Pregnant and very obese

[helgaw99]

Hi all,
I have just found out I am pregnant, I am 5 weeks. It was a total surprise, but I am very happy about it.

But- I am considered very obese with a BMI of 42. Like I said, this pregnancy is unplanned. I was two stone into losing weight in order to try and get pregnant. So please I don't need lots of judgement about getting pregnant- I am sure I will get enough of that from the doctors.

I am assuming I will have to have internal scans as the majority of my weight is on my belly- am I right?

Also- is there anyone else out there like me?! Or any positive stories of women of my size who have had fine pregnancies?

I am very healthy otherwise, normal blood pressure, never smoked, actually quite fit for my size and only 30, so there are a few things in my favour!

Thanks
Hx

I don't know. My BMI was 32 despite being very fit and I got no problems or comments at all. I know they gave my bigger friend tinzeparin as they cosidered her overweight? Just try to keep active and I hope everything goes well for you.

Hi there not much advice but congratulations :)

All I do know is that Slimming world has been deemed as safe to do whilst pregnant to help maintain a healthy weight gain throughout. I know you have to speak to your midwife and get her to sign to say she agrees for you to to participate but perhaps that would be worth a try? There was a thread about it here just a few days ago actually.

No advice re scan but I think you will probably get a few extra ones, which is never a bad thing :)

Good luck with your pregnancy.

Congratulations!

Keep active, eat well and remember your folic acid :)

I don't have any insight but just that I agree if you still want to manage your weight slimming world ere fab.
Congratulations btw, and well done on losing 2 stone.

You could try using slimming world my sil got pregnant very quickly after her first child was born last year (she is due her second in august) and she is using slimmingworld to shift her previous baby weight (if that makes sense) The doctors might suggest you take something in the way of a bloodthinner as i think someone said above it'll be a daily injection (i use fragmin due to a previous dvt) i would have thought they would have been able to give you a normal scan but your best checking that with your midwife. I'd just say keep active and eat healthily don't worry too much about losing weight now you can worry about that when little one arrives

No judgement here, congrats!!

Obviously the slimming down helped get you pregnant a little sooner than you thought.

Keep active with things like gentle walking and healthy with a good diet and I am sure all will be well and your weight will balance out fine.

Congratulations! :)

You do not need dildocam scans, there is no reason why a good biographer can't use a normal wand on your tummy. Although it would not be unheard of for a myriad of complaints to be blamed upon your weight.

Biographer = sonographer doh silly phone!

Congratulations! And, well done for losing 2 stone already.

As others have said, slimming world can be done during pg and I know of one or two who either gained no weight (so in other words a net loss) or continued to lose sensibly throughout. Obv, that is not what they will tell you to aim for but if sticking to a healthy eating plan has that result then so much the better.

Keep active, maybe swimming would be good as it will help keep the weight off your joints?

Personally (size 14-16) I've only ever had internals when v v early on. Post 7 wks it's outside all the way. Maybe they might have to do the 12 weeks scan internally if you carry a lot of weight on your tummy but I wouldn't have thought it would be a problem for long.

You're in for a wonderful, bumpy ride, no matter what your weight or age so enjoy every minute!

If its any help I am pretty overweight too. I had an early scan at what turned out to be about 5 and a half weeks. Because like you I have most of my weight on my tummy they tried to do a scan the normal way but the images weren't great, then used the internal ultrasound and got better images. They did put on my report "suboptimal images due to increased BMI".
Sonographer told me that at 12 week scan the normal ultrasound will be fine because baby bigger and further up the pelvis.
My midwife and doctor have both said that I need to loose weight and that I'm at a higher risk of diabetes etc, but neither have been horrible about it. I've had 2 children already and I'm pregnant with my third. Being overweight is not ideal but it's not the end of the world!!!
Cheer up and enjoy being a mum to be!!!

I was a size 22 with dd3. Very healthy, normal pregnancy. You can be scaned as normal.
You may well find that a glucose tolerance test is recommended, looking for signs of gestational diabetes but like all tests you can decide if it's something you want to pursue.

IF you're not already then you should start taking 5mg of folic acid (compared to normal 400mg) daily. Many doctor and midwives haven't heard of this but it reduces neural tube defects.

www.sacn.gov.uk/pdfs/SMCN1009%20-%20RCOGCMACE%20folic%20acid%20suppl%20in%20obese%20pregnancy%20f%E2%80%A6.pdf

Odd cath. As I say above, I had an internal scan at the same time as you. I made a crack about it being cos of my flabby belly and sonographer said no - it was very uncommon to be able to see anything at all on anyone at that gestation from the outside.

I think as someone else alluded to upthread - weight becomes the automatic blame carrier for everything.

Thanks everyone for their lovely messages

It all feels so odd- I feel like I just have so much to worry about for the next few weeks. I am sure I will calm down after 12 weeks!

Hx

My bmi is in the 40's which was the same as with ds who is 7. There was one measurement that was difficult to get on the regular scan due to "fetal lie and maternal body habitus" this time, but first time around there were no problems scanning with my weight due to ds being rather more co-operative.

ds was 12lb 4oz but they suspect that is genetic as he was massive not fat and my dad was over 11lb when he was born. I automatically got a glucose tolerance test but that was all fine as it was last time as well as I never have problems, neither do I have blood pressure problems, and I'm pretty fit for a massive 36 year old.

