Pregnant After Reverse Tubal Ligation

Mommyagain2006, a member of the Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center Message Board, is thrilled to announce that she is finally pregnant after her procedure to untie tubes performed by Dr. Berger in July of 2005. She achieved the pregnancy this time by undergoing IUI, which stands for intrauterine insemination, and is performed by inserting a thin catheter through the cervix and injecting sperm directly into the uterus. Mommyagain2006 is congratulated by other message board members who also want a child after tubal ligation and who are inspired by her story about pregnancy after tubes tied.

This is topic Keep the Faith in forum After Tubal Reversal at Tubal Reversal Message Board.

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Posted by mommyagain2006 (Member # 8087) on April 24, 2008 04:05 PM:

Well ladies...I have not been on the boards much with our ups and downs of TTCing. I had my TR July 22, 2005. We just went through our first IUI on April 12th and today I got this:

I was in total shock.

Don't give up. I am proof it can happen!

Best of luck to everyone!!!

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Posted by Amy1234 (Member # 5192) on April 24, 2008 04:07 PM:

Congratulations!!! What an inspiring story, Good luck to you!!!

Amy

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Posted by albmdb (Member # 12062) on April 24, 2008 04:07 PM:

Congrats to you.Keep us all updated. Best of luck.

leann sc tr 4/7/08

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Posted by Mornahh (Member # 12265) on April 24, 2008 04:07 PM:

Congratulations
you must be thrilled,
There is hope for us all
Morna xx

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Posted by Sweetpea (Member # 2742) on April 24, 2008 04:11 PM:

Congratulations!!!!

We will be trying IUI next cycle....
Do you mind me asking you your age?

Thanks for sharing your story. You have given me hope too!!

Veronica

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Posted by lori4 (Member # 11661) on April 24, 2008 04:25 PM:

YIPPPEE!!!!
Lori
C-section 6-20-08

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Posted by mommyagain2006 (Member # 8087) on April 24, 2008 04:37 PM:

I am 36...37 in June & DH is 40.

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Posted by mommyagain2006 (Member # 8087) on April 24, 2008 04:37 PM:

I forgot...my EDD is January 2, 2009!

I can finally post that! I am so excited!

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Posted by Jam777 (Member # 11990) on April 24, 2008 06:08 PM:

Congrats to you and your husband [Big Grin] So happy for you.Keep us posted [Smile]

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Posted by Myrna (Member # 11121) on April 25, 2008 11:14 AM:

Congratulations and best Wishes for a healthy nine months.

Myrna
CHSC

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Posted by hope2webb (Member # 5492) on April 25, 2008 11:20 AM:

Many congratulations!! You deserve it!

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Posted by poohbear_bear (Member # 9211) on April 25, 2008 01:44 PM:

Congrats mommy. May I ask your tube lengths?

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Posted by Lisa D. (Member # 11010) on April 25, 2008 01:59 PM:

Woohoo!!!! Great news.

Celebrating for you.

Lisa

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Posted by angelsbaby629 (Member # 1996) on April 25, 2008 02:32 PM:

Here's to a happy and healthy 9 months!!! Congrats to you and yours!!!!

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Posted by jenn5 (Member # 7976) on April 26, 2008 10:04 AM:

Congrats to you!!!

Jenni

Why Is It Important to take Folic Acid Before and After Tubal Reversal Surgery?

Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center message board members discuss the correct dose of folic acid and are advised by Dr. Berger that all women who are planning or attempting to become pregnant should take a prenatal vitamin that includes folic acid, beginning well before they start trying to conceive.

The appropriate dose is 0.4 mg to 1 mg a day. Folic acid aids in the prevention of neural tube defects, which are abnormalities in the development of the spinal cord and brain. Dr. Berger recommends that women starting taking folic acid even before trying to conceive, because it is important to have a sufficient amount stored in the body prior to conception.

This is topic Folic Acid Question? in forum New Message Board Members at Tubal Reversal Message Board.

