Plus-sized Pregnancy

[leotwist]

Feeling hot and tired in the supermarket the other day, I mentioned to the checkout girl that it was probably because I was pregnant and had a cold. When she asked how far along I was, I said ‘Just a couple of months’. To which – with a pointed downward glance – she replied, ‘Oh is that all?’ Cheeky cow Granted I am plus-sized, but I felt like shaking my belly fat at her, Goonies style, and shouting, ‘This? Oh this is just all blubber so far!’

Now, obviously weight is an important consideration when you’re pregnant, and to get regular exercise and healthy food throughout. However, some of us get pregnant at a higher weight than most and, once you are, is not the time for any extreme dieting.

This thread is for the plus-sized mums amongst us (usually classed as size 18+) to support each other without judging or patronising. Your tales, reflections, experiences, resources, rants, etc – all very welcome!

Great thank you, I would love a water birth so fingers crossed I don't make the high risk or consultant list. We had an early scan for bleeding and our 12 week which was dreadful but I'm thinking positive now and not dwelling on that one.

At our hospital there is a birthing pool on the Labour ward as well as the MLU - it was on my birthing plan but after a long induction I asked for an epidural so the option was removed for me.

Fingers crossed for you.

Hi all
We are ttc for 5 years now with PCOS.and over weight as well. Was on Clomid 50 mg for 3 months with no luck. And was on Clomid 100mg last month and got my first ever BFP this month. Been to GP last Monday (9/5/16) she said as I have got the clear lie digital positive she confirmed me that I am pregnant and said she will refer me to midwife. i am 5+4 now. But I feel like my period going to come any minute now. Any one of you feel the same. And do we get any extra care as we going to have a Clomid baby.
Please share your experiences with me
Got too many questions in my mind....

Hello everyone,

Just here to recount my experiences at booking in re. being plus size...

All booked in at 10+1 yesterday. I met with a local home birth champion midwife who remembers me from planning my two previous home births. We had a long conversation about BMI and whether or not to get weighed, I really wasn't keen as I don't want to be defined by my size, however I ended up getting weighed after listening carefully to her but asked not to know my weight/BMI. I was offered but have declined consultant & anaethetist appts and the metabolic clinic but will get extra growth scans at 28, 34 & 36 weeks as well as a presentation scan (due to planned home birth) in late pregnancy. I got a bit upset when recounting my upsetting experiences with consultants & anaethetists due to BMI with DC1, the midwife was lovely and very kind. She said it was my right (which I knew) to plan to give birth where I wanted to and that she had to put me under consultant led care and ticked all the boxes she had to and told me all the risks re. giving birth when over a certain BMI marker, which I understood - but I could accept/decline the care I am to receive.

So fairly positive and I know I'm lucky that she was very fair and practical and not mean.

I've not read up thread so will catch up soon - supposed to be getting kids ready for school!!

What a lovely supportive thread!

My BMI was 31.8 at booking in, but it wasn't talked about in a bad way at all, in fact the midwife said I was "a lovely low risk lady and would hopefully stay that way" and just mentioned that I would have to do a GTT (which came back fine). Diet was only discussed in terms of what you can't eat (soft cheese, pate, alcohol etc) and in fact she even said that in the coming few weeks with morning sickness I might want to only eat carbs and junk food, and that was absolutely fine, just eat what I wanted! And that once I felt better after about 12 weeks or so then to make more effort to eat healthily but until then not to worry. As it happened at about 8-12 weeks I did totally go off vegetables, they tasted bitter and awful, and I could just tell people who frowned at me (like my mum.....) that the midwife says its ok!

Since then weight has not been mentioned, in fact at my appointment yesterday (30 weeks) she looked at the weight column and said nah, we don't need to weigh you

Scans were a little painful as they dig the scanning thing right in, but it was never mentioned that it was more difficult due to my weight. The notes for my 20 week scan say something like that it was technically difficult due to tissue characteristics - maybe that means due to fat? Meh.

I was a 16-18 before pregnancy and now am more of a 18-20, I'd heard you won't show as early but I was showing about 14 weeks, and have a nice rounded bump. I'd also heard you won't feel the baby moving so early (and I have anterior placenta so doubly so) yet I was feeling baby move by 16 weeks.

