How much to lose

[GrannyHeadology]

Sorry if this is the wrong place.

DH and I have agreed to try for a baby, I've had my implant taken out but I need to loose weight before we start.

I'm very overweight. Ideally I would like to pregnant Jan/Feb time. However this really only leaves me time to lose 3 ish stone.

I'm worried that I will lose my window of opportunity (I'm well aware the pregnancy will happen when it happens but I'm a planner!).

Realistically I'll be about 15-16 stone at ideal point of conception, hopefully I'll be well enough to continue with a gentle weight loss during the pregnancy hopefully dropping another couple of stone before the due date. But still making me overweight.

I'm getting mixed messages, gp said to try to improve my aerobic fitness but wasn't really specific about weight loss, my mum is petrified that being so big will be terrible and said I won't be able to have a c section. Friends are giving mixed messages too. So I'm just confused and worried.

Will being so big really make pregnancy so much harder? Will my choices be limited?

[Runningupthathill82]

Will being so big really make pregnancy so much harder? Will my choices be limited?

Your choices will be more limited, yes. Round here, if your BMI is over 30 you have to have consultant led care - ie no water birth or home birth option.

And yes, it will most likely make pregnancy and birth harder. Being pregnant is hard work on the body, and giving birth is physically exhausting as well. It makes sense to go into it in as fit and healthy a state as you can.

I'm sure you know this, but statistics show that complications in pregnancy (eg gestational diabetes, pre eclampsia) and in birth (ie needing forceps or a caesarean) are much higher in obese women.

If I were you I'd seriously think about trying to get your BMI under 30 before conceiving. The midwife will take your weight at the booking appointment (usually done at 10ish weeks) and if you are "overweight" then rather than "obese" you'll have far more options open to you.

If you start now, you can make good progress by the new year. If I were you I'd ditch the word "diet" and instead eat healthy, whole foods with no puddings, snacks, fizzy drinks etc. Exercise will also help - how about c25k?

Good luck OP, and do use MN for support. There are so many people on here who have successfully lost lots of weight and can help.

[Sugarandsalt]

OP what age are you? What is your height and weight? Do you have regular periods? These are the first things to think of- if you are younger I would absolutely try to lose the weight first. If your periods are irregular losing some weight will help you ovulate more regularly.

Of course you can have a c-section at any weight. However as your weight increases the risks of any surgery increase also.

How had you planned to lose weight?

[GrannyHeadology]

Thanks for the response. I'll be 32 next year so no spring chicken.
I'm 5'3" and weight 18.5 stone :(

I'm calorie counting at the mo and going to the gym 3 times a week. I'll be upping my gym to 5 times a week in a couple of weeks when I've got used to it a bit more!

Periods so far are regular, only had 2 since the implant was removed.

[Sugarandsalt]

Well you aren't ancient! Do you feel you could give it a little longer before TTC? With a BMI of 45 risks of pregnancy to both you and the baby are increased. I would start by aiming for a BMI of under 40 (around 16stone) and re-evaluating at that point. For every point your BMI drops the risks to you and baby drop too. Ideally you would have a BMI of

[ppeatfruit]

I don't know if you know about losing weight with hypnosis Paul Mackenna is brilliant because it's not a normal Calorie counting diet, or weighing the food or diet food. It changes HOW, WHY and WHERE we eat.

I lost nearly 3 stone with it, and am maintaining; you only have to eat healthily, not cut out anything. Though I will say that cutting out caffeine helped to kick start my weight loss!

[GrannyHeadology]

Thanks everyone.

I guess I really was kidding myself that it would be OK! I really really wanted to be pregnant by the start of the new year but it would be silly to risk it when I am so big. I had my heart set on a October baby haha!

I think I may be a frequent visitor to the weight loss threads over the next few months!

[Sugarandsalt]

Hope we didn't upset you Granny. It's not a given that there would be problems, just risk is definitely higher. Many obese women have completely straightforward pregnancies and deliveries. If I was in your position I'd gig myself 6months and aim for a BMI of less than 35 (14stone) first. I think that's an achievable target.

I gained a lot of weight while pregnant and found it very very hard. I had a very difficult birth meaning I was not very mobile for a good while. I then gained a lot more on maternity leave. My DD is 2.5 now and I'm not even thinking about TTC no 2 until I reach a healthy BMI and maintain it a while (so realistically another year).

[GrannyHeadology]

No one has upset me Sugar, I very much appreciate the honesty. I know I can't plan for a perfect pregnancy but if I've done everything in my power to get healthy and fit then I can't do any more than that... if that makes sense.

I will certainly work on getting my bmi down to 35 or below before ttc. I really do appreciate your advice. I will get back on my fitness pal and head over to the weight loss threads.

[Sugarandsalt]

That absolutely makes sense, I'm doing the same myself for next time around! It has honestly taken me until now to get my head around having another after a difficult pregnancy and delivery last time around, and want to make things as safe as possible.

You'll do really well, wanting to have a baby is an amazing motivation. And picking up the exercise is fantastic too- it doesn't do all that much for weight loss but is brilliant for fitness and for giving you mental strength when the scales don't co-operate! And the fitness will stand to you when you are pregnant.

I know it seems like a mountain in the beginning- just take it week by week. On January 1st I was 15st13lbs with a BMI of 38, now I'm 11st13lbs with BMI 28 and an goal in sight!