How fat is too fat?

[HeresMeh]

Hey everyone,

Looking for your opinions or personal experience stories out of sheer intrigue and interest.

How big is too big to conceive? Did you have to shift a bit of timber before you conceived your first? Or are you TTC #1 and struggling due to weight?

I'm currently 16st 4lbs after losing over a stone and a half since August. My current BMI is classed as 'morbidly obese' at 35.7 - and although I take these stats with a pinch of salt, because I don't think I look gigantic and I know I have a good level of health and fitness, I'm just wondering what your feelings and experiences are with weight and TTC?

I'm only on cycle 2 of TTC #1, but as is the case when you're in a 2WW, the mind wonders and you start thinking down a path of 'maybe I won't conceive cause I'm a gigantor!'

Look forward to hearing from you x

I think you’ll be fine, I’m skinny and have had loads of issues 😂 try not to worry and good luck with your journey ❤️

I conceived DS at BMI 34 within 2 months of TTC

Obviously it would be much better to try and lose some more weight.
Morbidly obese is not good or healthy at all (as you know) and you need to be as fit as possible to have a baby.

Good luck

You know what @genever you're absolutely right. That was a stupid thing that I wrote.

If I can try explain what I meant; when you see the words 'morbidly obese' it conjures up images of Fat B*stard from Austin Powers or something, when in reality that's not the case.

So you're right I'm probably not 'fit and healthy' but I do go hill walking and I'm a mobile person. I'm trying to make changes that will have a big impact.

Thank you for popping that link through, I'll have a wee read of that now.

@Trytrytry2018 thanks for posting, sorry to hear your journey has sucked from the opposite end of the scale!

@Mooey89 great to hear your story! There's maybe still a chance for a BFP next week then!

Ugh... sorry that post above us half in bold! I'm a mumsnet dunce!

Interested in replies in this - I've got a BMI of 43 and am trying to lose weight desperately before we start TTC #1

Actually I was thinking if I got down to your weight OP that I would be much better off that I am now

@moonlight1705 hey every little helps and don't forget that!

Self improvement is always going to help in some way and whether that's fertility, general well-being, mental health... it doesn't matter!

Give yourself a high-five immediately for aiming to be a healthier version of your current self.

I’m bigger and only fall pregnant when my bmi is under 31. Being over weight can have a big impact on fertility. Many women who have high bmi do fall pregnant with little issue but it for others it has an impact.

As an aside a plus size pregnancy can be pretty hard so I’d definitely recommend trying to some weight while ttc.

@affairnamechange thanks for positing, appreciate your words.

I'm currently working hard on the Scottish Slimmers diet to lose weight and be better in a more sensible way rather than crash dieting or any of that rubbish.

I'm probably in the minority where I actually don't mind my body and all it's lumps and bumps. But I'm well aware that for a healthy pregnancy and much more importantly a healthy baby, things need to change.

Really interesting reading everyone's input and hope I've not come across as someone who wants to be a fatty and have a baby because that would be easier than losing weight etc. that's certainly not the case!

I have a higher BMI than you OP and no issues falling pregnant. I had a textbook pregnancy with DS1. Then a miscarriage. I’m 17 weeks pregnant again with DC2 and have just returned from a midwife appointment where my BP, heart rate, urine and blood tests were all normal. I’m on one baby aspirin a day to try and prevent pre eclampsia. Of course I’m aware that I am more at risk of developing complications, but I am happy to participate in more tests/screenings to ensure a healthy baby.

Aww @lookingforthecorkscrew FANTASTIC news! Congratulations

Thanks for posting, it's really encouraging to hear.

I think for me the key is to keep moving, and always take your vitamins! My three year old keeps me pretty busy!

I do believe that being overweight can be a hindrance for some but in my experiance my issue with weight was to do with the strain it takes on the body during pregnancy, not necessarily an issue with falling pregnant. I'm currently on my 5th pregnancy. My first took 3 years and I miscarried at 6 weeks - I weighed 16 stone when I fell pregnant. Two months later I fell pregnant again but sadly the baby had abnormalities and I lost her at 21 weeks (not weight related). Five months later I feel pregnant and by this time I weighed 17st6lb - comfort eating through grief. By the time I had a c-section I weighed over 21 stone and was struggling to walk without him pain. Recovery was so hard at that size. Since then I've lost a lot of weight and after a year of trying I fell pregnant at 13 stone. This sadly was a missed miscarriage. Two months later I fell again and I'm currently 24 weeks. It doesn't feel to me like my weight made a difference in whether I fell pregnant or how healthy the pregnancy was. It still took me over a year to fall when I was a lot lighter. Try and lose weight for you and for how much better you will feel when you're carrying a baby. It's still early days and it seems it is often harder to fall with the first. Good luck! X

I also tend to go off junk food when pregnant, and have become obsessed with apples since Week 6 with this one. The image of the ravenous pregnant woman stuffing chocolate just isn’t accurate, IME. Your body will tell you what you need.