I ended up induced first time around but then with a c-section as ds was back to back and his head was also tilted back. Recovery from that was absolutely fine, but due to my weight I did automatically get the whatever injections that reduce chance of dvt while in hospital afterwards. This time it will most likely be a c-section again and I have to have an anaesthetist assessment and will have injections/support stockings.

No-one has been judgmental at all but sometimes they act surprised about my blood pressure being fine (currently 105/60) and I get the feeling they're just waiting for problems!

The only weight I put on last time was baby related and it looks to be going the same way this time. I walk and swim to keep fit.

Didn't in one way plan to be pregnant again at this weight (or at all!), but had surprise pregnancy and miscarriage in Nov and that made us really want another and amazingly got pregnant again in Jan!

I'm not even 12 stone at 5 months pregnant and my BMI is 32-which they're not happy about for my height 5"4...

I had the same with my first pregnancy...still they just mythered about diabetes testing which I declined and I was perfectly fine, I've just declined it again...FWIW I lost all of my baby weight within 6 weeks of giving birth.

My bmi was the same as yours when I had dd. Apart from one glitch at the end which wasn't weight related I had a normal happy pregnancy. No internal scans were necessary and there was no problem getting a good picture with the scans. She had to press hard but that's it. I am now pg again and no problems with scans this time either. I have had two internal scans but they were both in the EPU when the baby was tiny and it was standard practice for everyone not just me.

You will probably have a closer eye kept on you but don't let them bully you. I'm sure it'll be fine and hassle free. Please don't worry. It is perfectly possible to have a normal pregnancy despite what the press would have you believe. :)

Congratulations! I had a high bmi and was also 46 so midwife/consultant had a field day telling me all the risks! Only had external scans and most of my pregnancy weight was baby. I did get gestational diabetes in 3rd trimester and baby was transverse so had cs at 39 weeks. I would say make sure health professionals support you and don't just lecture/patronise you. Try to enjoy your pregnancy if possible - I have a beautiful healthy baby and it was all worth it :)

Well done, and congratulations on the weight you already lost - it is very hard, so feel good for what you already acheived!

My BMI has been between 34-36 on my 3 pregnancies. The first two I had external scans only, the first scans were at 12 weeks. My last pregnancy I had scans from 5.5 - 9 weeks weeks and these were internal (AlpinePony, still laughing my head off at "dildocam" - so perfect! ). They could see something on the external scans from 7 weeks, but not much detail. Unfortunately, I did mc this time, but no indication at all that weight was anything to do with it (so please, please don't worry). My previous 2 pgs were completely uneventful, normal BP, only gained half a stone each time, which I lost within 2 weeks, no blood-glucose problems at all.

I did have 2 emergency cs, but to do with my "cervix of iron", which is like a one way street, and will not dilate for anyone (not even for lots of prostins & syntocinon)!!!! Again, no indication this is weight related.

Good luck!

Congratulations and enjoy your pregnancy! Please don't worry- size doesn't always matter with scans a size 8 with rock hard tummy muscles can produce worse images than a larger lady at times.
ApinePony- What??!! Where do you get your information? Total bollox my dear! 'Dildocam' is used only when needed FFS!!! Do you think that a Sonographer would seriously do a TV scan unless they had to?! As for the 'wand' comment- there in lies the problem- I fear that some people think it is just that! It is Not a magic wand- it is a probe on the end of an arm of a highly trained professional, attached to a very complex machine...

Congratulations!

I am a similar BMI and yes scans have been less clear and therefore taken longer because of the extra fat but dont fret as the sonographers are very good at doing their jobs.

I was expecting a fight to be allowed to use midwife unit due to BMI but as it was my second pregnancy midwife was fine about it although it is scheduled for a review as pregnancy progressed.

In first pregnancy they referred me to consultant regarding concerns about big baby and shoulder dystocia (sp?). He had no concerns

You may also be referred to an anesthetist in case epidural is needed.

Even if you did need a scan an internal scan is absolutely nothing to worry about-they put hardly any wand in you, not usually any stirrups involved and it doesn't hurt, in fact it's not even uncomfortable. FWIW I think the decision internal/abdominal depends a lot on what scanning equipment they have and whether rs NHS or private. I had private scans weekly from 6 weeks to 10 weeks at an IVF clinic and they did all of them internally, whereas NHS did abdominal when at that gestation. Anyway that's all slightly off topic but just wanted to reassure you

Have not read any replies yet so apologies if repeating anything.
My BMI was 44 at the beginning of this pregnancy and I have never had an internal scan. My blood pressure is textbook perfect. BUT make sure everybody uses the right size cuff for you or they will have you for high blood pressure when it might not be.
Any scan notes may say something along the lines of view restricted due to adiposity. But that is just a note that they put.

My BMI was 40 at the beginning of pregnancy. I had also recently lost some weight while TTCing. I only had one internal scan and that was at the fertility clinic (our first appointment and I was unexpectedly 6 weeks :o).

I also had "extra" appointments at the metabolic clinic. A dr there said she thought my original BMI was recorded incorrectly as she expected me to be fatter bigger.

I had extra growth scans at 28 32 and 36 weeks. all of these predicted DS was goign to be over 10lbs. he was 8lbs 1ozs.

I second making sure they use the right size cuff when taking you BP. Locum MW had me up at the hospital thinking I had hypertension. Got there and everything was fine

Finally, just enjoy your pregnancy. DS is now 10 weeks and perfect in every way!

Good point about the blood pressure! Also an electric machine shouldnt be used as it gives false readings (midwifes wouldnt do this but doctors may!)