Is being overweight/obese an issue?

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I'm a big girl. 90kg and 5"3. Anyone know if this is going to cause issues in the pregnancy?

You're likely to be advised to take a higher dose folic acid. Might be more risk of gestational diabetes too

Yes being overweight increases the risk of high BP, pre eclampsia, diabetes and birth complications such as shoulder dystocia, but lots of overweight women also have uncomplicated pregnancies

https://www.rcog.org.uk/for-the-public/browse-all-patient-information-leaflets/being-overweight-in-pregnancy-and-after-birth-patient-information-leaflet/

There is no black and white answer. Some people have perfectly healthy pregnancies while obese whereas others in a healthy weight range have complications. It does however mean there is a slightly higher risk of early miscarriage or birth defects and a moderately higher risk of pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes or birth complications. The numbers are still low but its something to be aware of and maybe be extra vigilant around.

You also need to consider the factors behind the obesity as if it is hormone driven then you should speak to your dr about any impact that may have on baby . If it is diet driven then you need to be extra careful about controlling your diet during pregnancy as things like high sugar, salt , low vitamin intake etc could also cause problems.

I eat too much :(

Anecdotally I can tell you that I have had 2 straight forward pregnancies whilst obese, but some people may experience problems. You may have more tests and appointments, the doctors like to keep a close eye on you. My consultant explained to me that it’s not that there is any new problems you can get from being overweight, just that some of the complications seen in pregnancy might be a little more likely to happen, so they keep a closer eye.

Thanks.

Don't give yourself a hard time about it while you're pregnant, you don't want to go on a crash diet and end up not having enough energy. Just try to cut down on high sugar , high salt foods and obviously cut out alcohol and preferably caffeine too. Also make sure you're taking pregnancy vitamins and folic acid (a higher dose of folic is usually recommended for larger mums to be but Dr or midwife should be able to recommend exact amount for you) .

Being pregnant is tough enough on your body as it is without any added stresses so remember to be kind to yourself and remember that even with added risks the percentages of something going badly wrong are still very low💕

I didn't know about folic acid and was only taking the recommended amount :(

Think its normally 5mg that you'd be advised to take. How pregnant are you?

9.5 weeks.

5mg folic acid would need to be prescribed I think. Can you speak to your gp?

I'll have to.

I had a bmi of 38 at the start of my first pregnancy and 41 at the start of my second pregnancy. I was heavier the second time round and really noticed it. But I birthed two healthy babies, no diabetes and relatively straight forward induction births.

My BMI was 39 at the start of my pregnancy and because of this I put on the "consultant led" pathway i.e my obesity made my pregnancy high risk. I'm currently 36 and a half weeks and still haven't seen a consultant once throughout the pregnancy as there has never been a reason for the midwife to refer me to one. I've never had a high blood pressure reading, never developed gestational diabetes etc. It's definitely possible to be overweight and have an uncomplicated pregnancy!

Thank you ladies

I know it does increase risks but I am about the same weight and height as you and have two healthy little boys with two straightforward pregnancies and births.

I just made sure not to stuff myself with rubbish, and I kept walking throughout both pregnancies. The walking helped loads