Conceiving when overweight - welcome your experiences

I'm trying to decide whether we should ttc DC2 yet or not.

I was 18 1/2 stone when I got pregnant with ds by accident! I said to dh, "Never mind about the condom, I'm too fat to get pregnant anyway". Hah!

I had no gd, and my blood pressure only went up at 41 weeks. ds was over 12lbs when he was born, but I was still fit enough to walk round town on a Saturday. I had no issues with medical staff about my weight, my midwife said there was no point weighing me, but said it in a nice way! Actually, no. The hospital did send me a letter for the glucose test right before Christmas, to be taken between Christmas and New Year, and it completely ruined my Christmas with worry. The blood test I'd had a week earlier was perfectly fine (in fact normally I tend to go low, last one was 3.9!) so they'd done it purely on my weight, my midwife was not impressed. I loved my midwife.

I have been holding off ttc until I'd lost weight, but I'm only now losing it and I wish I'd just tried again a couple of years ago, never mind the weight

Cheers Girlies. We've only been trying for a month, and I was really worried when it didn't happen that being overweight was the problem, and that it wouldn't happen. I'm sooo glad that I've found this, as it's made me feel really positive again, and looking forward ttc now!

Btw have 2 healthy dc, 1st delivered by emcs (7,14), 2nd by elcs. Dd (1st baby) did spend a couple of days in scbu due to breathing difficulties and suspected heart murmur but was cleared. Ds was 9,10 and as fit as a fiddle.

Hi, I'm ttc no3 atm, started off with a bmi of about 35 I think with my first pregnancy (was weighed at 8 weeks, the midwife looked me up and down and said she wouldn't have guessed lol as she had to refer me to the consultant as per procedure).

I had put on about a stone when I was first pregnant with dc2, and am now about a stone heavier again .

I had a gtt with both pregnancies due to glucose in urine/high non fasting blood sugar, but both came back normal, and also 2 growth scans with second pregnancy. I also had spd with dc2, but this pretty much stopped when I left work (12hr standing up shifts)

Had a couple of crap scan experiences, went for
an early scan with dc2 due to bleeding (9weeks) and the lady asked me to hold my belly up (am apple shaped) which was a bit although I didn't care as she immediatley turned the screen to me which showed a little bean happily bouncing away. At 20 week scan was remarked that everything was fine that she could see, but not great clarity due to tissue depth lol. But nevermind, didn't come across anyone who was horrid to my face, although I know midwives as with most women can be bitchy arseholes.

Am trying atm to eat sensibly and do a bit more walking,cleaning, general activity. I'm hoping to actually lose body fat with dc3, as I have with each pregnancy despite putting on shitloads (I have a tendancy to excess fluid).

It's just those pesky inbetweeny bit's I need to change.

My fertility doctor says never, ever wait to ttc so you can lose weight - age is a far more important factor. His advice was to eat healthily, gentle exercise & lose weight slowly (no more that 1kg/week at most) while ttc but don't wait.

Thanks - and the best of luck to everyone. I only wish I had found MN earlier - DS was 9 months old before I found you all

"Thank god I've finally found somewhere that doesn't scare me into not wanting to get pregnant!"

Exactly what I was thinking. The joy of Mumsnet - so glad I finally posted this question!

wotulookinat - sorry to hear about the unhelpful attitudes you experienced. Glad it turned out well in the end.

I had SPD too, but only towards the end of my pregnancy. My friend who is a size 10, was signed off work with it from 3 months into her pregnancy though. These things can affect anybody, and IMHO are not affected by weight. Which is not to say that weight doesn't bring complications into ttc and pregnancy, but think it is to blame for less than you think. Its definitely the thing to be frowned on at the moment though.

what is spd?

Well I was told that it could take years before I was pregnant, if it happened at all, and it happened extremely fast. Good luck - it's all worth it in the end.

Thank god I've finally found somewhere that doesn't scare me into not wanting to get pregnant! I'm overweight and have just started trying for a baby, but it seems that if you are overweight, thats all the medical ptofession sees. I was told that I will never get pregnant at my current weight even though my periods are normal, and I'm no way restricted by my weight.

Thanks for giving me a more balanced view, I feel a lot more positive now!

24

wotulookinat.
wow so what size clothes do you wear if your 19 stone?

I was 19stone. Fell pregnant within 3 weeks of trying - that was the easy part!! The pregnancy was hard due to my weight, and I found that medical staff were very negative. I have had severe PND, which I partly attribute to how I was treated and made to feel. However, my son is now a healthy 21 month old and I am on the mend, so it is a happy ending. We would like another child, but I want to lose a fair bit of weight first.

just to say ladies you are inspiration really you are. I have pcos and the dr's keep druming into me i need to lose weight. I have a big arse and thighs my top is small? reading that you ladies have got pg is really good.
The dr's chat s at times.

i was 28 years old and 18 stone when i concieved dd (within 2 months of TTC); now aged 3. I had GD and a horrid time due to being overweight. I am now 14 1/2 stone (6' tall so BMI quite good) and 32 years old (lost weight to try and avoid GD next time round) feel fit anfd healthy (although battling to stop smoking), but scared of TTC. In fact I haven't started TTC because of my fear of GD. I just don't want to go through it again. also i am so worried about not getting pregnant so quickly again, I have just decided not to try for a while till I get my head around it. sounds confusing doesn't it? but I really don't know what to do

Hi, I conceived 1st month trying when I had dd a year ago, was about 6 stone overweight according to our lovely bmi scales. Have just started trying again, and I'm hoping it will be as quick this time! I'm the same weight as I was when I was pg first time round. After I had dd I was actually a stone lighter than I was when I conceived. Had a horrible pregnancy though, and vowed I would never be pregnant again while I weighed so much, but on reflection, I think the problems I had are pretty common across the board, and were just normal pregnancy things that I blamed on weight. Good luck! Here's to conceiving quickly for both of us!

Can't bear to write how much I weigh - am now a size 20 but was a large 22 when I got pg with dd last year on the first attempt.

I don't know how much weight this carries (no pun intended, honest!) but my BIL is a gp and when I asked him which was more likely to have a negative effect on pg, age or weight, he replied without a doubt age. So I got on with it! Am now 37 btw.

oh i am so pleased for you - stories like that make me happy and optimistic for myself.x

Hi there whatchaance... I'm 23 stone and now 6 weeks pregnant... Took me 2 months to conceive 1st time in March but miscarried at 5 weeks... 3 months later am pregnant again... I started a thread 'please be gentle, obese and pregnant' over on the pregnancy threads and the support and advice from other mumsnetters has been amazing - and real... So far fluid retention in my ankles is a killer but my chiropractor is confident that she will get me through this pregnancy as safely as possible (God willing)... Good luck x I'm 35 in a couple of weeks too...

I read somewhere that if you are overweight and trying to conceive, lose some weight, not a lot, not being facesious (eek spelling)but just some as your body will respond more.

My midwife also confirmed this for me as I was saying that everytime I had gotten pregnant I had just lost some weight.
She said that was usually how it happensif you are overweight (She was being polite - I am more than overweight )