Size 24 Mum to Be

[EileenO]

I've just joined Mumsnet today and this is my first post! I'm 7 weeks pregnant and very excited. However, none of the info that I've found on the net is aimed at BBW Mums to Be and I'm hoping that some one on here can tell me I can get maternity wear and just what to expect during pregnancy e.g. will I have complications because of my weight? Will I actually get a bump that's noticeable etc.

Looking forward to your responses!

Thanks,

E :-)

Ì'm afraid I don't know the answers to your questions, but wanted to say congratulations and welcome

Welcome. My sil (Sister in law) is a size 24. She carried on with normal clothes from Evans for quite some time. I think her bump was bit later showing, but I think that is to be expected.

I'm large, and found that I didn't actually need maternity wear - I stayed in my own clothes (with the addition of a couple of elastic-waisted trousers from Evans) throughout. I'm rather larger than you are, though, so you may not find the same applies.

You are more likely to develop gestational diabetes, although that's by no means a given. It does mean, though, that you will almost certainly have to have a glucose tolerance test because of your size. Otherwise, as long as you are otherwise healthy, there's no reason to suppose you will have any more complications than anyone else.

My bump was noticeable to me and to people who know me well, but a lot of people (who presumably didn't want to ask or look too closely in case I thought they were being rude ) just thought I was fatter than usual! That may well have been because I wear long, loose clothing anyway, and because I didn't go for obvious maternity wear.

Have a look at Plus Size Maternity Wear and Bumps and Beyond, who seem to do maternity wear in sizes 16+ (and who I wish I'd known about when I was pregnant).

Welcome and congratulations.
I'm a 24, and pregnant with no2. Definately showing now at 22 weeks, look pregnant, not fatter! Was at a wedding at the weekend where several people asked when i was due, figured they wouldnt ask if there was any risk i would say I wasnt pregnant! Was a size 20 with dd, had no compliations.
Get the simplybe catalogue, there is more in it than on the web. The fashion this year for empire line tops is great, found a couple of lovely ones in evans.
Had no complications yet. All scans have been normal, not transvaginal (phew!).
All midwives been lovely, have had no comments about my weight.
There is no reason to believe that you should have anything but an easy, trouble-free pregnancy. Good luck.

hi eileeno congratulations on your pregnancy!! i am 37 weeks and a size 22 i have had glucose in my urine the whole way through this pregnancy also with dd1 but have avoided a glucose tolerance test this time around! in fact i now weigh 2kgs less than when i went for my dating scan at 10 weeks?? don't know quite how that works but hey! i have been put under the heading of BMIprotocol due to my weight but all that has meant an extra blood glucose test and a growth scan at 32 and 36 weeks and now i am nearing the end lots of people commenting on how much weight i've lost off my face!! good luck with the maternity wear i've had a bit of a mare but god bless Evans they've been fab!

Hi Eileen0. I'm also a 22/24 normally. Welcome to the site!!

I'm 18+3 and so far have just bought a size bigger in tops from Evans. As i have large thighs but a small waist, i've always had to buy a size bigger bottoms normally too so that i can get my legs in the trousers! At the moment, i'm still in my normal trousers, minus the safety pins that i used to have to stick in them to make the waist smaller.

Try to keep a fairly "healthy" diet if you can (to avoid GD) but otherwise i dont think you'll have any probs.

Good luck with everything!

Could try the Isabella Oliver long skirt in size 5

Hi, welcome to MN! I'm a size 26 usually, currently 35 weeks pregnant and down to my last two pairs of trousers lol

I ordered two pairs off simplybe.com, the black wideleg maternity trousers, and maternity jeans. The trousers have been ok but they absolutely SWAMP me, I think I should have bought a size or two smaller than usual, and I'm NOT small in any way! The jeans were rubbish, be warned. Far too loose at the stomach and very heavy denim so they just don't stay up. Tracky bottoms are your friend! Also don't buy special maternity tops when cheaper tunic style ones are everywhere right now, and perfect for the job.

I didn't show til at least 6 or 7 months, and still nobody guesses I'm pregnant even though the bump is rather huge now. Nobody has ever guessed!

As for any differences in terms of a plus size pregnancy, the only things I've noticed are:

-I am under consultant led care rather than midwife led (just means more tests, checkups and scans, plus a doctor there at the birth I think)

-the scans will be blurry if you have a big tummy, and they won't be able to tell how baby is lying through your stomach so they'll order extra scans. Bonus!!

• they will probably make you take a Glucose Tolerance Test to check for gestational diabetes (it's just a couple of blood tests and a drink of lucozade) but it doesn't mean you'll definitely have it, I don't.

• they may also assume you will have a big baby just because you're big. Ain't necessarily so! Don't let them scare you, mine is destined to be about 7.5lb.