Oh @Jemma2907 you sweetheart, so so sorry to hear of your experiences... such an awful thing to have to go through. But thank you for sharing, I really appreciate it.

The very best of luck to you for this pregnancy. XX

@HeresMeh. I think your weight is mainly only a problem if it's causing other health problems (diabetes/high bp) or causing your body to make too much estrogen. I got pregnant with my 1st at 9st, 2nd at 15st, my 3rd at 12st (still that was apparently obese lol) and my 4th st 14st 5lbs ( I had a miscarriage but that's irrelevant).

During my pregnancies, I had a perfect bp and no gestational diabetes. The only problem I had was back ache and that was at my lightest!

I got my BMI down to below 30 from 37 to be eligible for treatment once referred to a fertility clinic (Clomid, due to anovulatory cycles). Losing weight made no difference to my cycles etc or other PCOS symptoms - perhaps it would have done if I'd lost more.

The general consensus now seems to be that if your weight isn't interfering with your cycle (e.g. If you are having regular periods and have no unusual menstrual symptoms) then your weight probably isn't affecting your fertility. Once you are pregnant you are at a slightly increased risk of some issues like diabetes, but it isn't much of an increase. Good luck OP, wishing you all the best!

Depends if you want NHS IVF treatment or private. Private clinics will often see you with a 35 on the dot BMI while all NHS referrals Only go up to 30.

I'm overweight (can't actually remember my bmi) but im not drastically overweight.
Ive fallen pregnant very early easily, twice in 9 months first ended in miscarriage at 12 weeks.
It's not ideal but I'm 20 weeks tomorrow and feel fantastic. Midwife says everything's great aswell. I've only gained 2.5lb and I'm trying to shift that by continuing with slimming world.
Keep working on the weightloss but continue with ttc and see what happens. Good luck.

@genever. I am sure that's true in some cases. Likewise, being could have the same affect. Being over 35 could have the same affect too. It wasn't luck that I had successful pregnancies whilst being "obese" at all. They were successful because I might have been heavier but I was as The original poster made reference to "fit and healthy" so to speak. I think there is obviously a limit and when you get to the point where your weight is affecting your periods and general health, fair enough.
The BMI system is completely flawed - if you worked out a lot and had heavy muscle mass, you would step on the scale and the DR. would tell you that you were obese but you wouldn't be.
As for being able to keep a check on baby then if your weight isn't all on your stomach then there shouldn't be a problem finding baby. I've had abdominal scans at 6 weeks and been able to find baby just fine.
It never hurts to lose a few pounds, obviously but to say that it's the be all and end all is in my opinion, a bit much. Sorry if this has annoyed anyone.

@HeresMeh my DH and I were trying for a year and in that time I fell twice, both lost before 6 weeks. I was 16st at the time.
Living situations and jobs changed so we gave up for a year.
When we started trying again I fell on cycle 3, I was 17st7lbs and had recently lost a stone. I had an mmc at 11 weeks. It took me months to recover (mentally and physically) and we didn't get round to trying again until July last year. It was super casual and I wasn't expecting anything to happen esp as I had gained weight. We caught straight away. I'm now 28 weeks and having a perfectly fine pregnancy. All hormone/vitamin/bp levels have been perfect, scans haven't been an issue and I've actually lost weight. I don't have gestational diabetes even though the consultant said I would "obviously get it".
There are a lot of negativities towards larger women becoming pregnant and so many healthcare professionals are under the impression that every complication is an absolute certainty. Obviously it's not the healthiest but it's not impossible to have an uncomplicated pregnancy.
Do all that you need to do and carry on the great work of losing weight, take prenatal vits (I recommend the 7 Seas ones!) and just keep trying. You will fall pregnant when your body is ready for it. Good luck!!