2nd pregnancy before losing baby weight from first? What are the risks?

[ppandj]

Just wondering what the risks are if I don't return to pre-pregnancy weight before getting pregnant again. I gained a lot during first pregnancy and have so far lost about 3/5 of it and am doing slimming world, but am not using birth control. Should I use protection until I am at a healthier weight? Currently my BMI puts me in the overweight category which I wasn't before. This is the only reason I am thinking of going back on the pill to be honest.

Fat people have babies all the time. If you're unlucky it can cause issues, but likewise it's possible to be bigger and have an entirely uneventful pregnancy, just as it's possible to be slim and have an awful pregnancy. You just never know. Obviously it's not ideal to get pregnant if you're morbidly obese, but if you're just into the 'overweight' section of the chart I wouldn't stress too much. BMI is pretty flawed as a way of measuring obesity anyway.

One big issue with having a higher BMI, is that they may not let you give birth in a midwife led unit. The cut off at the hospital where I had my baby was 35.

Carrying too much (or too little) weight can also impact ovulation and fertility.

Thanks tinymonkey you are right! I suppose it isn't uncommon to not lose the weight before no2 or to be bigger before conceiving in the first time. I am eager to lose as much as I can before conceiving again just because I'd like to be healthier again. I used my first pregnancy as an excuse to pig out and am paying for it now! Next time I will be eating sensibly and healthily whether I have lost this weight or not.

I just wanted to add a little comment, I hope you don't mind. My 2nd baby was only 10 wks old when I found out I was pregnant again! I was already 5 wks gone with number 3. I was massively concerned my body wouldn't cope so soon after but my gp told me my body wouldn't let me get pregnant if it wasn't ready for it...I was still carrying a lot of baby number 2s weight. I was huge with him due to an unrelated issue with my ankles, I couldn't stand for more than a few minutes without being in agony, therefore I put on a lot more than usual... I would think at that time, I would also have been classed as overweight. I hope this helps in some way xx