I do find that I'm getting very achy now in my hips, and my knees and ankles sometimes, I do wonder if the extra weight adds to that.

Clothes wise George at Asda is brilliant, and cheap too! Think they go up to a 22 or 24. It's all online but if you click and collect it's available to collect the next day after 5pm which is great. Sizes do vary a bit so I'd recommend ordering different sizes and just return what doesn't work. Mother care have some nice stuff and cheaper than I thought, think they might only go up to 20 though.

It took us 5 months to conceive which is apparently less than average if you're in your thirties, so for anyone worried, it doesn't necessarily cause problems there either.

Submerged in the bath tonight (it's a very big bath!), I could hear my heartbeat. Then suddenly thought about how I'll soon be able to hear our little one's heart beating alongside mine. Pregnancy is so wonderful. ♥

I'm a size 18, just found out I'm pregnant again, bigger than I was with my other two pregnancies so a bit worried about that. I had two very different pregnancies, with my first I was a size 14 after giving birth, had been a size 16 before. With my second went up to an 18.

I'm really dreading being weighed at my booking in appointment as I know I'm heavier now than I've ever been. Even thinking about joining slimming world.

sjj257 please don't be worried. First time I was weighed and it was dealt with in a matter of fact way. This time I wasn't weighed but gave them my weight and was honest. Weight alone will not make you high risk.

Mrudhula I'm currently 23+5 with a Clomid pregnancy. I got mine prescribed from the fertility clinic rather than the GP, so they wanted to do an early scan for me as there's a higher chance of multiples with Clomid than natural conception. Once they saw a fetus the right size with a heartbeat, the fertility clinic didn't want to do anything else so I've just been back in normal NHS antenatal care. My mw referred me to the consultant because it was an "assisted conception" though the guidelines about that talk mainly about IVF rather than Clomid alone, so that might not have been strictly necessary.

I also have to have a glucose tolerance test because of the PCOS and my weight (BMI 31 at booking) but that would have been necessary if I'd conceived naturally anyway.

Thanks sockqueen
I also got my Clomid from fertility clinic. They told me that I have to inform them as soon as I know I am pregnant. I did the same thinking they might do some scan or some kind of tests. But what I got is that they told me that they are cancelling my next appointment and I have to go through the process from GP.
And my GP is a big waste of time I saw her last Monday, she told me that she sent the referral. Yesterday by luck I felt like calling midwife to make sure they got referral they told they haven't received any. I called GP back. For my surprise she haven't send the referral for some unknown reason. And she sent it yesterday.
I am already very tended with my cramps 24 hrs. I always feel like my AF going to turn up any minute.
Thanks

Thank you, lily, shelby and noodle, for telling us about your MW booking appointments. It's made me feel a lot more relaxed about it. (Hope I don't go in there now like a lamb to the slaughter, and get some meanie who gives me a hard time!) Interesting to hear too, Lily, that your area has a 'home birth champion'. What a great idea.

By the way, just in case any newbies were freaking out, when shelby says 'scans were a little painful as they dig the scanning thing right in,' she's does mean with external abdominal scans, not internal (vaginal) ones. Thought I'd clarify!

On scans, I had my first at 7 weeks cos of our particular IVF procedure. I pre-empted any problems by warning them that I might need an internal cos "ahem, I've got a bit of a chubby tummy". They were fine with that, suggested we give it a shot externally first and then, if it wasn't clear, have me go to the loo and do internal. Naturally, the ext. was really blurry so we switched over and got a lovely clear heartbeat.
About internal scans too, in case anyone's cringing a bit at the prospect. I was dreading these, partly cos but mainly cos I've always found smears or any other internal desperately uncomfortable. So I'm always surprised at just how easy internal scans are. Basically, they use loads of lube and it's up there before you know it! And in case anyone's as self-conscious as me about getting naked in front of strangers: rather than wearing the paper overall like they suggest, I just drape it round my hips and thighs so I can cover what I want, while they're busy with the other bits :-)

RE Scans the only thing I found a little embarrassing (but was handled pretty sensitively by all sonographers I have had) was being asked to hold my tummy tight/out of the way!