-they told me I was imagining it when I said I felt my baby move first at 17 weeks.

-if you're over a certain weight they start muttering about table strength in exam rooms/scan rooms. (As if we could bend metal beds) lol

-I personally have had a lot of aches and pains, tiredness and HUGE swollen feet/ankles. Keep mobile and drink lots of water if you can, you may avoid all that.

Other than that really everything has proceeded as with any pregnancy, everything "works" and generally most of the doctors, midwives and other staff have been ok about my size. Pull them up about it if they aren't because there's no need for hostility!

hope this helps x

'lo

I was a size 28/30 when I fell pregnant with this baby.

Try to take care of yourself, do not diet whatever you do, and listen to your midwife.

You may be assigned a consultant or a shadow consultant, but it often means bugger all, throughout both my pregnancies I've only ever seen a consultant once, and that was purely coincidence as she happened to be on duty one day when I was at clinic for a regular check-up.

Your level of care, and the emphasis they place on your weight and shape will vary a great deal depending on where you are. I have never had additional tests unless there has been medical need (protein in urine etc.) and have not had a glucose tolerance test either.

The thing that I have noticed most is that they tend to be loathe to let you be too far away from medical facilities while in labour. You might get away with a midwife led unit, but they'll probably try to encourage you to have a hospital birth. In my area they try not to think about homebirth, although they have to listen to you and they have to give damned good reasons to deny you if you ask.

You will get a bump, although depending on your body shape and how your baby decides to lie it may not be noticed for quite a while. With my daughter I wasn't pregnant in the eyes of most people until I was nearly eight months as she liked to hide. With this one I feel like I have been carrying front and forward forever.

Maternity wear is overpriced and fiddly. If you can avoid it, do so. I find I lose vast amounts of weight while pregnant though, so it has never really been an issue for me.

Best of luck

Agnes

Hi and welcome Eileen and congratulaions on being up the duff. Like you I'm overweight (a size 18) and struggled with maternity clothes until a friend poited out that I'd overlooked the obvious high street options H&M, Next etc. Look online too but check ebay before buying as often you can pick up exactly what you've seen online for much less.

As far as complications go I agree with other posters but would add that if you have BMI over 35 (as I do) that's what is taken as the marker for consultant led care as there is an increased risk of shoulder dystocia. it's not a foregone conclusion that it'll happen to you though.

Everyone carries differently and every muppet's got an opinion on your pregnancy. I'm 20+6weeks and comments vary from 'You're huge!' (Not a problem I LOVE my pregnant tum, to 'Are you pregnant? You're not showing yet' (Said at about 3.30pm this afternoon!).
Love your bump, love your body, it's a very special thing that you're doing and a very special time in your life!

Hi Eileen - Congrats! It's strange but true - I too have lost a bit of weight during pregnancy - now at 36 weeks - and still wear pre-pregancy clothes but just have to hitch the skirts up a tad over the bump! But I really liked the Bumps and Beyond for practical and affordable maternity wear in larger sizes.

I have had a trouble-free pregnancy - no GD or extra check ups etc. and both the midwives I have seen are fat and jolly sorts who haven't said anything about the weight.

If anything, being that bit overweight to begin with has meant that I have been able to carry the weight in the later stages without really feeling the pressure and so have been more mobile and active than the thinner pregnant women from work!

What I would say is that you have to make sure you walk everyday because the weight really tells on days when you have not been active (voice of experience here from the sofa!). I make myself walk for at least for 30 minutes every day - it can be a bit hard to begin with, but you find once you have made it part of your routine (that half-hour before dinner, in my case) it's fine. When you don't you really feel very lethargic and sleeping is much more difficult, as well as feeling heavier than usual. It also helped against swelling ankles.

Best of luck!

Congratulations, Eileen! I was (and remain!) a size 24 throughout both pregnancies. Some excellent advice here. I had to have GD tests with both babies (both negative) and my pregnancies were otherwise trouble free. Keep eating healthily, try to keep mobile and when you do sit down try to put your feet up as well. Take care. xx

HI and congratulations!

I was a 22/24 and struggled with maternity clothes in my last pg I found Bumps and Beyond online really good as they go from a size 16 upto a size 30.

As for complications don't worry I've had three pregnancies and didn't have any more or less problems than someone who is thin. I had to have the Glucose tests but they always came back normal.

