Help... Overweight & pregnant!!

[Millzox]

Okay so I’ve just found out I’m pregnant with baby number 3... still in total shock! Anyway.... I had my 2nd babe nearly 2 years ago & was 12stone when I was 6weeks pregnant (obviously gained throughout & after) & they were so rude & horrible about it.

This time I’ve gained a silly amount of weight & im about 16/17stone. (Please no horrible comments ) I am desperately trying to shift the weight & was before I found out.

I haven’t yet seen a midwife but I am beyond terrified of when I do as I know they are going to be sooo much worse than last time & I don’t know what to do? Is there any way I can lose weigh healthy & keep baby safe & my weight lower?

Please any help will be so appreciated

I'm in the same situation. My midwife said that now isn't the time to lose weight, just eat well and stay active. She also prescribed higher doses of folic acid and vitamin D, and recommended I take low dose aspirin from 12 weeks.

My midwife was lovely and described my BMI as 'slightly high' (she was being very generous)

Thankyou so much for your reply!! I’ve been so worried it’s unreal. Hopefully the midwife I end up seeing is as lovely as yours!

Please don’t worry about their opinion, if they are rude then that’s a terrible lack of professionalism on their part.

There are higher risks with carrying some extra weight, but you may find if you change your diet slightly (due to pregnancy reductions) and try some light exercise that you won’t gain as much as you fear. I think I gained 1kg total due to initial weight loss then slow gain, baby was perfectly healthy size and I was fitter due to the extra walking.

Congratulations and focus on eating well rather than the scales x

Thankyou! I’ve recently started walking I do a couple of miles a day and gradually building up so I haven’t weighed myself in about a month or so.. I just remember being so down last time I was pregnant due to my weight and now I’m heavier this time round I’m even more worried.

Thankyou though, I’m praying if I eat healthier this will help too!

I wouldn't aggressively try to lose weight while pregnant, but now is the PERFECT time to completely overhaul your diet and get realistic about your portion sizes. You may be pregnant, but you are not eating for two.

If you eat a healthy amount of the right food you will lose weight. You'd have to be overeating to maintain your current weight - especially while burning extra calories for being pregnant! If you reduce what you eat even a small amount you'll likely lose some weight slowly for now.

You need high dose folic acid for your BMI (5mg instead of 400mcg) - from as soon as possible until around 12 weeks.
Then your midwife can discuss the weight with you at your appointments, risks are a bit higher for certain things eg gestational diabetes, blood clots but they can monitor you.

Hey OP!
Can I ask how tall you are?
12 stone doesnt seem too "heavy" to get a telling off with you previous baby!

I'm in the same boat, just found out I'm pregnant and I currently weight more than I did just before I gave birth last time been trying to lose weight but have an under active thyroid and it's just shit. I'm just stressing about being so big while pregnant, extra risks etc and also about how massive I'm going to be. Currently around 15 stone ish I lost nearly a stone last time and only put that back on a a bit more so hoping I won't pile it on too much, I'm planning on carrying on at the gym as much as I can, sickness permitting, and walking.

Wait till after baby to lose weight but try to be sensible with how much you gain during.

5ft exactly so to them I was over weight this time they are gonna have a field day 😂🤦‍♀️

OP I'm the same weight range as you and also pregnant with number 3. I had a miscarriage in March and the midwife was lovely and didn't say to much about my weight so I'm hoping they will be the same this time round, I was also overweight in my previous pregnancies and other than being classed as high risk because of it nobody said anything. Congratulations OP

If you can .. get walking ... gently and safe area of course during the day .... keep safe ..... you can be overweight but fitter ... and it will lift you and give you energy ... walking is wonderful ... I did it loads and I’m
Sure it kept my labours on time ... ... don’t overdo it obviously ... it’s a real easy one ...do 15
Mins and the build it up .... I’m sure you will benefit mentally and physically ... you don’t have to be speedy Gonzalez lol ....

