Is anyone else plus-sized and pregnant?

[TiffanyAtBreakfast]

Hi all. I'm currently 4 weeks along, and a UK size 22. I've been big for ages and knew my weight was an issue - so I've been exercising and eating healthily for several months, which obviously worked as I'm happily now pregnant.

I did of course know the potential implications of being overweight when we decided to try, and while I'm over the moon, the worry is really taking the shine off. This was magnified last night by my mum saying, "I thought you were going to wait until you were slim and gorgeous first?!" when I told her the news .

So I just wondered if anyone here had a positive experience of plus sized pregnancy, or maybe anyone in a similar position? I plan to continue with healthy eating and gentle exercise throughout the pregnancy. (please be nice to me, I am a bit delicate right now!)

Congratulations!

I also dieted and exercised before getting pregnant much sooner than expected so I had a high BMI at booking in. I was really worried about it but the midwives/doctors mostly brushed off my concerns. They did refer me to a healthy lifestyle service on my request but I was almost 25 weeks and had left the area before the referral arrived! I certainly haven't felt judged because of my weight.

In my new area, I'm under consultant led care which mostly means 3 extra growth scans and lots of attention. So far, the baby is perfectly average in size and I've felt pretty healthy.

I have Gestational Diabetes (I was a very frustrating 0.1 above the lowest level) but like a PP, I have PCOS so suspect that was always going to be the case. It just means I have to monitor my blood sugar levels at the moment.

If you do want to eat healthily and need structure around that, you can do Slimming World while pregnant. You just need a permission form signed by the midwife. I managed a week before the need to eat ALL the carbs kicked in. I couldn't stomach anything that wasn't beige and bland so Slimming World was a bit pointless for me!

I'd highly recommend aqua natal classes if you have any near you. Being in the water feels really lovely and it's nice, gentle exercise.

Enjoy! Those first few weeks are an overwhelming but lovely time, so many nice things to look forward to.

Oh yes, I forgot about scans! You might need a dildocam scan performed internally at first if they have trouble seeing your baby. Be prepared to hold your tummy up and get into some funny positions! The pictures weren't very clear, but I was just happy that the sonographer felt confident she could see everything she needed to. ????Also, they told me all through that DS would be enormous (11lb+ at term, they said ) but he ended up a diddy 7lb 15oz and we had to go and buy smaller clothes for him :)

When people say anything just say, well too late to do anything about it now! My bmi was 31, one mw has issue with that but I ignore her, I've lost 10kg in pregnancy through sickness so just try not to put any on. Eat healthily and vow to lose weight post pregnancy. I have a small neat bump so doesn't mean you'll get to big either. Congratulations and good luck xx

YY to earlier poster about extra folic acid - you should be able to get this prescribed (and therefore free!!).

The only comment I had was from my consultant who, when my bump was measuring slightly small, poked me in the stomach and warned me not to use as an excuse to eat more as "Ethiopians have babies too you know".
Cheeky fucker.

My trust doesn't do the extra folic acid thing for bmi alone. Apparently they feel the original study was flawed and there is no benefit. (Study on overweight women who had previously had children with neural tube defects. No control group.)

Congratulations! I was a 20-22 with my first. Had a wonderful, uncomplicated pregnancy and a brilliant labour with gas and air. Midwives described my whole experience as textbook haha! Obviously I know its not like that for everyone, but I just wanted you to know that being overweight doesn't mean you will definitely have complications/assisted birth. I put 3lbs on as i only craved healthy food, but put more on after as bf left me starving. Currently 31 weeks with my second and bmi was 41 at booking (12 month age gap and didn't have time to shift the bf weight!) and again, so far, so good.

As others have said, take snarky comments about your weight with a pinch of salt. Most midwives were lovely but some did make comments to me.

Water births/midwife led units are out sadly. You can still have a brilliant midwife led labour in hospital though.

You get extra growth scans towards the end of pregnancy because measuring the bump with tape measure isn't accurate when you have, ahem, padding. See it as an extra chance to see your baby, and to find out what position they are in close to the birth.

You'll probably be testes for gestational diabetes as you've got a higher chance of developing it with a high bmi.

You might not develop a bump so to speak, not until you're quite far gone.

