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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Too big to be pregnant?

17 replies

Ella74 · 31/05/2008 22:50

Hi everyone,

This month we have started trying for a baby. But I am quite overweight - 13 st 11 pounds and am a bit scared how I would manage to go through pregnancy and birth like that. I really wanted to lose some weight but after losing a stone last year I can't seem to be able to lose more. I am really upset about it and would love to hear from anybody who was or is in the similar situation. Thanks.

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LuckySalem · 31/05/2008 22:55

Hi ella,

I was nearly 16st when I was pg with DD and I found it really easy!! (I'm only 5"4) In fact during the time I was pregnant I lost weight and I'm now just under 14! So you should be fine.

JamesAndTheGiantBanana · 31/05/2008 22:57

Oh dear, don't worry at all. Not trying to belittle your problem whatsoever but there are much bigger women out there who go through perfectly normal pregnancies and labours, myself included! I was about 21.5st when I concieved, went up to perhaps 22 something at full term.... perfectly normal birth, fit as a fiddle 7lb 2oz boy, no health problems apart from spd and that can happen to any woman, big or small. You'll be fine!

Olihan · 31/05/2008 23:00

I was (and still am) around 14st when I had all my dcs. With ds1 I conceived accidentally, had a very straightforward pg with no blood pressure problems, back problems or any other weight related problems that can occur in pg. I aso conceived dd and ds2 the first time we 'tried' and had absolutely normal pgs with both of them.

My labour with ds1 was long, but 1st labours often are, my 2nd and 3rd labours were 3 hours and 2 hours long so my weight didn't appear to affect that either.

I did find that I lost weight in the first trimester with all of them, mainly because I ate a lot more sensibly as soon as I realised I was pg which meant that I went back to my pre pg weight quite quickly afterwards.

I hope that reassures you a bit!

mrslurkalot · 31/05/2008 23:12

Hi there, I was 17 stone when I got pregnant with DS and 18 stone when I got pregnant with DD. Both very straight forward pregnancies. I had SPD with first pregnancy but not the second. My blood pressure was fine both times. Ended up with a section both tmes but nothing to do with my weight 9DS in distress first time and elective second - although found out DD was breech in theatre). I was very well during both pregnancies and never made to feel 'high risk'. I am 5 ft 6 ins by the way! Good Luck and I hope you get a positive result soon!!!

Original poster

Ella74 · 31/05/2008 23:13

So nice to read your stories ladies. It cheered me up. Perhaps I can manage then... I just felt so guilty today.

OP posts:

LuckySalem · 31/05/2008 23:14

Don't feel guilty. Stress and depression won't help with the nookie!! Hop to it now!!

dizzydixies · 31/05/2008 23:26

I am the bigger person everyone it talking about and I'm onto my 3rd pg

blood pressure fine, a few complications this time but nothing to do with weight

have feet like baked potatoes and toes like chipolatas but hey, if thats the worst of it then I'm happy

good luck

excitedfornumber2 · 01/06/2008 08:51

i was 15stone 7 when i first got pregnant, has just lost a few pounds with WW when i found out, to be honest i have not put on that much weight mainly due to the fact i felt so sick at first i couldnt eat properly, i am now nearly 35 weeks and only put on about 5lbs and i was told at 28 weeks that approx baby weight then was 3lbs 6!!!, so i am hoping to be a bit smaller when i deliver.
Being pregnant also gives you the motivation to eat healthily without feeling your on a diet, dont let your weight stop you trying for a baby, as everyone has said you can cope, you may be offered a Glucose test for diabetes, as apparently being bigger can increase your risk of getting this in pregnancy, although for both of my pregnancies i have had this test and been clear.
Another positive is that my midwife has not been nasty about my weight at all, although some people have posted that theirs were.

Good luck with the trying, and continue to eat healthily and you may lose some more weight if you want to before falling pregnant,

CantSleepWontSleep · 01/06/2008 09:01

Pah, you weigh nothing my girl, nothing .

abbymeg · 01/06/2008 10:22

I weighed about 13 1/2 stone when I found out I was pg. We were struggling to conceive, but then had a break - I needed surgery - and found out that I'd fallen pg when we weren't trying. I wanted to lose weight before we resumed our attempts, but didn't get the chance!

Interestingly, when MW booked me in and calculated my BMI - it was about 29, which is overweight - she just said, 'that's fine'.

I am worried about getting a lot bigger as I was HUGE with DD as I gained 5 1/2 stone . However, so far (11 weeks today) I haven't gained any weight. I'm not dieting, and I can't even lay claim to eating sensibly as I've been feeling really sick, so have tended towards naughty things as being all I can stomach. I'm just taking it as it comes.

One thing is for certain, if we put things off until we lose weight, for many of us, we would never do anything.

Good luck with ttc

excitedfornumber2 · 01/06/2008 10:27

i think they have recently increased the BMI for when you should be referred to have the glucose test, and when it becomes a problem,. From my notes it says above 35, but i think my midwife said that i was only just above at 41, so maybe its been increased further to 40. As abbeymeg said if we all waited to lose weight we would never have babies!!!

SmugColditz · 01/06/2008 10:29

You'll be fine, I was about that weight when I got pregnant with ds2 and was fine. You may find you don't put a great deal of weight on throughout pregnancy but this is normal for heavier women as the bay tends to take a bit of what you already have - well, ds2 did. I was a stone lighter after I had him than I was before I conceived him.

SmugColditz · 01/06/2008 10:32

I had the glucose test and my bmi was 33 so it's at their discretion I think.

If your bmi is above a certain level they will send you to a 'big' hospital for the birth - but I was well able to have my baby at the midwife centre (I didn't, other things that were not weight related happened, but I could have done)

Really you are NOT that big.

minster · 01/06/2008 10:51

Here it's a BMI of 40 for consultant referral (& offer of GTT) & at 45 they like you to use the CLU rather than the MLU.

I've had BMIs of >30 (anything up to 36) in all my pregnancies - very straight foward, no SPD, no blood pressure issues, no GD, babies were perfect sizes (3.3 & 3.5kg).

kazbeth · 01/06/2008 10:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

Ella74 · 01/06/2008 15:24

Thanks very much. Having read all your comments I feel much happier about having a baby. All my family and friends are so skinny so there is no-one to talk to. This website is amazing.

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halsmum · 01/06/2008 20:29

8 weeks pregnant with broken ankle.....I broke my ankle 6 weeks ago just days after having successful ivf after the third go (booo! yay!). It was a bad break and I'll be in plaster for another 7 weeks. I have got terrible sickness and just want to eat all the time to get the horrid taste out of my mouth. Not all rubbish but at 5foot I can feel my backside spreading with the inactivity, especially as I was bed bound in hospital for two weeks.I put on loads of weight with my five year old. It took me years to lose. Or should I should go to hell with it and worry about it in 9 months time? Getting around on crutches with a load of extra weight and morning (all day) sickness seems like a grim prospect as well though.

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