Obesity is a serious epidemic in the United States. Many people find themselves too obese to perform daily activities, and the health risks associated with obesity cause too many untimely deaths to count. You might be thinking to yourself that diet and exercise are a simple solution, and for many people they are. However, some people reach a level of obesity that is too great to simply hop on a treadmill. In this case, these people often turn to bariatric surgery such as gastric bypass surgery.

There is nothing wrong with choosing gastric bypass surgery when you need to loose a lot of weight. If you’ve had surgery to reduce the size of your stomach, you’re probably experiencing a new life of health and well being. In addition to good health, you might also be wondering if you can bring a new life into your own by getting pregnant. Luckily, a recent study shows that women who had bariatric surgery before they became pregnant had no related complications. In fact, women who had surgery to lose weight had much more successful pregnancies than those that were overweight during their pregnancy and delivery. Having a baby while overweight can lead to premature delivery and macrosomia.

Of course, there are some risks to having any type of surgery before your pregnancy, so you should not automatically choose gastric bypass if you’re looking to loose weight before conception. Instead, star with natural methods of weight loss such as diet and exercise. Getting in good habits before your pregnancy will help you have a healthier baby. A balanced diet and regular exercise are recommended for al pregnant women, so pre-conception is the perfect time to develop good habits that will last through the day of delivery.

Bariatric surgery will not prevent you from having a healthy and successful pregnancy. However, make sure you talk to your doctor about your surgery so that he or she knows which complications to look out for.