BMI when trying to conceive

[Thefaceofboe]

Hi everyone! Just wondering if I could get some opinions on this.

I’ve been trying to conceive for a while now and when having my initial phone appointment regarding fertility with my GP, she asked my height, weight etc before booking me in for my first blood tests. I told her I hadn’t weighed myself for years (or had my weight done at the doctors) so she told me they would use the last weight they had on the system which was around 5/6 years ago. I told her I’d put a few pounds on since then but she said it’s just an estimate to understand my build. Anyway after 4 months of blood tests and a few issues that have been dealt with, I was ready to be referred to a fertility clinic. My doctor then told me that before my BMI classed me as underweight, I would have to wait 6 months to make sure I could maintain the weight. I told her my weight on system is inaccurate and she knew that at the time so they booked me in to have my height and weight re done. My BMI is fine and my weight within the normal range but as far as I know, I still have to wait 6 months even though it was supposed to be in January.

I’m so upset they didn’t redo my weight when I had my first bloods and really trusted my doctor to give me all the correct information. I have a phone appointment on Wednesday but don’t know whether to just bite the bullet and wait the 6 months or fight to be referred ASAP?

Any opinions are appreciated

I’m also classed as underweight and was just told to start putting on weight ahead of any treatment I may have. I have to wait until feb for my appointment (need to wait a couple of cycles to have more blood tests due to ectopic) so I have some time but 6 months is a bit extreme.

Do you know what figure your bmi would be using the old weight? Can you buy some scales to give them an updated weight amount?

@Chica1990

I had my weight done at the doctors last week so an updated weight is on the system now. She told me I had to reach an average BMI and then maintain it for 6 months to get referred. I wouldn’t mind so much but if I was told this 4 months ago I would have been nearly here by now. She has apologised for the mistake but I just feel like I’ve already waited long enough.

Do you know what figure your bmi is at right now? Mine isn’t too far off normal which is why maybe I haven’t been told the same. Do you have regular periods?

To be honest, I’m not sure GP’s know their arse from their elbow when it comes to fertility sometimes. At my practise alone I’ve had one Dr tell me to do my progesterone test on the wrong day and another one who told me oestrogen tests weren’t necessary and that my FSH was fine - both of these were later contradicted by my consultant. I’ve heard similar stories across MN too.

Although my practise clearly isn’t the best example, I didn’t need my BMI checked to be referred but it does need to be within a certain range to be eligible for treatment. But that comes later and I believe the fertility clinics check this themselves anyway so I would definitely question this and push for a sooner referral as it can take 3 months for the clinic to contact you just for an initial consultation and even even longer in some cases at the moment.

Good luck. x

@Chica1990 yes I have regular periods and GP is aware of my current BMI. I’m hoping tomorrow she will tell me referral will go ahead ASAP but not getting my hopes up... my BMI before was only just under the recommended average so not much of a big deal I shouldn’t of thought.

@RiverRiot thanks for replying. The whole process has been okay so far but it’s so difficult not speaking to a doctor face to face as I feel wires are getting crossed a lot. That’s what I thought regarding a referral, I’m not in a huge rush but I’d like to see the ball rolling now and not have to wait 6 months as long as I know things are in progress I’m okay x

Will post tomorrow how my phone appointment goes

Why so coy about your weight .. ? No one can give you any advice or life experience without it ..

@Trickyboy who’s being coy about their weight? No one has asked my weight. I’m 8stone 3. I don’t need advice on my weight thanks, I’m asking regarding the referral...

Height I am 5’4

It depends on your weight history - if you have a history of maintaining an unhealthy weight then they'd naturally want to check that you can maintain a healthy BMI before referring you because fertility investigations are v expensive and treatment is even more expensive. The NHS needs to know that you're serious about maintaining a healthy weight (since ppl with eating disorders often gain just enough to take them out of scrutiny then immediately lose the weight).

I'm an ex-anorexic myself, I know all the games and tricks. It is utterly awful having to gain and keep the weight on, but I finally did it and after many rounds of IVF I promise you it's worth it, my wee boy is the most wonderful thing in the world.

@HavelockVetinari

Yeah I do understand that, I haven’t had any weight ‘issues’. I’ve only ever been weighed by the doctor twice when I had check ups for my contraceptive pill a few years ago and I was a similar weight, just slightly under the average for BMI. Even though I am fairly slim my weight has never been an issue or has it been mentioned as a concern from my doctor.

I don’t mind them being concerned about my weight if they think it will help my chances of conceiving but I do wish they had mentioned this to me at the start of my tests etc.

Is there a reason you dont have scales in your house? Sorry, but I find it bizzare to not have weighed yourself in 6yrs- even after that asked you what you weighed! You could have used scales in a pharmacy, a coin one in a supermarket or even asked to use the ones at the multiple blood tests you had. Any fertility guidance online will advise being within a healthy BMI and being underweight can be as detrimental as overweight.

If you are young, you have some time. If like me you are older, every month counts. Either way, I'd try getting an earlier appointment on the grounds that you 'might' have already been the same weight for months/years. Unfortunately though, you have no way to prove it and there still might be a long wait. best of luck though x

I had the opposite issue, and needed to lose weight before qualifying for IVF. I lost the weight quickly, but then needed to wait months longer to get referred back to the hospital. I had to chase my GP's receptionist and give her the correct advice about timelines, where to refer, IVF criteria for our area etc etc. She said they refer people all the time, but she clearly had no idea!

It’s bloody annoying, isn’t it. There’s no recognition that people have different body shapes/metabolisms. (My only two natural conceptions occurred with lowest BMI, even if they did end in m/c.) I drank meal replacement shakes on top of my usual food (on a good day I could get to 2800 calories) and wore lots of clothes when it came to weigh ins.

@Elouera

I don’t have scales, I’ve never been worried about my weight so didn’t feel the need to be obsessed with weighing myself? I didn’t think to ask to be weighed as the whole fertility process is new to me and I’ve just been going with what my doctor has said, my mistake! I’ve always classed myself as a healthy weight as I am petite so I was shocked to see my BMI was too low myself. I think I’m one of them people who just don’t change weight much, I’ve probably put on only a few pounds in about 10 years, I don’t yo yo with my weight at all and eat a very balanced diet.

@Amummyatlast

I agree! It’s hard because I’ve never even met my doctor face to face yet she said I was under weight luckily my BMI is classed as average now so I should be good to go! I’m glad you got there in the end

Turns out I was panicking over nothing and the referral will go ahead after my updated BMI. Also being referred to an endocrinologist 🤞🏻

Yay! Congrats @Thefaceofboe. Hopefully everything will go smoothly now for you.

Whoo hoo, thats great news OP. x

Fantastic! Good luck.