Pregnancy after bariatric surgery

If you have had gastric bypass, gastric sleeve or gastric banding surgery, you will be offered additional ultrasounds and consultations at the hospital during your pregnancy. These procedures will not directly impact delivery, and we therefore recommend vaginal delivery if you have an uncomplicated pregnancy.

Appointments and check-ups

Consultation with the midwife

During your pregnancy, you will be monitored by a midwife who specialises in women who have had bariatric surgery. You will be invited to your first consultation sometime between the 14th and 18th week of pregnancy. The consultations will focus on the well-being of you and your baby. Together we will draw up a plan for the remainder of your pregnancy and delivery. You are welcome to bring along your partner or other adult companion.

You will be offered additional ultrasounds, consultations and blood tests

From the 28th week of pregnancy, you will be offered additional ultrasounds and consultations with an obstetrician approximately every 4 weeks. You will also be monitored by a doctor from the Department of Endocrinology.
We sometimes see that children do not grow as much during the last part of pregnancy. This may be because you have problems absorbing nutrients and vitamins after bariatric surgery. You will therefore need to have blood samples taken several times during your pregnancy. You will also be offered additional check-ups after delivery.

Testing for gestational diabetes

We will test you for gestational diabetes if you are deemed at risk of developing the condition. The risk assessment and following testing will follow the same procedure as for any other pregnant woman.
If the test shows that you have a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes, you must learn to measure your blood sugar so you can check it at home. Your midwife will show you how to do it.

This will help us keep an eye on whether you develop gestational diabetes during your pregnancy. We recommend measuring your blood sugar at home instead of having a glucose tolerance test taken at the hospital as you have a higher risk of feeling unwell and experiencing a sudden drop in blood sugar levels during the test.

A recommendation to test for gestational diabetes means you will need to measure your blood sugar over a period of 3 days. We will provide you with a guideline on how to do this.

Take vitamin supplements

As a pregnant woman who has had bariatric surgery you should take the following:

• 400 micrograms folic acid every day.
• 1 multivitamin pill every day.
• 100-200 milligrams of iron every day.
• 500 mg of calcium every day if you do not eat or drink milk products or if you have a calcium deficiency.
• 50 micrograms of vitamin D every day if you have a vitamin D deficiency.
• 1 milligram B12 daily or an injection of B12 every 3 months if you have a vitamin B deficiency.
• 100 mg of zinc every day if you have a zinc deficiency.

Eat a varied diet

We recommend that you eat a varied diet and follow the advice given to you in connection with your bariatric surgery. If you cannot eat large meals, you should instead eat several smaller meals throughout the day.

Let us know if you find it hard to eat a varied diet due to nausea. In such cases, we can refer you to a dietician.

Exercise as usual or follow the recommendations by the Danish Health Authority

Like all other pregnant women, you should continue exercising as you did before your pregnancy. The Danish Health Authority recommends 30 minutes of exercise every day.

Things to be aware of

Contact us if you begin to feel pain in the upper part of the stomach

After bariatric surgery there is a risk of bowel adhesions, and this risk increases during pregnancy. Contact us if you begin to feel pain in the upper part of your stomach and the pain does not go away. This can be a symptom of an internal hernia.

Check-ups for uncomplicated pregnancy

Please bring the following information with you to your first consultation with a doctor: