Does booking weight matter?

[thepurgebegins]

Hello. So with baby one postpartum, I had gained alot of weight. I have now lost 40 kilos and my weight fluctuates between 85kg to 88kg. I eat healthy and workout everyday if not twicea day . I've started losing weight again but honestly I can't be bothered I'm happy with the way I look and I know I'm healthy. When people see me including the doctor they always look shocked when they hear my weight as I apparently look like im 70-75kg. Anyway we want to start trying for baby 2 in August and regardless of whether I lose more weight or not, is weight a big thing at the booking appointment? I was 84kg at my first booking appointment and never heard anything mentioned about my weight. I'll be 26 in July, 5ft 6. I don't want to be classed as high risk with a weight of say 88kg when I definitely don't look/feel 88. Sorry for the rant, its just playing on my mind!

Hey OP. BMI over 30 is considered high risk. I’m high risk as mine is over 30. Tbf they’ve only weighed me twice, once at booking and again few weeks later. Weight hasn’t been mentioned since I’m just high risk and consultant led due to that, age and other issues I’ve had x

Hey OP, I was 88kg at my booking in appointment at 5'10. MW didn't mention a thing.

Just had the second weight (of 93kg 😳)taken at 36 weeks - again, not a single comment made.

I think the midwives are aware that weight is a sensitive issue. Only if it were a big risk factor would they comment or take additional steps.

@AimeeLou84 I think if your high risk for other reasons it may be a little different. Om paper over 30 is high risk but with My 1st my BMI was 30 exact and they never said anything. I do plan to lose more weight so I can get it more down but I've known people who have been pregnant with a BMI of over 40 and still never had there weight made a big deal of. I guess I could be over thinking but listening to others experiences helps. Thankyou!

@DeedlessIndeed Thank you so much, that makes me feel a little better. I've also built alot of muscle so that contributes to the weight...but that's not something they would know unless they asked. Definitely over thinking!! 😭

Good information on reading.

High BMI is said to put you at an increased risk for gestational diabetes, so you may well need a GTT at 28 weeks.

I was 82kg (165cm) at my booking appointment which gives me a BMI of 30.1. Only extra thing for me is that I have to have a gestational diabetes test. I have a consultant name on my notes but no mention about any interaction with them. I’m always a bit heavier than I look and am pretty active doing weights and spin classes (although not so much during first trimester…). Midwife didn’t make any fuss at all!

My BMI was 32 when I went for my first appointment. They have three (I think) levels of what they consider to be overweight and if you're in the lowest one (30-35) the only difference seems to be that you're automatically referred for a glucose tolerance test around 28 weeks to see if you've developed gestational diabetes. Apart from that nobody has commented on my weight and nobody has weighed me since my 12 week scan (so once at booking appt c. 7 weeks and once then, that's all). I imagine if you had other risk factors they might consider weight alongside those but it has never been mentioned to me beyond the GTT referral, I'm under midwife led care ie the normal pathway etc etc.

My BMI was just over 30. I was only weighed at the booking in appointment and haven’t since then. I’m 30 weeks now.
I think the only differences was I was given Vitamin D tablets to take throughout and had to do a gestational diabetes test.

Oh yes the other thing is they give you a higher dose of folic acid (on prescription). But that wasn't a big deal and again all dealt with at booking appt!

I wasn’t high risk until I got to 2nd trimester (other than my age and BMI) 😩 I can see the finish line 🙏

My BMI is in the 40s and it's just never mentioned. I haven't been weighed again since my booking in (now 21 weeks).

I have gestational diabetes, consultant led but haven't actual met them yet. Just been the midwife in my 12 and 20 week appointments.

No other risk factors other than weight and other than extra growth scans (as they can't do fundal height for obvious reasons!) I don't think it's been any different to any other bmi pregnancy.

High risk in my trust is a bmi over over 35.

Hi there it's a labour ward midwife with research experience. I got interested in booking weight and pregnancy weight gain after I noticed how many of my overweight (BMI over 25) or obese (BMI over 30) patients were on the induction of labour pathway or being transferred from midwifery-led care because their labour had stalled (they stopped progressing, typically at 6-9 cm). The research is very clear- BMI of over 25 puts women at risk of gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, induction of labour, Caesarean section and other things. Most of the research is coming from America. There is no political will to tackle the problem in the UK which is why most midwives don't talk about weight. We don't want to upset women for what really is a societal and political problem. Which makes me sad. Going back to OP question... well done for losing 40 kg, it's a massive achievement. I would say take it a bit further and get yourself to BMI of 25 before trying for another baby (or 23 if you are of Asian or Black ethnicity).

If your BMI is under 35 and you have no other risk factors, no one is going to jump up and down about it.

I had a bmi of just over 29 when I booked in and they rounded it up to as 30 in summary of risks, as I had other risk factors and wanted to make sure I qualified for extra scans!

But otherwise midwives and consultant have not really seen it as much an issue (I’m 36weeks) and haven’t weighed me or really discussed it since - and in any event things have gone smoothly (touch wood).

I don't want to be classed as high risk with a weight of say 88kg when I definitely don't look/feel 88.

You have done very well to lose so much weight. The booking in weight goes off your BMI as calculated by your weight, not how you look or feel, due to the research evidence. As a PP said, I would keep going and try to get your BMI down to at least under 30. Best of luck!

It seems to vary trust by trust. My BMI was 32 at my booking in appointment (this is my 2nd) and my midwife made no mention of it. She told me my pregnancy was considered low risk and would be treated as such. Asked about gestational diabetes and she told me I'm unlikely to be referred unless I was measuring big/ had any other symptoms.

@AimeeLou84 Aww I wish you the best in the rest of your pregnancy hun!

@stackhead thankyou for this it gives alot of Insight. A colleague is pregnant at work whos always been slim but she got put on some steroid medication so she put on alot of weight and ended up getting pregnant with a BMI of 44. She's never had anyone say anything to her either.

@nMeCHngs thankyou that helps alot!

Amazing loss of 40kg, OP, you should be really proud of that!

My BMI at booking in was 33, and as far as I know the only extra I'll have is the glucose tolerance test which I didn't get with my last pregnancy when BMI was 30ish. Mind you, I don't know how it will impact my birth options.

It probably varies from trust to trust but does anyone know if it will have any effect on whether I can choose the midwife led unit/water birth etc? I will try to discuss with my midwife at next appointment but there's never much time.

Hey hun. My BMI is over 35, I’m geriatric (39) and I have GD. I’m still allowed a water birth. Well I was until I found out my baby is a bit big so just waiting on induction or c section date 🫣🤣

Ah great to know! Thank you. Very best of luck with however your baby eventually arrives into the world - fwiw it's worth my first was ELCS and it was magical.

Thank you! I think I’m aiming more towards c section as there’s a risk of shoulder distortion and it’s panicking me