TTC Plus Size

[LJMilkTea]

Hi everyone,

Partner and I are on the cusp of TTC, but I wondered if anyone has/had any experience of TTC and pregnancy with a BMI over 30?

I am a midwife and so know the experience from one side of the fence, but I’ve always felt worried about it, and in particular the slightly archaic voices of healthcare professionals around BMI.

Have any of you found it harder? Success stories? Or just experiences would be welcome. Thanks!

I've had a bmi waaaay over 30 with all of my pregnancies (expecting number 4 in April).
You do come across some judgments from the professionals, however I get that their job is to try to keep risks as low as possible and they want mum and baby to be safe so you sort have to balance it out and not take it too personally.
For me pregnancy has been a positive experience every time. I get bad sickness which I've had to take medication for each time but otherwise I do okay. Birth with my first wasnt great, I was progressing really well but then had an epidural and ended up laying flat and having an episiotomy which sucked. With my others I had a great consultant who signed me off to use the high risk birthing pool so my 2nd and 3rd were born in the water with gas and air. They listened in to baby regularly but I was free to move around and relax. I recovered very quickly and it was just great. I'm hoping baby 4 will be the same but you never know.
Haven't had gestational diabetes with any of them which is another risk factor. Conceived all of ours first time with number 4 being a surprise baby just after my period returned from breastfeeding.

All in all I haven't really had any of the high BMI risk 'issues' but my experience is just one persons experience and purely anecdotal.
What I would say is if you can bring your bmi down before you conceive you'll find you have more choices with regards to the birth etc and less of the worry about professionals having to raise it as a concern.
Good luck

Thanks so much for this @Tombliwho it’s very helpful. Great to hear about the positive experiences and that you had a great consultant.

I think I will try and lower it slightly by being sensible with diet and exercise, and trying to keep ‘healthy’ overall. But who knows eh. At least I’m prepared for the conversations.

Just one last thing, did you take 5mg of folic acid?

Good luck with number 4!

There's a good website that looks at some of the actual evidence (rather than the preconceptions) around high BMI and pregnancy: bigbirthas.co.uk/

Personally, I haven't had any problems in my pregnancy, except being both fat and old and therefore completely overscheduled with appointments. I am appreciating the additional scans, though. It feels like a fight to get midwives and doctors to see you as an individual rather than a collection of risk factors. But you say you're prepared for that and I reckon everyone needs to be their own advocate in this anyway, so in that respect, maybe it's not that different. Wishing you all the best!

Yes I did take the 5mg, I have to be honest that I struggled to keep it down regularly with the sickness but all babies have been okay

Thanks @tombliwho, I need to get a prescription.

I will definitely look at that website @catlady3, thank you! All the best with your pregnancy