Try not to eat loads of junk _ I went off chocolate when Pregnant!!! my biggest vice so that was helpful in controlling my weight.

all the best

Hi
I was a size 28 when I had all my children [now 3,18mths and 5mths]. Never once had any major issues, with DS I had to have a scan at 22wks because at 20wks due to 'maternal habitus' or fat!! they couldnt get exact measurements. Other than that I have never had any problems with my pregnancies or even any negative comments. Noticeable bump, will be noticeable to you but strangers wont pass comment for fear you are just getting fatter...lol
Maternity wear, simply be have started to do some but to be honest I got through all mine with elasticated waist in next size, also maybe think about one pair of maternity jeans from around 20weeks. Can get them from ebay.co.uk and shipped over from america.

If you have any more questions just ask and will keep an eye out.

oh and to echo others I was told all my babies were HUGEEEE , to be fair DS was but he was also 15 days over and was 9lb1. Both my girls were little dots at 6lb14ozs and I was told DD1 would be at least 10lb and I would probably need a c section

nemo, I've read so many statistics now about doctors pushing larger women into having c sections "just in case" the baby is big, or even guessing that it's going to be 10lb+, doing the section and finding out it's 6 or 7lb!

I'm a bit scared about having this baby in case they're going to start putting extra time constraints on me and sharpening knives behind my back! lol

Can I ask everyone actually....with regards to the actual birth, did you have any problems related to your size? as in getting tired earlier and having to have intervention, or them insisting on internal fetal monitoring because they couldn't hear much reliably through external pads on the stomach? Any problems with pain relief etc?

Thanks!

With DS I ended up with internal monitoring but then heart rates dipped so they were keeping a proper check on him and to be honest at that point I didnt care. In terms of pain relief with Ds and DD I had diamorphine which wore off before the births..with DD2 I went for primal screaming as entonox makes me throw up like something from the exorcist..lol

With all three I was induced so actual labours for all equates to around 90 mins each. DD1 was the only one I was threatened with c sec with as they said she was too big to engage..it was actually all water. I was wheeled down to theatre so waters could be broken, then she started to engage, then they took me to theare 30 mins later as they couldnt decide if I should have c sec. It was only because I begged not to due to a 2yr old at home that they said they would leave me 1 hr, she had turned up by the end of it..lol

Hi ElieenO! Congratulations on your pregnancy!
I am a size 22/24 now and 12 weeks pregnant.

With my DS who is 2.5 i was a size 20/22 and i bought maternity clothes from Next and M&S and they were great and surprisingly roomy. I did get gestational diabetes and had to have insulin during the last 8-6 weeks of pregnancy, but it wasn't a big deal really, it cleared up once I gave birth. No-one ever commented about my weight apart from a well-meaning midwife who said I was more likely to bleed after the birth being so big, no idea if that is true though! I doubt it really.My son was induced at 38 weeks and weighed 9.8lbs. Last time people said i had a noticable bump from about 16 weeks and by the time I was 7 months complete strangers would say I looked ready to have the baby any second but I just ignored them really. I am trying to eat as healthily as possible this time around but have been told that I am likely to get gestational diabetes again and much sooner in this pregnancy, but like others have said I am trying to do as much walking as possible and am trying to eat low GI foods for the bulk of my meals. hope that helps

