BMI and conception

[rmorris95]

Hello!

My husband and I are thinking of starting to try for a baby. My BMI naturally falls around 18/just under. I have done some reading and there is lots of info saying you should reallly be bmi 19. Has anyone else have any thoughts on this? Should I be looking to gain weight?

Thanks!

BMI isn't a perfect metric. If you're healthy fit and willing to conceive, have at it.

Of course if you weight is causing health issues then that's something you'll need to balance TTC against.

Try and comcieve anyway but maybe also ideally try and put a bit of weight on too

A mate of mine was told to put weight on years ago
Sadly theyve had 5 rounds of ivf
And one miscarriage that was round 3

For some people it doesnt matter
But - maybe have a few pudding s / mince pies/ choc etc...

Im trying to concieve but opposite issue to you - my bmi is 30.6 ish

We concieved 2nd month trying but had early miscarriage

Weight aside as im over 35 - had 1 in 2 chance of miscarriage for first conception anyway

I did however fix a vit deficiency - b12 deficiency & feretin issue before we tried to concieve

Would be wise to ask gp 4 blood test4 b12 - vitd and feretin

Those3 are important in conception and pregnancy

I also rate the book - it starts with an egg

I eat lotsa blueberries , snack on raw carrot, raisins, peas etc
Which i didnt use to snack on

Carrot - fertility food
Blueberries - super food
Peas and raisins - iron

Potato
Egg
Both b12
Etc

I was told by a nutritionist specialising in fertility that a BMI of 20 was the lowest she liked to see to make sure your body had enough energy to make & carry a baby. I'll never know if it made a difference but I did conceive my second child after I saw her and followed her advice. Happy to forward her details if needed

Oestrogen is affected by fat, so you can have excess if you're fatter, or less if thinner. Hormonal balance is an issue sometimes when TTC so if having trouble then trying to increase weight a little, or lose a little can sway that balance and may be a way to achieve successful conditions to conceive.
I'm a little overweight myself, I was always much more fertile when I hit the gym when ttc. Personally I'd try first and see where you get, hormones aren't an exact science!
Good luck!

I was a bmi 18 when I found out I was pregnant. I am naturally like this though and don't restrict calories, skip meals etc. I made the effort to eat more during pregnancy, even when I had morning sickness (drank my calories too). I'd most likely lose the baby if I lost weight during pregnancy and didn't make the conscious effort to gain enough weight.

If you're underweight then you also need to make sure you gain more weight than someone who is a healthy bmi or overweight. Around 2 stone in weight gain (but a lot of that will be baby, placenta, blood etc). It's dangerous to not gain enough.

Is your menstrual cycle regular? Is it a healthy length and not too long ie over 35 days is too long.

https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/im-pregnant/weight-management/underweight-during-pregnancy

Hello!

This is really helpful thank you! I eat lots and have a balanced diet. I'm pretty active too which is probably why I find it hard to put on weight. My periods are regular at around 35 days and always have been.
Thanks for your response. Will try and add a more nuts, carbs etc into my diet. Will only benefit me in the long run also! Xx

@rmorris95 you're welcome! You might not eating enough for the calories you burn exercising. Have a look at this calculator where you put in your weight, height and activity level eg hard exercise is 4+ days a week. Hope this helps!

https://www.omnicalculator.com/health/weight-gain