They do have to press quite hard and I do get upset at the comment written on my scan notes about visibility poor due to .... (some technical term for my blubber!!)

One of the biggest things I have found to help is to be happy to acknowledge you are on the large side - it can cause problems in pregnancy, it doesn't mean it will but I have found being quite happy to say yes I am big has stopped an number of comments.

I saw lots of community midwives in my first pregnancy due to extra appointments and my 'own' one seeming to be off a lot. I can remember one who I had a 31 week appointment which was an extra one and she gave me a confused look when I said it was my 31 week appointment and I jokingly said its extra as I am too fat and too old! It broke the ice and her response was 'aren't we all'.

I have never had any negative non medically needed comments made to me at all.

Hmmm, sorry your clinic weren't so helpful, Clomidworries. Hope you hear from the midwives soon.

oops yes I definitely meant external scans! I've never had to have an internal one. Just a bit painful when they're pressing hard onto your hip or belly button, I found.

Just told my blood pressure is 'perfect' at 116/79! So that's one less thing to worry about. Not so good, I guess, that I came home and celebrated with two chicken curry pies. Oops!

Can I lurk in here??

I'm 5'10 and I got down to 14 1/2 stone just before getting pregnant, just came back from my booking appt and the midwife weighed me in at 16st. I'm genuinely gutted - sobbed in the car

Ditto leo - 115/79 here!!

Hi all
I am 6+1 today
I did the clear blue digital test today morning as there is one left. It came as pregnant 2-3 weeks.
My concern is I am having no sypthomps no sore boobs no sickness. And on top of it no more cramps as well from yesterday. I am worried a lot. Any one else faced the same. And what happend at the end. No call or letter from my mid wife yet. Please looking for some reassurance. I know it's silly but ended up in tears today. As I have been ttc from almost 6 years now.
Hope everything goes well.

CBD are not totally accurate with dating - the threshold to go from 2-3 to 3+ is quite a big leap and quite a few people, myself included, found it didn't go up as quickly as expected.

Some people do have no symptoms, especially in the first few weeks. Fingers crossed for you that everything is still ok!

Thanks SockQueen
Hope all goes well.

Re blood pressure readings be prepared for looks of shock when it's normal everytime! It's almost like they want you to have an issue to back up the theory that we will all have high blood pressure (plus the other assumptions!) I seemed to disappoint a lot of medical staff by having low blood pressure last time round - had to have weekly tests from 32 weeks on last time as it was predicted (at 16 weeks) high bp would be an issue!

My blood pressure has always been fine as well!

Sad news, I’m afraid. We had our 9-week ultrasound yesterday and no heart beat could be found. It should have been totally clear, as we’d already seen it two weeks ago and the fetus had continued to grow exactly as it should have. However, they searched from every possible angle and got in the most senior sonographer for a second opinion and, sadly, the conclusion was the same. The pregnancy has simply stopped. They think it must have happened in the last couple of days.

Naturally we’re devastated, partly as we’d felt so optimistic. Our embryos were rigorously screened, as was our 27-year old egg donor. My womb and blood tests have been perfect throughout, and I still have no bleeding or cramps. But then we knew that, as with any pregnancy, it’d probably take more than one go and sometimes there just isn’t an explanation: what happens will happen anyway.

I’m scheduled to have a surgical evacuation under general anaesthesia first thing on Monday. Fortunately, that’ll also help my body reset quickly. At my age, time is of the essence. The one thing that makes our loss now even bearable is knowing we’ve got further embryos to transfer and can try again in a couple of months. So, hopefully, I’ll be back again soon.

In the meantime, I wish you the very best of luck with your pregnancies. I’m massively grateful for everyone’s support, fun and encouragement. As a little old woman with a twinkle in her eye said to me the other day, “every baby’s a miracle.” So try not to worry; in truth, it won’t make any difference anyway. And, even if you don’t always feel great, just feel lucky and enjoy it.

May every one of you and your babies stay healthy, happy and much-loved, all the way. With very best wishes, Leotwist xxx

Leotwist such sad news for you. I am so sorry. Fingers crossed for you next time round it is more successful. Such a hard process to go through.

Much love and all the best for in the next few days and months.

Leo I'm so sorry to hear that Take care of yourself and best wishes for your TTC journey xx