Plus size maternity clothes are a bitch to find! Next is good. I got 4 pairs of maternity leggings off eBay and live in non maternity dresses from simply be, yours etc. Just look for stuff cut under the bust to accommodate a growing bump.

Thanks so much all! I feel a million times better and actually excited about being pregnant again. MN is such a lovely place sometimes

Hi! I'm a UK size 28 (I live in the US, so that's a 24 here!), six feet tall, and 17 weeks pregnant. So happy to be pregnant...and I know a woman who has nearly 100 pounds over me and still had no complications with her births! Message me any time to commiserate!

Another one checking in. I was BMI 38 when pg with DD now 11 weeks pg with baby number 2 abd BMI of 40. I've been overweight for various reasons my whole life. If I'd have waited until it was in the healthy range I'd have died childless.
No problems at all in first pregnancy had a very nasty registrar filling in for the consultant at one of my appointments and he just about ruined the last part of my pregnancy for me with comments about my weight, but I really didn't have any problems.
My labour was awful but I think it would have been anyway as there was meconium in the water and they wanted her on the fetal monitor at all times so I couldn't move at all. As I say though I think that would have been the case anyway. Aside from that I had a normal delivery.
I would try not to worry to much OP, nowt we can do now!

Im a size uk 24. I had consultant led care care but my pregnancies were problem free . I had to have the drip during labour but the first time was because my little girl had pooed inside and with my boy I was being induced so non weight related. I did have an epidural with my daughter, which worked dor a few hours then stopped but I was so fidgety so think it had just moved as my mum insisted ot had.

Im a size 24 my first 2 pregnancies were fine no problems and im now 11 weeks into my 3rd. I did lose weight eith my son before I had him labours were voth natural had to be on drip as my first baby pooed inside me and with my son I was induced on the drip as he was overdue. So nothing weight related. I had to have clexane afterwards to prevent clots

Congratulations!

I'm a size 22-24 and pregnant with my second. My first pregnancy and delivery were completely problem-free. No high blood pressure, no gestational diabetes, and like others above I ended up lighter than I started (and this is happening again this time. I'm 17 weeks and almost a stone lighter than I was at 4 weeks.)

I didn't have very much in the way of "extra" appointments with my first: I was consultant-led until I was discharged back to midwife care at 34 weeks; I was prescribed 5mg folic acid instead of the standard amount in OTC tablets; I had a glucose test at 28 weeks that came back fine; I saw an anesthetist to check I was OK to have an anaesthetic if needed (it wasn't). I didn't have any extra scans. Labour and delivery were straightforward and quite quick, G&A only.

This pregnancy appears to be following the same pattern so far.

Obviously it's good to eat as healthily as you can, but be reassured that high BMI doesn't have to mean complications!

I was a size 22 in my first pregnancy and a size smaller in this one. No problems at all - no gestational diabetes, no blood pressure issues. Had a vaginal birth the first time (higher BMI means statistically higher chance of c section apparently). I found in my first pregnancy some midwives (never saw the same one twice) were a bit judgy about it.

No problems in this pregnancy either. This time no one's batted an eye at my weight and because I'm under consultant led care due to BMI and age (I'm over 40 years old) I have seen a number of registrars. One of them complained it was a complete waste of time as there's nothing wrong with me and they can't see any risks at all but them's the rules!

Good luck with your pregnancy - there's no reason it can't go as smoothly as anyone elses :)

PS - Bon Prix is your friend for maternity jeans.

One of my sisters was plus sized, my mother was slim for her first few and a bit bigger than you for the last few. I'm really early on still but I'm size 18-20.
I've asked my sister and mum because they'd been through it, both said they were just told to make good food choices. My mum said she went on walks whenever she could and that she's sure this helped her have an easier labour.
I had early scans an saw they'd written I have an increased BMI on some forms but nobody actually said anything directly to me.

Ooh thanks for the maternity jeans heads up GoooRooo, I was just thinking today that my jeggings are feeling very restrictive already.

I've been taking Pregnacare, hopefully that should have all my vitamins covered?! It's so strange this pregnancy lark, I feel like I'm just flailing around in the dark trying to work things out as I go along!

I second Bon Prix for maternity jeans. Wearing some right now!