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Posted by sjr (Member # 9566) on April 21, 2008 08:55 PM:

Can you ever take too much Folic acid? My pre-nat.has 400 mcg and then one extra at 1mg?
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Posted by MS_LICIA (Member # 9456) on April 21, 2008 10:40 PM:

Not at all, that's exactly what i'm taking. My doc recommendz it.
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Posted by sjr (Member # 9566) on April 22, 2008 06:59 AM:

Thank you. Do you take them together or seperate?
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Posted by Gary S Berger MD (Member # 3) on April 22, 2008 07:16 AM:

For most people, 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams)is recommended. This has been shown to decrease the risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect. Women who have had a baby with a neural tube defect may be prescribed a higher dose. Recent research also suggests that folic acid supplementation started prior to pregnancy or very early in pregnancy also reduces the risk of preterm delivery. Interestly, new research shows that folic acid and zinc supplementation for men helps boost sperm counts.
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Posted by MS_LICIA (Member # 9456) on April 22, 2008 12:56 PM:

I guess I should have asked you what exactly did u mean by taking too much.I asked my Dr. the same thing & was told to just take 1/day. I did read somewhere what happens if too much is ingested, I'll post it as soon as I find it again. But I too, am taking 400mg FA. The minimum needed is 300 per day. That's why I answered the way I did. Sorry I misundertstood & if I misled you, I apologize for that too !!
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Posted by Webmaster (Member # 1) on April 23, 2008 07:08 PM:

Folic acid and folate (the anion form) are forms of the water-soluble Vitamin B9. These occur naturally in food and can also be taken as supplements. Folate gets its name from the Latin word folium ("leaf"). Our bodies use it to make new cells. Everyone needs folic acid. For women who are pregnant it can help prevent major birth defects of her baby’s brain and spine. These birth defects are neural tube defects or NTDs. Women need to take folic acid every day, starting before they are pregnant to help prevent NTDs.

Leafy vegetables such as spinach, turnip greens, lettuces, dried beans and peas, fortified cereal products, sunflower seeds and certain other fruits and vegetables are rich sources of folate. Some breakfast cereals are fortified with for folic acid. Folate is also found in Vegemite, with an average serving (5gm) containing 100μg. The established tolerable upper intake level (UL) for folate is 1 mg for adult men and women, and a UL of 800 µg for pregnant and lactating (breast-feeding) women less than 18 years of age.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folate#Health_risk_of_too_much_folic_acid

The U.S. Public Health Service urges every woman who could become pregnant to take 400 micrograms (400 mcg) of synthetic folic acid every day and whilst it is unlikely that women will be hurt from taking too much folic acid supplements, unless their doctor advises them to take more, most women should limit the amount they take to 1,000 mcg a day.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/overview.htm

Information about "folic acid" from Dr. Berger's tubal reversal web site.

Dr Monteith Joins Dr Berger as a Tubal Reversal Surgeon

Dr. Charles Monteith recalls his first day of training as a tubal reversal specialist at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center.

Dr. Charles Monteith is currently training with Dr. Berger to become a tubal reversal specialist. In his personal blog, Dr. Monteith describes his first day working alongside Dr. Berger at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center. He talks about the four patients that he met that day, as well as how it made him feel to know that Dr. Berger had helped all four women achieve their dreams of tubal ligation reversal and had given them the chance to correct mistakes made in the past.

My First Day at Nourishing Hopes and Dreams

My first day as a tubal ligation reversal specialist will always be remembered. I began my training with Dr. Berger during the first week of January 2008. We started the day off by meeting the patients who would be undergoing tubal ligation reversal at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center.

I met four patients of different ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities . They were all very different people who all desired the same thing: reversal of their tubal ligation.

• The first patient was in her forties, she had emigrated from Ethiopia, her last child was more than twelve years ago, and she desired a chance to have another child.
• The second patient was in her thirties and her previous husband had died unexpectedly. She had children but her fiancé did not have any children. Together, they desired a child.
• The third patient,in her late twenties, had two children and a tubal ligation. Several years later she subsequently found a new partner and he desired a child with her. So while he was deployed overseas, she came for a tubal ligation and a chance for a new future when he returned from his military deployment.
• The fourth patient was in her late twenties and had several children. When she and her partner were in their early twenties they were financially maxed out and she had her tubes tied as an act of desperation. Several years later, she and her husband subsequently became financially stable and they wanted another child. They considered IVF but decided that a reversal was a better option for them. We also learned of an extremely sad story from this patient. She had a friend who had a tubal ligation. This friend had all of her four children die overnight in a house fire. This friend desperately has hope for a future reversal of her tubal ligation and was hoping to obtain a tubal reversal in the future.

