Accidental (but very welcome) pregnancy - carrying serious excess weight - advice

[PogoBob]

Found out I was pregnant on Wednesday, we want a 2nd (were trying earlier in the year) but were supposed to be waiting!.

Timing isn't great, just started a new job and currently living in a 1 bed flat with no potential to move this year but neither of those issues are important compared to the baby so will deal with them.

My one concern is my weight. I'm not a small person and my 'comfortable' (IYKWIM) weight is overweight according to BMI. I'm currently almost 2 stone over that weight which is pushing me into obese . I'm also not that fit at the moment.

I know it's best to get healthy and lose weight before getting pregnant and the whole reason for waiting to ttc was for me to lose weight. But I'm here now and I wouldn't change this pregnancy for the world.

So my question is, what can I now to make this pregnancy as healthy as possible, I realise losing weight isn't recommended but I weigh the same now as I did when 7 months pregnant with DD so figure my body and the baby could cope with limiting weight gain.

Any advice or positive stories. My last pregnancy and birth were really easy so I know my body can do it.

Thanks

I'm a binge eater. My BMI was over 35 when I got pregnant with my first, and around 30 for my second. I had textbook pregnancies (no high BP, no diabetes) and quick, easy births. I'm 3m pregnant with my 3rd, BMI 31, and everything's OK. I think if you had no weight-related health problems before pregnancy it should be fine.

Thanks javotte, no health issues and the only thing in my last pregnancy was a few (very) slightly elevated blood pressure readings - and those always seemed to be when I had to rush from the office straight to the midwive so put it down to work stress!

Ok, I know that you may not be comfortable with your weight and that it isn't strictly speaking 'ideal' however, you really don't have a lot to worry about as you really aren't that overweight. If you are pushing obese, but not there yet, then you have a BMI between 25 and 30.

Eat healthily (in terms of types of food and sensible portion sizes) but don't go on a bingey low calorie diet - you can get advice from your midwife about this. Keep active, but without taking up any new strenuous exercise. This should keep your weight gain down to what the baby needs rather than extra cake retention.

I had a BMI of 53 at the beginning of last year. I started losing weight to help me get in better shape for getting pregnant (had fertility issues). I intended to get down to a BMI 25-30. I got pregnant with a BMI just under 40, and I've managed to remain a little under 40 so far into my pregnancy - 27 weeks. So like you, I wanted to be lighter when I got pregnant than I actually was when I got pregnant, but we had been trying so long, I just need to count my blessings, and try and stay as healthy as I can and promise myself I'll get back on the weight loss for myself and any future pregnancies after this baby is here and settled down a bit.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't be aware that you are overweight and be cautious about how much you put on, but you certainly aren't in the terribly high risk range of weight, and even women up here manage to have healthy pregnancies.

So far my midwife is happy that the baby is perfectly normal as far as they can tell and I haven't had any major complications thus far, so if things go well, I'm on for a MLU waterbirth :) keeps fingers crossed

Thank you spirited that's really helpful and re-assuring. My BMI is in the obese range but it is totally in my power to keep as healthy as possible in this pregnancy so I will just stay positive

Congrats on your pregnancy and fingers crossed that you get your water birth. I had DD in a MLU (got there to late to have a water birth) and it was a really nice setting.

Speaking (typing? ) as someone who was declared with a BMI of 34 (obese) at 11wks (85.2kg), dropped to 84kg by 16wks and now only weighing in at 87kg at 36wks tomorrow, I haven't tried to diet in any way, shape or form (I believe diets are evil after always seeing my DM being miserable when she was on them when I was little).

Personally, I've done the following:

*Cut down on the cola (never diet drinks - think they're evil too) & replaced it with fizzy water, fruit juice, squash, etc. I still need my caffeine fix, but it's kept down to the equivalent of one can a day.

*Fruit, nuts or low fat yogurt instead of chocolate for my go to snack (still have a bit of choccy daily, but only a little bit).

*Tried to eat more veg (trying still being the operative word - have been a fussy eater since childhood and I'm now 30. Time to grow up a bit methinks). Little things like homemade curries with extra diced peppers to cut down on the meat and getting DP to sneak lentils in it to help with my iron, making myself eat the kidney beans in the chilli instead picking them out (have realised that I don't actually taste them any more), etc

*Find healthier/low fat ways of cooking food - DP (he's a bit older than me) had a massive telling off about his cholesterol a few months ago due to him changing to my diet when I moved in , so have been working on the food & cooking thing anyway. Turns out Olive Oil isn't a good thing to use when cooking in the oven, so have switched to a spray oil for pans & oven trays.

*Keep moving! Being pregnant isn't an excuse to take root on the sofa (unless you've got SPD or such like). Ok, so at nearly 36 wks and after 2 weeks of sciatica due to an annoying passenger digging it's shoulder into the nerve, I've slowed down a lot, but I still try to cover at least half a mile on my lunch break walking around town and I think on average I'm walking 2-3 miles a day in total once you combine walking to train station for work, lunchbreaks, etc. Note - walking - not running, jogging, or anything like that - I have a dodgy knee and since 20 wks I haven't been capable of anything faster than a brisk amble!! Also, staying as mobile as possible is supposed to be better for the end result (fingers crossed!).

It's not perfect (I'm trying to change 30 years of questionable eating habits and reduce a cake & ice cream addiction ), but it's getting there slowly.

Thanks Enfys some really helpful tips there - will start putting those in place. Am also struggling slightly with undoing 31 years of less than stellar eating habits, off to the market to stock up on fruit and veg me thinks.

Speak to your midwife pogo - I remember someone on MN with got referred to a pregnant-women's healthy eating club type thing, which aimed to keep your weight steady in pregnancy (so you've actually lost weight once the baby's delivered, iyswim) but it was done through the NHS and in a healthy way etc :)

Hey I agree I had a bmi of 32 when I was pregnant with my 1st I just ate healthy and tried not to got ott with portions etc. I only put on 6lbs for the whole pregnancy. Had no problems with anything throughout and had a very fast easy labour. Less than 5hrs only used tens and gas and air no intervention. After I gave birth I was half a stone lighter. Then I bf for year and lost a further 2 stone! Now have bmi of 29 and am pregnant again so just following the same philosophy tho have put on a bit more with this one. But am thinking the bf will help me loose some more again after. But agree with everyone as long as you have no other health issues and try to eat healthy and not too much you'll be fine. Congrats to everyone on your pregnancies.