to be completely shocked and disgusted at the leaflet I've just been given by my mw???

[mummylovesnancy]

This leaflet, titled 'Raised BMI in Pregnancy' was passed on to me by my midwife at my booking in appointment yesterday. Along with the words 'You can't have a home birth, you probably won't deliver naturally and you'll be given consultant led care.'
I'm 28, I have 2 PERFECTLY healthy children who both have perfect height to weight ratios, eat well, are active and are generally normal children. I weigh 13st and I'm 5'2 which puts me in the 'obese' catagory according to the good ol' BMI index of wonder. I have been roughly this weight and exactly this height for all of my adult life. I am overweight, I accept that, but what I don't accept is being told to read this sodding leaflet which tells me, among various other little pearlers, that:
*I will have raised blood pressure. (Not 'I may', 'I WILL')
*I will be prone to urinary tract infections. (never had one in my life!)
*'Bigger Ladies' (exact wordage) get more blood clots. (Dumb Fuck)
*Examinations will be difficult. (Why? Because you have to part all my layers of fat to get to my vag?! How fucking degrading)
*I will have restricted mobilisation. (Will I? Because I don't now, will it automatically come with being fat and preggers?)
*Putting in a drip will be difficult. (yeah because my hands are so freaking chubby.)
*Breastfeeding will be challenging (I've managed it with two babies, now because you've changed your guidelines I think I might struggle.)
And my favourite one yet:
*The risk of stillbirth or your baby dying in the first 28 days is increased in 'larger ladies' (Thanks for that one, nhs, I just had a misscarriage 8 weeks ago. Was it because I'm fat?)

It also mentions on about 7 occasions that I may want an epidural. Is that to keep me quiet?! It also offers to refer me to a dietician and a counsellor.

I have been overweight (or a larger or bigger lady, as the nhs prefers) and given birth naturally twice with absolutely no complications and one of them was a home birth. I can't believe I have to read all this shit. The idiot who wrote this doesn't even know how to place an apostrophe or comma ffs!

Does anyone agree with me that this is a disgusting, degrading, scare mongering piece of shit or am I being an unreasonable pregnant wreck??

"I mean: you are in denial if you think that a significant number of people who are at their ideal weight get there or stay there through extreme diets or bullimia."

Denial about what. Being in denial means being in denial about something in oneself. What is it you think I'm denying Custard.

And anyway I didn't say that. I'm pointing out that this simplistic crap that slim=healthy is just that, simplistic crap, because there are all sorts of exceptions.

Thunder you are being absurd.

Pointing out that if you have a surplus of visible fat about your body then you are "fat" and that this is not a good thing does not equal fat hatred.

99% of people who have a genuinely "healthy lifestyle" are not overweight. Is that really so difficult for you to accept.

People haven't said slim = healthy.

They have said fat = unhealthy.

You can't get away from the idea of "fat" can you TQOD. You appear to have just too much invested in it.

Healthy lifestyle in particular good nutrition and exercise is what is important. Weight, except at the extreme ends, is a side effect, not where the focus should be placed.

Focus on weight leads to yo-yo dieting, 40 per cent of women on weight loss diets at any one time, anorexic and eating disorders (dieting can actually lead to anorexia, there's a physiological reason for this) etc etc. You'd think people would have realised that this approach isn't working but apparently not. But if it was dropped people couldn't talk in disgust about "rolls of fat round the middle" or be able to point out to overweight people that they are unhealthy. I imagine they are the same sorts of people who go into bars and tell people about the damage they are doing to their livers.

"Throw away the scales, eat healthily, take exercise, take care of yourself, and respect that your body will find the right weight for itself, but the weight isn't the issue, what you feed yourself and how you treat your body is the important thing."

Actually, the percentage of your body that is fat is the important thing.

"Yes a lot of people watch what they eat (limiting themselves to 2 biscuits even though they could happily eat a whole packet or choosing a fruit salad even though they really fancy tiramisu) but that doesn't make them diet-crazed maniacs. That's just how people who are the "right" weight make everyday choices to keep them at a right weight."

Actually that does sound like someone who is stuck in the dieting mentality.

Hairy if you eat properly and take good exercise your body will find it's own right weight itself. Once again focusing on fat and weight is missing the point.

Still think you are talking rubbish. It isn't missing the point. For example having too much fat around your organs is dangerous to your health. Fat = more unhealthy than not being fat for the vast, vast majority.

thunder it is unhealthy to have excess fat around the waist, as this increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. You are the one who is bringing the word 'disgusting' into play. I am not disgusted by my excess weight, but I do accept that I would be healthier without it.

Oh my god I've heard it all. Having two biscuits instead of an entire packet is "stuck in the dieting mentality"?

Oh FFs there is actually no debating to be had with you is there thunder, you are starting to sound quite mad.

I am talking about fat because that is what this debate is about. It is hardly the time to start banging on about paint colours.

I have already explicitly stated that a healthy lifestyle is importnat. But being overweight is bad for you. Manipulate and pretend all you like, but 99% of people on this thread would be less healthy of they were 3 stone heavier than they actually are.

I'm not sure what you think I am "too invested in".

Oh god I've heard it all now - stopping at two biscuits rather than inhaling the entire packet = stuck in a dieting mentality.

No it is called making a healthy choice.

Bangs. Head. On. Keyboard.

As a point of interest has anyone on this thread actually eaten a whole packet of biscuits at once?

I certainly haven't.

Quitecustard. good post

northern

Actually only eating two biscuits because you might put on weight is definitely stuck in the dieting mentality.

But what was more weird was denying yourself Tiramisu and having fruit salad instead in order to prevent weight gain. Again that is definitely stuck in the diet mentality.

I think a lot of people aren't aware that it's possible to be any other way, that it's possible to eat food for enjoyment and because it's good for your body and your body needs it, not this constant terror that you might end up "grabbing rolls of fat" or putting on weight just because of what you put in your mouth.

northernlurker I have been known to pig out on Sainsbury's basic jaffa cakes. My downfall is more savoury foods [especially crisps].

thunder you are talking utter utter utter rot. Not eating un-necessary luxury, highly calorific foods doesn't = being stuck in a dieting mentality. It = making healthy eating choices.

I've eaten a whole packet of Jaffa cakes, but I think they are designed to be eaten like that. :)

But then I'm not trapped in this self-hatred self-loathing self-punishment thing about my body and how much it weighs, so I just enjoyed them. I may do it again one day too. It was fun.

Thunder your posts neatly illustrate why the UK has an obesity epidemic on its hands.