Fat and fertile-were not 2nd class citizens. A support thread

[fishandlilacs]

I want to start a support thread for pregnant women with a high BMI. My BMI is currently 38. Last pregnancy it was 36, in between times my BMI went up to 41 but then I started a weight loss programme and lost over 2 stone-I was heading for more when I found myself here, pregnant, happy about it and feeling quite well thank you.

It wasn't my intention to be this fat and pregnant but cest la vie. This thread is not about arguing about it and I have no wish to hear from anyone who feels they may flame for being in this position.

My consultant has made me feel like a 2nd class citizen, I was told I was "bound to develop gestattional diabetes" last pregnancy and I didn't. This time the same old story.

If youre in the same position and want to chat about it or rant and rave then please join here.

Good grief, don't say that out loud... they'll be after you in the white coats!

Hi All
I've posted here previously but have since name changed. I'm 40+1 today and had my midwife appt. No signs of baby yet which is fine as I'm still feeling quite comfortable and I've also just developed a chest infection and sinusitis so am on antibiotics and would really rather not go into labour feeling this poorly. Anyway, aside from that, my midwife told me if baby hadn't come by 41wks she'd come and see me at home and usually she'd do a sweep at that point but because of my BMI, she said that it might be contraindicated for me to have one so she's going to look into it and let me know next week. Now I don't know if I want a sweep or not but does anyone on this thread know anything about this, have you been turned down for a sweep because of your BMI? She didn't say why and it caught me a bit off guard as I was ready to turn one down, wasn't expecting to be told I might not get one at all anyway.
I should add, my pregnancy has been trouble free, no pre-eclampsia, no high blood pressure, no GD, no SPD, not even morning sickness.
Felt quite smug this morning when despite having rushed over to M&S to pick up crackers, rushed back for doctors appt for antibiotics, then back into waiting room and then into midwife, I was all flushed and hot and my blood pressure had gone down from last time. Midwife said my blood pressure has gone down over my pregnancy, not up :)

Hi All,

I am home from the hospital with my baby boy Sebastian. Born 23-12-2011 19:34 weighing 7lb 14oz.

Spontanious labour after my hind waters broke at 2300 on the 22nd. Stayed at home until about 9am then on to triage where they discovered I was already 7cm! Sadly the MW led birthing suite already full so on to the delivery suite. My BMI meant the duty consultant came to speak to me but only to say that usually they recommend continuous monitoring but in my case with no complications they were happy for the MW to stick with 15 min monitoring unless baby was distressed.

Baby did not get distressed at any point, I stuck to gas and air but just ran out of energy so ended up with a kiwi (ventous) delivery and a 2nd degree tear. We were discharged just before 1900 today, so home within 24 hours and in time for Xmas!

Aww lovely news... and home for xmas! brilliant xx

just waiting for 32week measurements on jan4th.. was measuring big at 28weeks... may be referred for growth scans ... Shitting it kinda covers my feelings!

DC 1 but both sides have big baby history. not mega... just 9lb brutes!

30+1

Almost there. Due date this week. No twangs. Bit bored. Very tired:o

Is it safe to assume humbuggery has popped?!

Im going to the clinic next week... have been measuring big past few mw appointments. convinced they'll just say cos im fat.... but we've a family of reasonably big babies.... Cacking it!

Hoping if i don't get my own way, tears will persuade them i need a growth scan!

hi there just found this am 35 wks my bmi is 34 and i was really surprised this time round how different it is (no4) i was bigger with my last one. this time there is definite fat bashing going on telling me i may have to have a c section , no water birth, will almost definitely get gestational diabetes. did you know that only about 15% of morbidly obese woman get gestational diabetes so its got to be way lower for any one in the obese or over weight sections.
on the plus side i have had more scans in case my girth produces massive monster child.
i remember being handed the your child will die from sids because you are fat leaflet the one that say you will prob also miscarry etc (obviously exaggeration). and thinking if i was a different person who hadnt perhaps had 3 perfectly normal pregnancy's and svd i may be really affected by all this crap and not eat properly etc thinking i was doing whats best for my baby.
being fat is the new smoking.

Don't forget though... hcp can be real shits ... and if you get one on a bad day... boy you're gonna get both barrels!

1 has been said shit... the rest marvellous. As this is dc1 for me, im glad it was only her.... felt so isolated... but now im quite happy asking questions as i know I'll get reasonable answers!