Hi Eileen,
First of all: I am so much more overweight than you are that if you were to stand next to me, then everone would think that you had gone home!!
Just to give you some idea of what I'm talking about... I weighed 130 kg when I first got pregnant with my first baby, and have been a bit of a yo-yo in subsequent pregnancies, ranging between 128kg and 147kg towards end of one pregnancy, would you believe.
I am now pregnant with 7th baby by the way! and still going strong!
I didn't bother with maternity wear, got all I needed from Evans, Simply Be, Shapely Figures, etc etc...if I managed to get more than enough at my size, then I can assure you, you have nothing at all to worry about.
I tend to develop gestational diabetes towards the end of all pregnancies though, but have not needed to go on insulin so far so good.
The scans can be a bit blurry, but then again, most are ok, they have managed to find all that's important on all of mine I'm glad to say.I have had pictures of each one as well!! The only negative experience I had was when I was 20 weeks pregnant with my 2nd child, and the sonographer was going out of her way to be rude...I had asked her if she could tell me the sex of the baby and also the estimated weight as well... and she just went berserk,yelling at me that I was fat, and I was so fat, and I was so fat that she couldnt' even see my baby let alone tell me what sex it was!! She was yelling this verbal abuse at me literally just inches away from my face, and even when I broke down, she still carried on, asking me, don't you know you are fat, don't you realise how fat you really are, you are fat, you are fat, you are fat. Anyway enough was enough and so dh and I took it further and she no longer works there! The following week I had another scan, and as you can imagine, I was dead nervous, not knowing what the heck I'd face that day, and I was told the weight of the baby and that it was a boy....the funny thing about it though, is the fact that he turned out to be 12lbs.9oz at birth, and the 1st sonographer said she coulnd't find him, hope she found herself a good optician then! Just proves that what she put me through was totally uneccessary, since the other scan showed up all I wanted to know, the other cow, was going through the process of divorce at the time, flippin' heck, I'm not surprised!
With each pregnancy I have been under the care of a consultant, and have been told each time that I can't have a home birth, well to be honest, I wouldn't even dream of that even if I was a stick insect.
My first pregnancy was induced due to high blood pressure at 37 weeks and dd weighed 7lbs.9oz; 2ND Pregnancy overdue by 10days, and ds weighed 12lbs.9oz - slight shoulder dystocia but all well; 3rd pregnancy at term ds weighed 10lbs.8.5oz - had severe post partum heammorrhage with him, but all turned out well; 4th pregnancy near full term, dd weighed 10lbs.12oz -severe shoulder dystocia with her, touch and go, as nearly lost her due to lack of oxygen, but glad to say expert doctors got her out in time and she is well; 5th pregnancy dd weighed 10lbs 14oz her birth was a doddle; 6th pregnancy - ds born (breech)at 28weeks as waters broke at 27 weeks, he was in scbu for first 10 weeks but is now fine, he was 2lb 14oz; what would have been the 7th pregnancy ended in m/c at 6 weeks, then took 10 months to conceive again...now just over 7 weeks pregnant and all seems well.
It was no doubt my own stupidity that caused me to have premature delivery of 6th child, absolutely no doubt about it, as I was so fed up of idiots insulting me I bought an excercise machine off sky tv, and it was so strenuous I couldn't even walk for a while when I came off it. DH also was unable to walk after he'd used it, and he only did a few minutes, I did much longer, so you can imagine the strain I put on my pregnant body. Please don't you even think of doing something silly, no matter what horrible people might tell you, they are not worth it, rise above them.
If it wasn't obesity then people would find other things to have a go at you anyway...most people though are absolutely fine, so please don't worry about it.
Each of my pregnancies apart from the prem were induced by the way, which makes one wonder even more.
And yes, even at my weight, which is consderably more than you, MY PREGNANCY BUMP DID SHOW as people who didn't even know me commented on it, but having said that my babies were larger than average, I have been told the big babies are due to maternal size, but so what, give me a 12lb baby any day rather than a little prem 2 pounder.
I tend to carry boys more in front and so the bump shows much sooner than it does when I'm carrying the girls, as carrying more round with them. BUT THEY ALL DO SHOW!
All will be well trust me, I was told that to get pregnant at my weight would cause a medical emergency, so far, it doesn't look like my pregnancies have been no more problematic than any other womans.
I was told that I would be too obese to have an epidural, but, guess what, I had an epidural for the births of both my first babies, and it worked perfectly well. With subsequent pregnancies I didn't have the epidural but that was through choice.
You will be absolutely fine, and please don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise, I and many other plus size mothers are living proof that it can be done.
Following the birth of dd2 (4th pregnancy) I was adviced to have c-section to deliver dd3 (5th pregnancy), but doctors said it would be ok for me to try normal delivery and that they'd be ready to do an emergency c-section should it become neccessary, but all was well, and it turned out to be the easiest birth of all, so just shows you can never tell!
My little prem was lying transverse right up til the night before he was born, and the consultant at specialist hospital for prems, said it would be nothing short of a miracle if he turned(apparently he had never seen it happen) but hey presto, he managed to turn against all odds, by the following day, ok he was breech, but that was better than transverse as that would have meant a c-section, yuk didn't fancy that somehow!!
Sorry this is so long, but its something that's so close to my heart and so once I start rambling on I can't stop!!
I wish you the very best pregnancy and birth experience. xx Look after youself and all should be well, take care. I shall keep my fingers crossed for you. I would have crossed my legs as well, but as already pregnant, its too late for that!!! xx

oops sorry post was soooooo long, i knew it was gonna be long, but crikey not that long!!

forgot to ask, where are you from Eileen?
Just wondered if you were around here or maybe the other side of the world?

sorry Eileen, its me again!! Just realised if you are now 7 weeks pregnant, then that makes us both due around the same time!
I have had 19th feb as due date, how about you, my last period was 12th may.

Um, RoseQuartz, you are an amazing lady and thank you for that post.

Where are you from? Moi? England. I can't believe your experience with that sonographer, going through divorce or not I assume she understood the concept of professional behaviour at work.
Crazy!

I don't really have anything to say besides great post and (what I'd like to say to anyone who's got lots of children) You lucky lady!! Sadly I didn't even think I liked children till the biological clock started ticking really hard when I was 34. I'm now 38 and 21weeks preggers with number 3 (my first was a twin pregnancy) but feel a little sad as I think I might be to old to have a fourth.

Blimey Rose, you dont 'alf waffle!!!!

Great posts tho.