To be upset over BMI

[kitkey]

Am 11 weeks pregnant with DC3 and went to midwife booking appointment and weighed in at 68kg and 168cm tall - BMI 24 - she said I was just in normal range and close to being overweight and to try to watch weight gain over the pregnancy. I have put on 2kg since beginning of year - eating stops sickness and exhaustion. with my first pregnancy I was only 58kg at booking but this is 3rd pregnancy in 4 years. I am disgusted with myself but am very hungry and feel tearful at being so big to start with. I am going to try to get to 60kg post pregnancy as this is my last.

You are a normal weight. Frankly having had 3 pregnancies that's seriously impressive.
Take care of yourself and your baby right now. This is not the time to go big on dieting.

Disgusted with yourself? Really? Why? You are a normal weight. Do not restrict your diet during pregnancy for this reason - why would you? The midwife is being daft.

Glad I didn't have that midwife. My booking in weight and BMI would have given her apoplexy!

Honestly, just try to eat regular meals with the odd treat, and forget about it. The NHS is always looking at 'targets' and we're all supposed to fit into a certain mould. Everyone is different! And anyway, you've had two DC's recently. It's all good. Congrats on your pregnancy.

Isn't most of the weight gain in the first trimester a completely normal increase in water?

Thanks. I felt like a real pig in there as she was so slim and young and I feel lardy and old (only 31) and in the waiting room all I was thinking about was DH getting the maple syrup for the pancakes!

YABU. Normal BMI after 3 pregnancies would make many of us

I always thought that for cms & kgs, if you take the 1 off the height, then what you´re left with is an ideal weight.

FWIW I´m 150cms & 55kgs and as far as I´m aware, not ideal, but only just into the overweight.

And I´m mid 40s & not pregnant!

Just checked on the interweb - as I thought BMI can't be used in pregnancy only before conception. So you can calculate yr BMI from yr pre-pregnancy weight.

Raised BMI seems to be being used all over the place as slapdash unscientific shorthand for being overwight. Complete nonsense IMO.

Please, ignore her. You are doing incredibly well. So many people would love to be your weight, pregnant or otherwise.

I hate that they are doing this. What do they want you to do? Diet?

Just ignore her. Please.

YANBU

Normal and honestly do not worry about it. By the time this one is about 18 months - 2 you will be the thinnest you have ever been running around after them all (Only time in my life i have been a size 12 when I had 3 that young - should be said here that a 12 is to thin for my frame and 14 sits much nicer)

kitkey - you are not very heavy and you just need to try not to put much weight on with this pregnancy. Could you take up swimming or yoga while pregnant to keep you "body aware"? Or go for a regular massage?

That's ridiculous - you are in the normal range and it is just that 'normal". Especially if you have put on a bit of first trimester weight. She is being absolutely ridiculous. My midwives didn't have a go at me and mine had pushed up to 30 by the time of booking (about 28 before pregnancy).

When I was pregnant 24 years ago you expected to put on 2stone with being pregnant!

Flipping heck - you are A NORMAL WEIGHT and you're 11 weeks pregnant!!! You will of course go above this during your pregnancy, which is again, TOTALLY NORMAL. Your MW is an idiot. Ignore.

And you should also stop worrying and eat whatever makes you stop feeling ill, and eat plenty of yummy fruit and veges and a good dose of nice lean meat to keep your iron up. Remember too that your baby needs good fat to develop their brain, so EAT GOOD FAT -- avocados, olive oil, almonds, oily fish.

Ignore her.

Pretty sure it is no longer normal practise to be weighed during pregnancy I wasn't weighed at all in my last pregnancy and DC4 is only 5 days old!

That being said it is definitely easier to not put on too much weight rather than try to lose it after the baby arrives so if you do feel that you don't want to put on to much use this as a useful reminder.

You're body is doing the most fabulous thing it'll ever do right now....so if eating makes it feel better from the horrible nausia that unfortunatly goes with it then please don't get upset.

I completely sympathise with you though. Most of my weight went on in the first 15 weeks for the same reason as you. I've had 3 since 2005 and my weight was up then down then up then down then blah blah blah. It's bloody anoying but I'd rather have a fat wobbly body and 3 lovely kids than be miss skinny minny and have no kids.

Oooh the SHAME. I meant your not you're!

She is being totally ridicolous, you are in normal weight and already 11 weeks, so likely to be a little more than at the start.

You are totally a normal weight.

However as you probably know from looking round antenatal groups/ toddlers etc loads of woman use pregancy as an excuse to eat for a whole football team (I personally am no sylph).

The extra amount you need to eat in a day equates to something ridiculous like a slice of granary toast with marg.

I think this is what she was trying to get across.

There is also a huge push to weigh people in early pregnancy as maternal obesity (and this does not include you OP) is associated with poorer outcomes for both mothers and babies.