From the BBC - One in 20 pregnant women is dangerously obese - study

[Labella77]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11928327

I am classified as obese but i certainly don't need extra wide chairs to sit on. During my last pregnancy i was told i wasn't allowed to have a water birth or be in the nice birthing suite as they wouldn't be able to get me out of the pool as i was obese. A fair point if i was in fact a giant, but i'm not. Not sure why i couldn't have just hung out in the room without the water though.

This time round i get a diabetes test at some point and my extra scan at 32 0r 36 weeks. A bit more attention, which i dont' mind in the least.

Anyone been told they can't do anything specific during pregnancy/ birth because of their weight in pregnancy? Do you teeter on the edge of obese and therefore get the full obese categorisation?

interestingly my husband is officially obese, he has no fat on him and is exceptionally fit, with massive cyclist legs. Brad Pitt when he was in Fight Club was "obese" too.

According to the media/NHS you cannot possibly be pregnant, because being obese affects your fertility! Please remove that cushion from your knickers and go and sit down like a proper fatgirl nice girl!

Yes, I teetered on the edge and got an extra growth scan which resulted in the most incredible 3D photo I have ever seen. People have commented on the clarity and I actually have a pre-scan photo which looks like my baby.

My MW was a bit embarrassed about sending me for the extra growth scan because although my BMI took me in to this category - she said my stomach muscles were so strong and developed it was hard for her to feel the baby. Yep, muscles not fat got in the way!

Just listening to Womens Hour prog about this. OP your attitude to the diabetes test as a 'bit of extra attention' is a bit casual - gestational diabetes is very dangerous for babies, and I'm guessing they didn't do the diabetes test because of your impressive muscle mass?

Obese people are putting their baby at risk, I agree it should be presented to pregnant women as a health risk, just like smoking and drinking. If a woman can choose soft drinks over alcohol the majority of time throughout pregnancy, why not choose healthy food over junk?

I have somehow slipped into the obese category since having DD 2.5 yrs ago. Was very surprised when midwife told me my BMI is 31. Have finally battled back into a size 12 and only 5'5". To be honest not much different now from my first pregnancy (maybe a bit saggier ) so I not sure if I believe her...

Don't get any extra scans though. But I get the gtt anyway because my mother is diabetic (?!)

While I fully accept I was a bit more than chubby earlier this year, I really am not happy being labelled obese now. It all feels a bit random how they call people fat these days!

I worry about this - I don't think I look massively fat and pre-preg was always a size 12 but have always weighed heavy. My BMI was about 26, so just overweight, when I fell preg (11st 2lb, 5' 6") and despite my best efforts (eating healthily - low fat as heartburn plays up with grease etc., going for walks and now gym for light cardio/weights etc 2-3 times per week) I have gained at least 2.5-3 stone and I'm 35 weeks. I don't know what my BMI is now, but I think it would put me into the obese category if I wasn't pg for sure (about 14st, 5'6"). Do the limits change when you are pg? I have hardly ever been weighed in my pg and nooone has ever raised it, so I guess I must "look" ok to them - but my weight has been a constant worry to me, especially as according to the guidelines they publish - i.e. only gain so much if your BMI was x pre-pg etc I have officially already gained too much weight, especailly as i was "overweight" before. Thing is I don't know what more I could have done apart from strict calorie control as I am already a very balanced diet (I'm a veggie too), only eating when hungry, stopping when full, taking reg exercise etc.

I think I my case they have not really given me any constructive advice, and they wouldn't have even known if I am obese/overweight or not as they never weigh me. Maybe they wait for signs your weight is affecting your health e.g. sugar in urine, raised bp etc. before they do anything which even then is just ambiguous vague instructions to watch what you eat etc. And it seesm odd to wait for it to become a problem before they do anything rather than just monitoring everyone's weight and giving real, practical advice on how to keep it down if it looks like it's creeping up.

porcupine11 - who says i eat junk food?

I worry about this.

I'm around 14 stone now and 5 foot 6 (have put on 3 stone over past year) and now I'm too scared to get pregnant before losing it. I don't have any friends who were overweight like me before getting pregnant.

labella - don't worry about one silly comment. I think the problem with the word "obese" is that some people interpret it to mean that you push yourself around in a wheelchair and wash yourself "with a rag on a stick" [tm Bart Simpson] - which of course is not the case!

I am obese, and properly so- BMI is 50 to my horror. I am also 31 weeks pg with #2 after falling pg after our first try.

I have had to go for a GTT, which was normal, plus extra growth scans, all of which showed a normal sized baby. My blood pressure is also normal. I eat a healthy diet (just too much of it...), don't smoke, and am relatively fit. As my midwife puts it, I am perfectly healthy, and the extra tests, although I do appreciate the concern, seem a little unnecessary.

Perhaps there are extra risks involved with pregnancy when you are obese, but I wish they would take the individual into account. There are people who are more in need of the extra checks and consultant led care than I am.

Can I venture a defence of the media here [ducks head down]?
This study was done on women with a BMI of 35 or more which is classed as severely obese. That's a 5'5 woman weighing at least 15 stone at booking appointment.
A few pounds over ideal will not increase your risks massively, if at all.
The researchers deliberately looked at BMI of 35+ because they wanted to establish what the risks were at that weight and would not have found such a marked effect if they had looked at all women who were just overweight or even just 'normal obese', ie BMI 30 to 35.

Interesting insights. I agree that docs should take precautions based on an individual's circumstances but Cleararly there is evidence to show problems associated with obesity just as there are with being too underweight. I have a v low bmi and was offered extra scans due to risks to baby. I guess they are highlighting the obesity study as it is a growing problem.

