Told to lose weight by midwife

[Paradii]

My BMI is 26 so I am classed as overweight.

I train horses for my job so I have a lot of muscle mass, especially in my legs. I have a flat stomach and definitely don't look overweight. I told her this but she insisted that I'm overweight and should aim to eat less calories/ more healthily.

Aibu to think I shouldn't try to lose weight, particularly when pregnant?

When it’s a question of a few pounds, like the difference between a BMI of 26 and a BMI of 25 there are no risks that would conceivably be reduced by such a small weight loss. I wouldn’t give it any more thought.

try and not to put on too* much.

TheOrigRights

The OP says "she insisted that I'm overweight and should aim to eat less calories/ more healthily" not that the mw told her to lose weight.

That’s literally the title of the thread.

But did the mw actually say it, or is it the OP's interpretation of "you should eat more healthily"?

A BMI graph is a load of rubbish it's not accurate and doesn't factor in things like muscle mass.

It takes it into account by giving a range of values, not a specific weight that anyone of a certain height should be.

Did the midwife tell the OP to:

a. Lose weight - not good advice
b. Eat healthily

The first isn't good advice to a woman who is pregnant. The second is perfectly fine.

When it’s a question of a few pounds, like the difference between a BMI of 26 and a BMI of 25 there are no risks that would conceivably be reduced by such a small weight loss. I wouldn’t give it any more thought.

@RobinPenguins I'm sure it does reduce risks, otherwise we wouldn't have a healthy weight range. Also if people are slightly overweight they tend to get more overweight, so the more quickly someone reins it in the less likely it is that they'll become bigger.

@Paradii I would double check what you were told if you really believe the midwife said you should actively try and lose weight now, while pregnant. As maybe you misheard/misinterpreted something she said. She will just've said to try and eat healthily etc and not overeat. Some people put on loads while pregnant, so that is why they'll want to try and stop people doing that. It's for your own wellbeing.

Let’s not be too harsh on the midwife- she’s not a weight loss expert or a doctor. She’s been told that if a woman has a BMI over a certain number to advise her that controlled weight loss is safe and advisable during pregnancy. She hasn’t used her common sense here and taken a look at you and seen that you are clearly not fat and explored the possibility of you doing regular exercise that builds up muscle.

Ignore the weight loss advice and be thankful for your own common sense.

She’s been told that if a woman has a BMI over a certain number to advise her that controlled weight loss is safe and advisable during pregnancy

What, against what the nhs says?

[quote ILoveAllRainbowsx]What is your height to waist ratio? That is a much
better indication than BMI:

www.omnicalculator.com/health/waist-height-ratio#:~:text=The%20waist-height%20ratio%20is,waist–height%20ratio%20of%200.42%20.[/quote]
My GP practice does this but the HCSW always measures my hips instead, which seems a bit pointless really.

Please don't restrict your calories to lose weight. You lose a pound of muscle for every 4 pounds of fat - hang on to your precious muscle. I bet you are strong and look great. Ignore the BMI painting by numbers crap, honestly.

@RobinPenguins I'm sure it does reduce risks, otherwise we wouldn't have a healthy weight range. Also if people are slightly overweight they tend to get more overweight, so the more quickly someone reins it in the less likely it is that they'll become bigger.

I disagree that a pregnant woman losing 3lbs will see any difference whatsoever in their risk profile. BMI is a range, yes, but there’s also a degree of arbitrariness in the cut offs. Unless you genuinely believe someone who weighs 10 stone is perfectly healthy and someone who weighs 10 stone 1lb is unhealthy.

I was once told to lose weight as a healthy 22 year old 5ft5 9.7 stone by a nurse in a GP surgery...

I would ignore BMI advice from any MW and go home and eat a pie or two.

The ads on this thread...

@Aussiegirl123456

I would have eaten the midwife

Nhs in general has no idea at all about weight/diet.

Ignore her.

@shouldistop

Even obese women shouldn't aim to lose weight in pregnancy, the aim would be to remain the same.

My bmi was higher than 26 when I was pregnant with ds2 and no one said anything to me. I believe if it's over 30 it becomes an issue.

That's not true. If someone is very overweight during pregnancy then eating healthily and appropriately will probably mean weight loss. It needs to be monitored correctly. Nutrition is what the mum and baby need. Excess fat is unnecessary.

@Doubledenimrock

I was once told to lose weight as a healthy 22 year old 5ft5 9.7 stone by a nurse in a GP surgery...

They’d obviously calculated your bmi wrong.

Did you ask them what they thought your bmi was?!

...the range for a healthy BMI

GP practices seem to be more focussed on waist measurement, now, not BMI.

The term "a healhy BMI" is about as meaningless as the term "a healthy balanced diet".

My BMI when weighed naked pre pregnancy was just in the healthy zone. When weighed at my booking in appointment I was just into the overweight bracket.

I was very annoyed about this, because a) I was wearing heavy boots and winter clothes when weighed and b) of course I weighed more - I'd spent the previous 4 weeks exclusively eating white bread and plain crisps because it was all I could eat that didn't cause me to vomit.

The midwife did express concern that I was in the overweight category but I pointed out that in my last pregnancy I put on half a stone in the first trimester, gained nothing at all in the second and then gained a normal amount in the third trimester. I also pointed out that I was back in a healthy BMI four weeks after my last birth, and was in a healthy BMI around the point of conception (I weigh myself monthly in the middle of my cycle).

She accepted the point and shut up

I completely accept that weight gain in pregnancy is a problem and being overweight or obese in pregnancy can be a serious issue for mum and baby, but I wish some medical professionals would apply a modicum of common sense instead of chastising you because the flow chart says so.

Hahaha some funny replies here, thanks 😃

To answer PP; yes, she advised me to eat fewer calories as I must be eating too many presently, "or I would not be overweight."

She was very very overweight herself, not that it matters to me at all, just to answer pp.

BMI is a blunt tool. It works for 'average' people but not for those with a more physical/active life-style (and a greater than usual muscle-mass).

Midwives do not have a very detailed training this (they have other concerns). Instead they have guidelines - tick-boxes that work well for average women.

If you are worried - seek a (more educated) second opinion. ( It sounds as if you are aware of the system's problem on this. )

BMI is a blunt tool. It works for 'average' people but not for those with a more physical/active life-style (and a greater than usual muscle-mass).

This is nonsense. There are a tiny fraction of people with enough muscle to skew BMI - e.g. professional weightlifters. For everyone else, including active people, it's a fair measure.

I am very sporty and fit, and do a strength based sport - despite this my muscle mass is nowhere near enough to skew my BMI. See upthread for my comment re: Serena Williams - she's a healthy BMI too.

How rude! 26 in NOT fat!

That's not to say that I think a BMI of 26 is a big concern - I don't. But people talk an awful lot of rubbish in an effort to convince themselves that BMI doesn't apply to them.