Hi Just found this thread. Congrats to you all at the end of your journey. I am at start of mine with a bmi of prob about 40.
Added complication of being older too. (mid forties)
Actually dreading seeing doctor.
1 dc normal weight. Everything fine.
2nd pushing bmi 29. Weight not even recording at time. Emergency csection due to distress.
3rd bmi prob about 35. Weight recorded but not mentioned. Was going to have mw care but I queried it due to prev section. Went to hospital and saw junior doctor but no real mention of weight. But mainly seen by MW who may have once mention weight as was having problems getting heartbeat.
Hoping others will report positive experiences.

I also have just found this thread.

Had first midwife appt yesterday at 10 weeks, her scales weighed me at half a stone heavier than I am (I'm 16 stone) and she said my BMI was 40. (It's 39.something)

I'd already done a fair bit of research, as I like to be prepared, and since DH is shitting bricks at the thought of a home birth, which is what I'd ideally like, I went for the compromise of the midwife-led unit at the hospital. The midwife, who apart from my weight issue was perfectly lovely, said that the unit wouldn't have me (because of my weight), and there's no way on earth they'd let me have the baby at home. Fume. So no water birth or aromatherapy for me, it seems, despite her classifying me as low risk.

I will be referred to a consultant, and also what our hospital calls a 'pregnancy plus clinic'. I said 'that's pregnancy for plus size ladies, isn't it' and she nodded.
Grump.

I'm a size 18, don't carry much fat around my middle (all boobs, bum, legs and batwings) and a well-upholstered hourglass. OK, I don't exercise regularly, but I have a severe DIY fetish (currently curbed) which keeps me relatively fit, I think.

I think the more they dick me around over this, the more upset I'm going to get, and the more likely I'll be to have problems with the birth.

If I can lose 4 stone, that will drop my BMI to 29.8, so I'd just be overweight. Tempted to try, in a healthy eating, exercising kind of way, just so I can stick 2 fingers up at the NHS, but don't want to do peanut any damage in the process.

But I agree, I don't sit on the sofa eating chocolate all day and scratching my arse (apart from when I had a scare with a 2 week bleed, when I did)- usually I'm eating a banana or a yoghurt and drinking lots of tea. I'm not even bloody hungry at the moment!!!

Rant over.

Well,yesterday I had the most pointless meeting about my pregnancy yet. I had to go to see the anaethetist as I am overweight. He told me nothing different to the information that I got in the labour room last time. It was a complete waste of my time and his, he even said he was only doing it because NICE told him too. That is 2 hrs (driving,parking, waiting and appointment time) of my life wasted as well as the extortionate parking charges and a fed up DS1.

Just ranting really sorry still another day etc... Just two more appointments this week 28 week app with midwife and GTT how lovely a needle and a vile syrup drink. Remind again why did I get pregnant?

Hi ladies. Waves to rus from September thread. I am 8 weeks due end September. BMI probably 39 ish. GP I saw never mentioned weight but when I rang MW I was told I need more folic acid and Vitamin D. Finally managed to get Folic Acid from GP but no vitamin d as yet.
I have had 2 prev setions so I imagine I will get grief re anathetist too if I make it that far.
Congrats to those at end of journey.
O gosh GTT i had those before too. Although due to family history not weight before. Can't believe I ever liked lucozade.

Checking off the bus as im now a mummy

Good luck all waiting for theirs x

Hello everyone. Today I have just found out that I am pregnant and I am already worrying that the drs, midwives are going to start bitching about my weight. I have a BMI of 36.

Congrats friendofdorothy I would say so far midwives and doctors have been ok about my weight. The only thing I took exception too was the leaflet given out at booking appointment.
It had advice on how much weight to gain. All good but also listed some of the less positive outcomes that are more likely given my high BMI. I thought this was a really inappropriate thing to to do.
I didn't plan this pregnancy and it not as if you can change anything once it has happened. |Ironically my healthy eating went out the window for a few weeks after that as it upset me, Really counterproductive.
Apart from that I have been told that I will need a Glucose Tolerance test but I had that with my previous pregnancies anyway. Plus possible growth scans and a meeting with the anaethetist.
I am also under consultant care but would be anyway due to previous csections. Actually saw consultant at EPU ans she didn't even mention my weight so hopefully all will be fine.
Good luck

Just to give you hope I had a BMI of 40 with ds and much, much higher with dd. Induced both times as 13 days overdue but 2 natural births and no GD or problems with BP apart from in week 41 with dd.

Its not ideal but it doesn't necessarily mean you're doomed either.