Hi Sh77,
yes you're right. Technically its a u-shaped curve with the risks of complications elevated with a low BMI, then drop as BMI comes into normal range (bottom of the u) then rise again with increasing BMI.
The study did not look specifically at underweight women which is why none of the media reports mention them either.
The study was not done to stigmatise overweight women or scare them, rather find out how many there are and whether the NHS is equipped to treat them properly - answer its not.

I am 21 weeks and "obese". I am taking part in a research study at the hospital on maternal weight and it's effects on pregnancy childbirth and baby.
The research is to ascertain what triggers the problems larger mums have as not all women with a high BMI have the same issues during pregnancy and childbirth.

The fact is that the medical profession don't know what triggers the issues in women with a high BMI. So to make sure they don't miss anything all women with a high BMI are given the extra care to make sure.

Hopefully in the future there will be a simple test that can be done that will prevent pregnant women like me feel inadequet because they have had the ordasity(sp?)to get pregnant whilst being fat. I would have to have extra monitoring and tests and basically be a strain on the NHS. CMW lacks a bit of tact, but the MW and Dr at the clinic have been lovely and put my mind at rest straight away.

FWIW - I lost 2 stone before we got our BFP and I was well on the way to losing more. It was probably losing the weight I did lose that made the difference. I have PCOS and we were about to start fertility treatment. I'm a believer in nature taking it's course, and if I wasn't able to have children because of my weight then I'd have to do something about it (which I was doing).

I just feel sad that so many women are tagged as obese (which is a medical term I know) and all the stigma and bad feeling that goes with it. Having a baby should be one of lifes magical experiences and some are tarnished by a medical label that makes women feel generally shit.

Rant over :o

I think it's a very fine balance between reducing risk to women who are significantly obese and alarming and guilt-tripping those who are not, at a time where it is very hard to avoid gaining weight - and sometimes significant amounts. I think the NHS are notoriously crap at giving any tangible, clear advice to safely lose weight/avoid weight gain at any time let alone during pg. I have never been obese but have yo-yoed and have at times been just into the overweight category. I would never go to my GP though for advice about losing weight as firstly I wouldn't be considered overweight enough for the nhs to intervene and secondly because any advice/intervention they woul offer woul either be laden with cliches ("eat less, move more" urmmm, never heard that before) or frankly extreme or dangerous e.g. surgery/cambridge diet etc. I would always therefore end up having to get advice from organisations/companies that have a financial motive (eg slimming clubs) so you can never be 100% sure if their "way" works as well as they say it does, or whether it is in keeping with current research/is safe. You could say that my desire to lose weight would be based on vanity, but surely it is better for the NHS to get involved when you are just slipping into the overweight category before more extreme measures are required and health is actually being compromised. the same could be said about women who are thinking about getting pg, help should be given if their BMI is JUST above normal to allow them to gain weight during pg (which is BOUND to happen) without them feeling guilty and scared that they are putting their babies at risk. When I am a Dr I intend to lots of research on this and really try and change things. I am studying medicine and we always learn that adherance to treatment is really helped along by giving very clear, practical instructions - but advice on weight fron health care professionals is never like this. x

That really really annoys me. Because we are fat, we sit on our bums, stuffing our faces until we are sick, measuring our inches and thinking to ourselves, life doesn't get any better than this obviously! And yes it does carry over from IGNORANT posters, to the fashion world, you are not allowed to be pregnant if you have a high bmi so therefore no point making clothes.

I have been trying to lose weight since I had my firstborn 17 years ago. I put on 5 stone when I was pregnant, most of it went straight away, but the relationship I was in wasn't a good one. There is no way I could have got away with not dieting and I tried every diet going. I even went to see the nurse who told me I was deluding myself as to what I was eating as I couldn't possibly eat so little and be putting weight on.

With each child I put it on and it won't go. Now on preg 6, and a size 26 on average, sometimes 28 bottoms, and sometimes 24 so clothes vary. I have high bp although since getting pregnant it has gone lower. The doc doesn't know what started it as it suddenly came on about a year ago and before OP says its because I am fat and lazy, and eat too much, yes sometimes on rare occasions I have junk food. For the most part I try to eat fruit and veg. However I have severe Irritable bowel. Before tablets I was surviving on one rich tea a day as that was all I could eat that didn't have me running to the toilet. I can provide a list of all the things I can't eat, its a lot longer than the things I can eat. I love healthy food, I love weetabix, shredded wheat, greens etc. i can't eat them unless I want to spend hours glued to the toilet seat. I can't eat dairy, spicy, or fatty foods. I have always grilled rather than fried, don't have salt, have decaf tea and coffee, don't eat many cakes/biscuits.

I don't go to the Gym, but when I walk, I walk fast and I CAN walk miles. I volunteer in school 3 days a week, we don't have a car, I HAVE to walk everywhere, and living in a rural town that equates to miles per week by the time I have done school runs, out of school activities etc and the walks we go on anyway. In fact I can walk further than many slim people I know.

So perhaps OP might like to diagnose why I am so fat then, or is it too many rice cakes (as salad is on the can't eat list) Or perhaps I ought to take up smoking as most slim people I know do and it keeps them slim.

Being fat is not always because of our life style. Mine may have started it, but it certainly isn't it now, or I would be slim, and hubby who DOES eat constantly, and all things he shouldn't, wouldn't be superslim. My family have always (women especially) battled with weight and despite what ignorant people say, it can have a bearing on things. I would much rather be slim, but its not going to happen, so I don't see why I should be labelled and punished as though I am doing it for pleasure!