Bmi question.

[Bloodyhellfire123]

If your bmi is over 30 (mine is just under 32), does that make you a high risk pregnancy? I.e not eligible to go to a birthing centre over a medical ward?

[sepa]

Have you had booking appointment? I'm sure there is notes in the paperwork for a higher bmi (mine is 30) but I can't remember what it says about it

[bluewisteria]

I think it depends on the trust, but for mine (Devon), you are referred to a consultant to see if you can be discharged back to midwife led care - i.e. no other complications. Then they re check bmi at 35 weeks, and if under vmi 35 you stay with midwife led care, but over bmi35 then consultant care.

However if no other contraindications then you can still go to midwife led centre (ours is attached to labour ward). It doesn't mean a highly medicalised birth/lots of monitoring.

Ask them to explain exactly why you need different care if they say you do. If you feel anything is excessive you can refuse it. They should have a good reason for doing things like extra monitoring, rather than they feel they would like to, i.e. Diabetes, previous Post part haemorrhage etc.

Hope that helps.

How many weeks are you? They probably won't discuss birth till at least 33/4 weeks.

[Bloodyhellfire123]

No I've literally just found out I'm pregnant..it's very early days and I'm getting ahead of myself, but last time I gave birth at the midwife birthing centre and it was amazing. But I haven't lost any baby weight and I'm hoping it doesn't mean I can't go there again this time

[RainWildsGirl]

depends on area but mine (Gloucestershire) is BMI 35 - consultant, BMI 30 - MW led but delivering on the midwife floor of the hospital (so full theatre team etc down one floor) and under 30 you can go to the seperate MW unit.

would just add that delivering on the main medical/consultant led ward doesn't necessarily mean more intervention etc, just that the help is there if needed which is statistically more likely with a higher BMI (I've had 3 high BMI pregnancies)

[RainWildsGirl]

I would also add - I have a BMI over 35 this time and whilst I am technically consultant led, as I've had 2 pregnancies with BMIs over 30 with no additional complications they have been happy for me to only see the midwife and only see the consultant if I have complications arise (high BP, gestational diabetes etc). I will see the consultant at 36 weeks if no complications have arisen before then to discuss my options for birth - our consultant floor has a pool room so if have no other complications I can still go for a water birth. obviously this depends on your hospital facilities but wanted to share to reassure you that high BMI doesn't always mean no choice about your birth options.

[ghostspirit]

my bmi is 32 as well. same with my other pregnancy. i still had home birth i was refered to consultant but did not go as baby was 10 days early... i was told its just for them to go through the risks with you so your awear but its still down to you to choose if you want home birth/birthing centre...but these things are never straight forward as people probably get told different things

[Skiptonlass]

Not necessarily.

Your bmi is just one risk factor, it puts you into a generic higher risk category but of course it doesn't mean you'll have issues. You may see a consultant to assess your own personal risk profile - from there you may get discharged back to mw care or stay with consultant, depending on your health and personal risk factors. You may also get more monitoring (extra glucose testing for example) and if anything warrants it you may be referred back to consultant.

My bmi was just over 30 - I was midwife led the whole way as I had really good sugars and blood pressure etc (then it all went pear shaped as I had placenta previa :) )

[Bloodyhellfire123]

Thank you for sharing. I know I'm getting way ahead of myself.. It's just that our birthing centre is on same floor as hospital led bit but it's amazing... Mood lighting, pools, ensuite etc. and couldn't be more different from the hospital side of things.
I'm just getting panicky before I'm even in the clear!

[Leavingsosoon]

Sorry to tell you this but in my neck of the woods BMI over 30 is no birthing centre, bad pregnant lady, get thee to hospital.

[RainWildsGirl]

bloodyhellfire is this your first? if so I would just add that at the end of the day labour and birth is just one (or two or three if you're unlucky!) day in the rest of your life with your new DC, try not to fixate too much on the 'ideal' birth plan - the ideal birth is you and baby coming out the otherside ok.

I've had the waterbirth, no other pain relief, just me, DH and MW at the birthing centre birth. I've also had a hellish induction, 15 or so people in the room, ventose delivery with baby showing distress prior to delivery at hospital, there was no difference in my ability to bond/BF related to my deliveries and whilst on paper birth 1 was the 'ideal' birth all i focus on is that me and the DC were ok, everything else is just details and not worth worrying too much about. so if your BMI means the professionals feel its safer for you to be in a hospital, try not to worry about it, concentrate on doing whatever is necessary to ensure you and baby come out of it ok.

sorry if that sounds patronising but i really feel many cases of PND/birth related PTSD could be avoided if we weren't encouraged to think that we have failed in some way if we don't manage a pain relief free water birth.

[Bloodyhellfire123]

No, it'll be my second.

I know I'm sounding like a brat but knowing how wonderful it was the first time, I'd just really like to know that I could have the same experience again, it'd make me relax.

But yes I massively agree about being made to feel the pressure of a perfect birth and perfect breast feeding and perfect weaning etc etc!

[RainWildsGirl]

sorry if I sounded patronising! fingers crossed you get the nice relaxed birth that you want!

[Luciferbox]

With DS1 my BMI was 31.5 and I had midwife led care. With DS2 I was 34 and still had a midwife led, perfectly normal pregnancy.

[jellypi3]

My BMI at booking was 30.5 (MW rounded to 31) and I was told I can use the midwife led unit and a pool no problem, I just had to have the GTT and I think get re-weighed at 35 weeks (where i'll be a whale...)

[Topsy34]

the whole BMI thing drives me potty as no one can agree! in our area i think the cut off is 39 for MLU.

i read an article about BMI and it basically said they just picked a number out the air, and its not research based at all. i didnt book mark the blooming page so of course cant find it....