Women’s experiences of pregnancy after gastric bypass surgery

INTRODUCTION: Globally, 20% of women who become pregnant are obese at the time of conception. The prevalence of women becoming pregnant after gastric bypass (GBP) surgery has been increasing. Little is known regarding women’s experiences of pregnancy after GBP surgery and midwives can expect to care for an increasing number of women with prior GBP surgery. Midwives play an important role in supporting these women. The aim of this study was to describe women’s experiences of pregnancy after gastric bypass surgery. METHODS: This was a qualitative descriptive interview study using content analysis including 13 women who had a pre-pregnancy GBP surgery. Women were recruited at antenatal clinics, a specialist maternity care unit, and via social media. RESULTS: Three categories emerged: ‘Importance of support’, which described the nature of support from midwives; ‘The presence of the baby in the womb’, which described the mother’s relationship to the unborn baby; and ‘Aggravating circumstances’, which described physical circumstances challenging the pregnancy and the experience of it. CONCLUSIONS: Women who became pregnant after GBP surgery described ambivalent feelings about their pregnant selves. More knowledge is needed in how prior GBP surgery affects pregnant women emotionally. The study found that specific training and guidelines for the care by midwives are warranted for this group of women. Employers should ensure highly competent midwives to care for pregnant women with pre-pregnancy GBP surgery. To increase the knowledge on women’s childbearing experiences after a GBP surgery, more research with a qualitative design is needed, as there is currently a large research gap on the topic.