Try not to worry OP. I am very overweight. I have struggled for years with my weight but never shift more than a stone or two which I always find again
I have had multiple pregnancies, all while overweight. I’ve not had a single professional be anything other than matter of fact. Eg “As your have a high BMI you may/will need ...”
If anyone makes you feel uncomfortable, tell them. They are there to support your pregnancy. Not make you feel like shit!

Speak to your midwife about diets. At your height and weight it might be safer for you and the baby for you to go on a slimming world plan. Your mw can sign that off.

Congratulations on all the pregnancies! I was 119kg at my booking appointment and I'm 5'7. Had a fantastically easy pregnancy despite them being convinced I'd develop gestational diabetes. I was tested and it was fine, every BP and urine test was spot on for me.

There was only one staff member that made me feel bad about my high BMI, everyone else was professional. I weighed 126kg when I went into labour, and 118kg 2 days later the day after I gave birth. 9.5 months later I think I'm as heavy again due to all the snacking from being at home!

110kg when I got weighed at my booking appt. Am 5'8 and lost 5kg from Hyperemesis but since then I've only gradually gained weight as I've eaten less and more fruit and veg. Had to do the Glucose Test for diabetes but came back fine for it.

Hope you manage to keep walking and stay active. I struggled before but then my Hyperemesis makes a lot of exercise or travelling hard anyway.

Maybe don't actively diet but try to limit your pregnancy weight gain to 2 stone. Agree slimming world is a good and healthy way to eat.

Hi @Millzox I'm expecting number 4 and had an increased bmi at booking in. I weighed about 215lb.

I've thankfully had no rudeness, but I have had to take increased folic acid, vitamin D and anticoagulant injections from 28wks until 6wks postpartum which are solely because of my weight/age and number of pregnancies.

I have tried to be relatively healthy and lost about 5lb in the first trimester. I am now 34wks and weigh 222lb so an overall gain of 7lb, I probably could have stayed the same/lost more if I had tried.

Baby is on 75th centile (his sisters were all big at birth) so I'm pretty content with how I've done.

All the best xx

My last pregnancy I had sickness so so bad and babe was very small o had her induced 4 weeks early as she stopped growing she was a teeny 4lb 6! Although a demon child now and perfectly healthy 😂

I’ve had all the tests in my last pregnancy so I’m aware of what’s to come I guess I just don’t want any harsh comments as I was trying so hard before I realised I was pregnant!

I’ve been walking everyday for a couple of miles. & drinking water! Eating is a bit hard atm as I cannot stop being sick. It’s all day everyday 🤷‍♀️ Joys right? 😂

Thankyou all for your support and helpful comments!!! It means a lot x

@Millzox if you're constantly being sick, tall to your GP about getting anti sickness tablets. You may find you can eat again. I'm still on them at 29 weeks as I have Hyperemesis and I'm still being sick every now and then. It might explain my lack of weight gain though.. Just about 7lbs so far.

She’s told me to wait until I’ve seen the midwife as I am still waiting for the first midwife appt and go from there as they don’t yet know how far along I am! I’m managing to eat a small dinner but that’s it!

I was border line that severe sickness thing in my last pregnancy as I couldn’t keep anything down not even fluids!

Apart of me wants to go buy some scales & weigh myself the other half of me is like no don’t do it 😂😂😂

I gained a lot of weight during my first pregnancy taking me from a healthy weight at the booking appointment to obese by the time he was born . I then fell pregnant six months after he was born so hadn’t had chance to lose even half of the weight...

The midwife definitely wasn’t judgemental. The only experience I had of somebody being judgemental was the sonographer at the 20 week scan, he said he was struggling to see the baby because of the ‘extra weight’ around my stomach. I felt like crying and dying of shame. I was 16 stone at the time so not massive (I’m 5ft7) and I don’t really carry much weight around my tummy, he just wanted me to feel shit I reckon!

My friend is morbidly obese and the midwife sent her to a dietician. I think some areas do this now with Mother’s who have a BMI over 35.

Speak to PregnancySicknessSupport. Waiting to speak to a midwife is crazy. By the time I waited I'd lost 2.5 stone and was really ill.

Oh Thankyou I will definitely have a chat with them! 😊