To decline weighing

I had hyperemesis while pregnant. My weight plummeted as I couldn't even keep water down and ended up hospitalised. My BMI obviously plummeted to borderline underweight. At one early check, I was told "oh great, your weight looks fine".
What I'm trying to say is, just do it but it isn't magic and doesn't tell the whole story.

Ah. Cross-posted with @iLovee

I have an anorexic DD, and I know how damaging an obsession with BMI can be. Having said that, if this is going to stop you getting the care you want, I'd suggest you say you want to be 'blond weighed' - you can stand on the scale backwards and they simply record your weight in your notes.

Not going to join in on the pile on but just say to your midwife that you don't want to know how much you weigh and stand on the scale backwards. Thats what I did!

For what its worth, I was only weighed during my booking in appointment 😊 my weight was never discussed again!

My kids are 10 months and 2 so it was semi-recently xx

Yes, BMI hasn’t been considered fit for purpose for a long time.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265215#Authorities-still-promote-BMI

https://www.stylist.co.uk/fitness-health/wellbeing/bmi-this-podcast-exposes-the-history-of-bmi-and-why-its-really-not-fit-for-purpose/551806

https://www.sciencefocus.com/comment/bmi-we-know-its-flawed-so-why-do-we-still-use-it

There’s countless articles on the issues with BMI from all sorts of individuals and organisations. IMO BMI, should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Just repeating this for the people patronising you.

I see you've changed your mind, but I don't think you were being unreasonable to decline to be weighed. I see people have given all sorts of reasons why it's vitally important but I was never weighed once during either of my pregnancies (not in UK). It was never mentioned and never requested. Seems odd that it is considered so important in the UK but not an issue elsewhere.

It isn't to judge your BMI

They need a baseline weight and subsequent ones to check for pre-eclampsia

If you’re worried about becoming obsessed with the number OP you can always just say you don’t want to know. In my experience you actually don’t get weighed often through pregnancy anyway, I’m 39 weeks pregnant now and was only weighed at my booking appointment, my dating scan (for the combined screening) and then at my 34 week appointment so it’s not every time you go & I just said I didn’t want to know at my 34 week appointment and that was fine they just weighed me and thanks to my bump I couldn’t see the scales anyway😂x

Just like Constance Marten?

We have a system, which yes, is flawed in many respects, but which usually ends up with the outcome all pregnant women want, which is a live, healthy baby. Not taking advantage of the system must seem crazy to women in countries where it is not available at all to most women, or only available to those with the means to pay for it. A bit like vaccination I suppose, it is only when you are faced with the horror that is a severe case of measles, or the effects of rubella, ( or polio or smallpox before those killer diseases were largely eliminated by vaccination, irony alert ) that you realise how protected as a society we are from many of the pitfalls that pregnancy and birth put in the way of many women and children on the planet.

I’m a recovered anorexic and even I didn’t refuse to weighed during pregnancy. You’re making a human, they are just trying to help.

this is the most sensible way to go

Its not about how much you weigh now, or if you're overweight, its about all the other things such as if you lose/gain weight suddenly, then they know how much you lost/gained

I echo PPs about asking not to be told your weight/BMI. That’s what my best friend did who has a history of ED.

When I was pregnant standard practice in my area was not to weigh people at all because some women would skip appointments to avoid being weighed

OP, if you have some reason to feel you'll be negatively affected by being weighed then it's fine to refuse. I have a friend who used to be anorexic, never weighs herself or agrees to be weighed for this reason and for her it's a sensible decision. You're probably best placed to decide whether it's a sensible decision for you but I wouldn't assume it's likely to cause you problems just because it did for your sister.

It’s not nonsense though. When you arrive in labour the team look at your notes and examine you and make a decision about where you can birth. If they decide for whatever reason there’s a risk - even because there’s not enough info or something missing from the notes - then your choices reduce and there’s very little you can do in the moments (or will feel able to do) when in active labour. Depending on the personality and level of exhaustion of the consultant on the day you absolutely can get ‘computer says no’ and often there’s a really good reason (i.e. to walk out with a healthy baby!)

I'm pleased you're choosing to reevaluate. There may be lots of things in pregnancy/life in relation to your health you feel are unnecessary or don't understand but they are done for a reason and not usually just because HCPs have time to waste.
FWIW though, I think I was only actually weighed once in each of my pregnancies, at the booking appts (all in uk within past 4 years).

That's exactly what I did.

My advice is to agree to be weighed but ask not to be told the figure. I stood on the scales backwards/didn’t look.

Thst way you don’t get fixated with it and they have the info they need.

My advice is to agree to be weighed but ask not to be told the figure. I stood on the scales backwards/didn’t look.

Thst way you don’t get fixated with it and they have the info they need.

My advice is to agree to be weighed but ask not to be told the figure. I stood on the scales backwards/didn’t look.

Thst way you don’t get fixated with it and they have the info they need.

You haven't been silly, it is entirely up to you whether to accept any of the care offered in pregnancy. Your midwife should explain the reasons for weighing and potential uses of the measurement so you could make an informed decision to accept or decline, not tell you nonsense about what the consultant might "let" you do.

Just ask not to be told your weight. That's what I do and HP's accept this without comment.

Just a thought: if your sister developed issues, what about allowing them to weigh you, but not telling you the number?

I believe unusual changes in weight during pregnancy can indicate problems, I got weighed at several different MW appointments - maybe all of them, IDK.

It sounds like you were trying to be that patient, and you're the one who has made something really insignificant into something significant.