Is it too soon?

Following Bella's model of sharing reader's questions, here is a recent question (paraphrased) I received. I included my initial response to the question. I welcome comments - it could become an excellent resource for others looking into the same situation.!

Q: How soon after surgery is too soon to conceive a pregnancy? Do pregnancy hormones cause joint changes and lead to relapse? I read somewhere that one should wait 12 months post surgery to conceive.

A: I'm not really sure. Hormones are powerful, though it is virtually impossible to predict to what extent joints may change. Ideally, the more time one waits the better to provide the body additional healing time, boosting one's nutritional reserves, etc.


Thanks for the comment. I read that post somewhere, too, though I've since forgotten where. I looked up what research was available and found it was mostly applied science. Helpful, but by no means prescriptive. Other readers may be wondering the same thing so I decided to reply with a detailed answer. Hope its length doesn't offend you. I understood your question to be kind and pragmatic. :)

My surgeon and I discussed this very question. He's been practicing since the early 1970s, and he said wait 3 months. I made it just over 2! A second oral surgeon consult also said 3 months - primarily to buffer the estimated 6 weeks it takes bones to heal. My orthodontist had been concerned that my jaw showed signs of condyle sagging at one point. Boy, that bothered me for weeks. But you know, I decided that my jaw was better than it had been, I survived the surgery, and there was NO way I was going to do it again...so it didn't really matter. The nagging worry was debilitating until I released my anxiety. I did check with my ortho about waiting another month or two, and he said in December he didn't know of a medical reason not to get pregnant. I think he knew what I was asking since it's all I ever talk about during my visits. :)

What's interesting to me is that it wasn't until after my second child was born that I noticed my midlines shifting so much. Were the increased levels of relaxin to blame? Or was it the passing of a few more years (I was 29 when she was born, now am 31)? Or the fact that teeth keep on shifting if left unchecked? Not sure. Though my dress size shrank back, my hips never did return to their pre-baby position. Hips are affected differently though than one's jaw.

Below is how I came to my decision. I share it in case it helps someone else...God knows how much time I've spent agonizing over the decision!

My husband and I were both aware of my cycles (I've been charting for about 9 years now). We'd be actively avoiding pregnancy for over a year while we sorted through surgery stuff. We were ready for another baby on just about every level, but perhaps more important, we were open to the idea of life. In particular, this was the real blessing of a quick conception. I trusted my long-held, well-tested beliefs, I submitted to my husband's eagerness for another child (rather than my over-the-top desire to control everything "just so"), and was open. I NEVER expected to get pregnant last month, yet I was overjoyed at the discovery. For us women, there are just a few years during which we can bear children if we're blessed. He is 8.5 years older than I am. Over the last year of waiting, I've been really aware of our ages and the effects of time on biology. Pursing my MBA and this surgery likely means I will not have that extra baby I could have had...

In the end, our openness to life was greater than my fear of a relapse. I hope this doesn't sound naive. Both of us spent much time in prayer.

Now for the science part. I was REALLY scared of being undernourished post surgery. I boosted up prior to surgery, tried to maximize my recovery diet. That fear also led me to take liquid vitamins until I could swallow my prenatals. I continued to supplement with additional iron, since my body likes anemia. :) Some families struggle with birth defects as they welcome more children into their families; I believe some of this can be prevented through proper nutrition. So, I specifically checked my folate levels back in October when I had all my blood work done. Of course, we cannot prevent everything. Therefore, a part of me wanted to wait another 6-9 months to boost my nutritional reserves and order my life "just so". We never did finish our renovation projects or buy that family van I worried so much about...

I know my decision is not the right one for everyone. Even with the "best" circumstances, I understand I may be passing along THE very genes that led me to orthognathic surgery in the first place. Doesn't that catch your breath?

Which leads me back to the beginning....from Psalm 139
v.1 "O Lord, you have searched me and know me,
v.2 "You know when I sit and when I rise, you perceive my thoughts from afar,
v.13 "For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb,
v.14 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
v.15 "My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
v.16 "Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.the end.