that critical that I wait six months? I'm willing to wait, but the healthier I get, the louder my body is screaming to be impregnated and I can't get it to shut up! My husband is also really ready to have a baby and waiting is making us crazy! I'm just wondering if it would be hazardous to my body and should I wait longer? Thank you.

Jojo

I had one surgeon who told me that as long as my section was one year post op I should be fine. But having had two babies now (well after last surgery) I think you should wait. The toll on my body was quite high ESP with my first pregnancy where I had a near total obstruction. Had I not been 100 percent healed from the surgeries it would have been tough.

My advice is to take the six months and really enjoy being healthy for yourself before you give your body up to a baby. I think in the end you'll enjoy pregnancy mire knowing you are fully healed and ready to take on the next challenge.

Don't get me wrong, I love being a mom and love my kids but it only gets more exhausting as they get older (mine are 4 1/2 and 2) so now is really the only time you'll have to rest your body and get yourself back to full strength.

jojo, I'm with you! my surgeon said there is no "probation" period and when you are ready and feeling good, go for it. had my takedown in april and we will start trying next month. so i'll be 5 months out, but it took us 6 months with our first, so mostly likely i won't be pregnant for quite awhile anyways. the baby will get anything and everything they need from us even if we are exhausted and running to the bathroom all day long so that shouldn't be something to be concerned about.

i haven't yet found anyone on the forum that has actually conceived 6 months out so you could be the first :-)

I got pregnant in Jan after my surgery in Sept -my 5th and final one - a permanent ostomy. I was feeling GREAT, and we thought it would take a while due to all the surgeries - I knew I had an appt with the GYN in April, and wanted to go into it with info on trying, charting, etc for the 4 months. Lo and behold - my GYN appt turned into my first OB appt! No troubles here.
While this has been a toll on my body in general, I'm doing well and baby Benton is growing and developing right on schedule!

Rzrbckfan...looks like you've had a tough few years! Thank you so much for sharing with us! Awesome to hear you're feeling well and that you were able to get pg really easily. Are you due in October then? How exciting!! Congrats on baby Benton :-)

clz - Yep, we're due October 21st, but have a c-section scheduled Oct 19th. Due to my history of fistulas, my surgeon and ob decided (together) that it would be best to csection me. He's also breech right now - which I know he still has time to turn, but I just feel better knowing that in case he doesn't, it's already scheduled).
We've had an extra few ultrasounds due to him hiding - behind my ostomy the first time, and behind the scar that I have from all the surgies the second time. We couldn't see his heart and the blood flow there. When we went in last Tuesday, he was still "hiding" but we ended up getting a great picture of his 4-chamber heart. He's growing right on schedule - weighs about 3 lbs 15 oz right now, which was the other worry for the doctors - they were afraid due to my ostomy and my decreased absorption, he wouldn't grow as much as a "healthy" baby. But he's doing well.
Good luck on your journey! Just make sure your doctor closely monitors your hemoglobin numbers - since the total colectomy, I've had troubles keeping my Fe levels up - and have even had to start going to a hemtologist who now monitors my levels monthly. I do really well with the hemoglobin numbers themselves, but my iron saturation drops really low - and with the increased blood volume while pregnant, it dropped way low. I had to have Venofer (not the first time for these iron infusions for me though), which fixed me right up!
I'll come back and post pictures as soon as he's here! Hope all goes well for those trying!