All of the tubal reversal surgeries went well that day. The patients all did well and had technically excellent tubotubal reanastamosis (tubal ligation reversal) procedures. They all recovered well and went home to pursue their quest to add to their families.

For as long as a live, I will never be able to forget these women, their partners and the stories they told. I can never forget their quest to add children to their lives. For them I hope they attain what they desire.

My first lesson as a Tubal Reversal Specialist was that no one can predict the future, but if you always look hard enough you can always find a way - and someone to help- to correct prior mistakes.

More about Charles Monteith, MD

Pregnancy Following Tubal Reversal Surgery

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(Tubal Reversal News - April 15th 2008) Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center reports pregnancies as soon as a month after tubal reversal surgery as well as a year or more after surgery.

Tubal reversal surgery enables women to conceive naturally and has a higher pregnancy rate and a higher birth rate than IVF. For most women desiring another child after tubal sterilization, tubal reversal is the best treatment. Most people are not aware that tubal ligation - usually considered a permanent method of birth control - can be reversed through low cost, one hour outpatient surgery. Even many doctors think mistakenly that treatment by in vitro fertilization (IVF) is needed for women who want another baby after having a tubal ligation. Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center reports pregnancies as soon as a month after tubal reversal surgery as well as a year or more after surgery. The results from a study that Dr. Berger conducted demonstrates clearly that tubal reversal is more successful than IVF for most women wanting their fertility restored after having their tubes tied.

This is from the Tubal Reversal Message Board.
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Posted by Pennylane (Member # 12121) on March 14, 2008 12:45 PM:

I am currently 32 years old and I'm scheduling my reversal for this July and I'll be 33. I was just wondering if there was anyone out there who is my age and had TR with a pregnancy right away?
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Posted by Sally, RN (Member # 7389) on March 14, 2008 02:23 PM:

Pennylane--I am sure there are many women who are your age, had their TR and became pregnant right away. I hope they will chime in to let you know. We will look forward to meeting you in July.
Sally,RN
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Posted by mom4ever (Member # 11204) on March 14, 2008 03:08 PM:

Hi Pennylane - I had my reversal last July and I am 33 years old. I also became pregnant the same month and am now expecting my son in the next couple of weeks!

Good luck to you.
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Posted by mamasoup8 (Member # 11212) on March 14, 2008 05:52 PM:

Hi Pennylane, I'm 34 years old, had my surgery in November, and am now due in October. Good luck!
-Traci
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Posted by Pennylane (Member # 12121) on March 14, 2008 10:15 PM:

Thank you for your replies, it really makes me feel good! I am hopefull that I will get pregnant right away. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.
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Posted by debjim (Member # 8607) on March 15, 2008 07:19 AM:

I am 36 had mine in 2006. Had Tr baby #1 at 35 just found out we are expecting #2, I will be 37 when he/she is born.
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Posted by Raddmd (Member # 11476) on March 15, 2008 08:38 AM:

Pennylane,
I had my TR 8/27/07 and I was 36,I am now 37.I had my TL 12/19/91.Good luck to you,you will love Dr Berger and his staff!They are wonderful!

Donna

DH 33
DD 18
DS 17
DS 16
18
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Posted by Crecia (Member # 6023) on March 15, 2008 10:36 PM:

I was 32 when I had my TR last year on 4/10/07 and became pregnant in June and found out I was pregnant with my son on my 33rd birthday in July. Just gave birth to my son on 3/12/08. Hope this help.

