Overweight - What are my birth options?

[Kayleigh1986]

I would absolutely love a water birth but don't think I will be allowed one as I'm overweight. We have a midwife led unit at our hospital but again I don't think I will be able to use it because of my weight, my bmi is 40

I have lost 3.5 stone since September but obviously it's highly unlikely I'll be losing any more.

1st child born 2007, normal birth, was induced and then ended up in theatre and gave birth on the operating table with forceps about 30 secs away from a section

Thanks

Depends if you’re high risk - at my hospital high risk mums couldn’t go to the MLU. But there was one water birthing suite in the main delivery suite.

I think over weight plus foreceps /rushed to theatre birth will throw you into the high risk category. But honestly, don’t worry about it, you will still have a lovely birth it just won’t be somewhere with lavender coloured walls - but who looks at the walls when you’re giving birth?! Lol. Labour wards are fine and you get your own private room to birth and labour in, you don’t just give birth on the ward. You get more TLC from staff this way also, or they’ll leave you alone if you wish.

I had a higher bmi with my 1st child, my birth was totally normal (actually incredibly quick and intervention free).

This time my bmi is even higher and I am classed as high risk as I had high bp in last pregnancy. So far my community midwife and the consultant team are happy for me to have a homebirth, if something changes such as my bp going up they have said the MLU will still be an option.

Talk it through with your midwife, being overweight shouldn’t prevent you from having the birth you want.

I was high risk and birthed in the normal delivery suite but honestly it was lovely.
I personally think water births are highly overrated and can lead to more tearing as the midwife can't see as well to help you push at the right time. My friend had been pushing for ages, got out of the pool and turned out she wasn't even fully dilated.
Your birth can still be nice with minimal intervention wherever you have it.

Thanks ladies xx

I think its not good to have your heart set on a particular birth plan even if you did have a lower risk pregnancy, and weren't overweight. My first birth didn't really go to plan (wanted a water birth in MLU, got a hormone drip with continuous monitoring on labour ward), and i think I was more wound up about that during labour than i should have been.

I will have a 'go with the flow' attitude this time, whatever happens during labour, happens - 'baby out safely' will be my sole focus.

There are pools on our ward to use as well as in the midwife led unit.

Hi lass

The weight issue will only mean more checks will be done including the two glucose tests in later pregnancy but won't actually be the cause of consultant care.

Because you did need intervention (as did I with my first so I get the whole forceps thing) that is what will likely trigger a CL pathway and probably only for safety reasons.

I was induced with first and news as help getting her out - nothing to be ashamed about and in our labour room was ensuite unit and deep bath, you may be allowed to use it during early labour but discuss with team and keep options open.

Good luck mama

They can’t tell you what you are allowed and not allowed to do, only advise what they think is best. If you want to labour in the pool, tell them. If they say no, they should have a waiver you can sign or you can sign in your notes that you are aware that they have advised against this but wish to proceed anyway. With a high BMI it might not be advisable to deliver in the pool as in an (unlikely) emergency it could be very difficult to get you out but it might be deemed lower risk to have you labour in the pool and then get out to deliver ‘on land’ for example. Usually with a little give and take you can find a solution that suits you and your midwives but don’t forget that you have the last say.

coffee The problem with a ‘go with the flow’ attitude is that it makes you completely passive in your care planning. Women should be encouraged to consider and question the options offered to them and make the best choice for them and their babies, not just do as told.

Sorry, to clarify, i did mean of course you should have an idea of what you would prefer to happen, just not 'heart set' on any specific plan.

By 'go with the flow' I mean I will make my own decisions but in real time whilst in labour based on my ideal, but influenced by the situation and the advice of the experts. I don't think the type to have my heart set on anything so much that I'd be signing waivers that go against advice.

My BMI was 32 when DD was born. I wasn't classed as high risk but they don't let over 30 give birth in my MLU. I had regular scans in the later stages as I was measuring way too big. They let me go in the water at in the delivery suite but they said I wasn't allowed to push in the water, I think that as due to the size of DD rather than me though.

Thanks ladies, I'm easy going in that whatever is re safest way to get baby here is the best way but I'd love to have a few options available x

legally you can birth anywhere you want to. Listen to what they say but also acknowledge you cannot be made to do anything. make an informed choice once you have all the info you need.

Was in a similar situation to you OP with my f

Sorry... posted too soon. Was going to say I was in a similar position and researched a lot the whole water birth thing. I read high BMI labours can't use the pool as, if something goes wrong and you are incapacitated, they worry that they won't be ever to lift you out. It's a bit of an annoying policy as is all based on bmi when booking, not actual weight at term (so a lower bmi at booking who gains lots of weight may be ok, but someone who was over limit at booking but gains less will not). In the end was completely irrelevant for me as was induced as overdue with epidural etc. Moral of the story being look at your options but be willing to with the flow.