Having children after being Banded

Sometimes people dream of being doctors, movie stars or models but I always wanted children and for me it was a important thing in life.

In 2004 after getting married we decided to start our family and so I had my implant removed and within 4 months I found out i was pregnant. The pregnancy was perfect and we were both so happy I was 16 weeks along when i woke one morning to find I was bleeding. Sadly on the 18th of October 2004 I suffered my first miscarriage, it was such a painful experience that just broke my heart and it took me a long time to get over it.

In 2005 I fell pregnant again but again it ended in a miscarriage but they had done 4 ultrasounds and had noticed that I had 5cm cysts on my ovaries and many more small ones both sides. I went searching to find out why I had both miscarriages but the doctors said they could not tell me anything unless I had 3 and for me that was not a option.

I went to visit the doctor that had delivered me Dr Barry Shultz who knew my family history he took blood tests noticed the cysts and told me I had "PCOS" I had never heard of it before , he put me on diaformin and on a low GI eating plan and again within 4 months I fell pregnant again.I weighed 115kgs at the time of falling pregnant and though it went well until 29 weeks he moved up and i couldn't handle it and had another asthma attack, this time I was in iccu over 9 days and in the ward 4 weeks, I also had a blood transfusion due to low iron but I soon got better. I came out of hospital weighing 97kgs due to being sick.

On the 23rd of Dec 2006 I gave birth to Joel Barry Cotter he was such a blessing and so wanted I could not of wished for a better Christmas present as he was. I decided to breastfeed and was doing farelly well with the help of tablets but my weight started to go on again I soon had gone back up to 120kgs. One day while out shopping I started to feel very sick and though my husband and I had not planned another baby so soon and I was not on diaformin this time I found out I was pregnant again. This pregnancy went so well and the funny thing is all I wanted was cucumber and lettuce the whole time .

On the 3rd of January I went shopping with my husband , adien and joel and while my hubby went and got lunch i sat and waited I had just sat down when I felt a gush and my waters broke but I was only 33 weeks pregnant. I was taken to flinders medical centre where they kept me in and gave me needles to develop my babies lungs then on Jan 7th I was induced. I gave birth to Joshua James Cotter in the evening he weighed 2.222kgs and let out a huge scream he even breast fed straight away which they said was rare for a baby that age. He stayed in the neonatal ward for 3 weeks and those weeks were the hardest weeks for me but he is my little miracle and soon came home. Again I breastfed him but it was difficult to travel 2 hours by bus and then 2 hours home then pumping every 4 hours I just couldn't keep up even with tablets my milk just didn't satisfy him.

I am so thankful for the band I often wonder if I didn't have the band would I of had the chance to have children at the size I was I honestly do not think I would of. So with the Lap-Band and diaformin I was given such a wonderful gift my 2 beautiful sons who I love so much.