Crecia
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Posted by shoegirl (Member # 9481) on March 16, 2008 01:29 PM:

Pennylane: I was 32 when I had my TR, I got pg 4 months later. I was 33 when I had my son. I got pg again when he was 4 months old only to mc at 14 weeks. Us 30 somethings arent shriveled up yet!! Good Luck to you!
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Posted by busymom4 (Member # 12267) on April 08, 2008 10:52 AM:

Pennylane,
I am 33 and considering TR. It is encouraging to here everyone's experience with positvie pregnancies. Did any of you have ectopics or mis. before you got pregnant? The odds seem very high? I have never had any trouble getting pregnant but am scared about losing a baby.
Thanks
Tammy
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Posted by HopesAndDreams (Member # 11754) on April 08, 2008 11:37 AM:

Hi Tammy,
I just wanted to let you know that I too am 33 and I go for my TR on Friday. I will be 34 in July. My first pregnancy when I was 19 was an ectopic. It was tucked away in the tube and I had to have "hip to hip" surgery to have it removed. My OB/GYN did an excellent job and saved the tube and it healed just fine. But to answer your question, having a TR only slightly increases your risk of EP. I was a very healthy 19 year old girl and still ended up with an EP. You will find that it "seems" like there is an increase in MC on here because women are on here looking for support during their hard times. Many, many go on to have full term births. Stats show that the average woman has miscarriages that go undetected because the average woman does not test until she has missed AF. After TR women test earlier to avoid a ruptured EP. Sorry so long, but I hope this helps...
Dawn
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Posted by PaulnJenn (Member # 10984) on April 08, 2008 12:41 PM:

Here are the stats on on going births, ectopic and m/c.....

http://news.tubal-reversal.net/pregnancy-study-2007-pregnancy_outcomes.htm

Jenn
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Posted by PaulnJenn (Member # 10984) on April 08, 2008 12:50 PM:

I had my TR done in November of 07. I am 34. I have NEVER had any complications before TL. Never had a MC or ectopic. Since November, I have had two losses.

I have said it many times that I do not regret my TR. The chance is there to have another baby but most important to give my DH his first child. I am not sure why I had the losses. Sometimes I chalk it up to being older than 18. Other times, the early testing. Getting TR is a very personal decision and it is a very difficult journey once down this path. I do know that I have hope that my difficult journey will be rewarded eventually.

Good Luck to you all!
Jenn
TR-11/19/07
Metho-01/14/08
Chemical-03/23/08
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Posted by ojzmom (Member # 12208) on April 13, 2008 09:59 AM:

Pennylane I wonder the same thing. I just had my TR done 4/1/08 and am 32yrs old. My tube lenghts are short. 3.0, 3.75 and I am hoping I get pregnant right away. I mean the short tubes scares me and the longer it takes the older I get!
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Posted by sillypuddha (Member # 11649) on April 13, 2008 01:33 PM:

Pennylane--I just wanted to say congrats on your upcoming TR. I can't say enough wonderful things about Dr. B and his amazing staff!! The whole TR experience was incredible. I was so nervous, but everyone at CH are so great! I am 32 now, will be 33 in July. I had my TR on 11/29/07 (R 3.5, L 5.0), got my first BFP on 1/18/08, and am currently 16 weeks today, and due on 9/28/08! It is all so surreal, and such a miracle to me. The pregnancy is going great--had a few rough spots in the beginning, but all is wonderful now. Good luck to you, and rest assured that you are in the best of care! Lots of sticky babydust to you! BTW--the recovery is pretty quick, and no more PTLS symptoms for me instantly!!
Krys
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Posted by Rhonda Brown, RN (Member # 9485) on April 13, 2008 08:18 PM:

Dear Pennylane,
As you can see many different women have many different stories to offer with all different types of situation. This message board offers lots of support and information to women. The staff at Dr. Berger's office is available to answer any questions that you have. We also have lots of information on the website in regards to what to expect before, during and after surgery. There is also information on pregnancy statistics based on age, type of ligation and tubal length remaining after surgery. Please let me know if you have any other questions or if I can assist you with anything. I look forward to meeting you in July.
Rhonda

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Posted by Karen M (Member # 11869) on April 14, 2008 02:51 PM:

Hi Penny, although I am a little bit younger I am 27 and I had my tubal reversal surgery in January and became pregnant on my 2nd cycle in March. I was nervous and scared as well, but the surgery went very well and recovery is not bad at all. You will be in the best hands possible when you are at Chapil Hill, and you will have the most support you could ever imagine through this journey of yours. I know one thing that helped me in becoming pregnant so fast is I bought the ClearBlue Easy fertility monitor. It is a bit pricey, and you can get it on Ebay for a fraction of the cost, but its well worth it.
Best wishes and good luck!!!

Karen M
TL 2002
TR Jan 10, 2008
EDD December 10, 2008