Obese pregnancies..

[Kitteh]

Just wondering if theres anyone out there who was very overweight during pregnancy and what problems they may have occured.

im 20, i weigh 23 st and i am 22 weeks pregnant. I do follow consultant led care due to my weight, but have found my consultant to be quite frightening. In my first appointment with him he basically sat down and scribbled in my green notes:
"ISSUES:

1. DIABETES
2. PREECLAMPSIA
3. C SECTION LIKELY
4. RISK OF COMPLICATIONS IN SURGERY HIGH
5. DVT"

Im a natural worrier and tbh this has just freaked the hell out of me. Im now paranoid im going to die, paranoid of every little thing i feel. Paranoid of swelling ankles which could mean Preeclampsia. I actually woke up the other night and felt a pain in my leg and was sure it was a blood clot and that i was going to die because it was going to go to my heart. I know i sound nuts, but i really dont know what i can do.. I didnt intend to get pregnant, not at my weight, but it happened, and i would never abort a child for that reason.

Any advice is greatly appriciated.

Hi,a friend of mine was a similar weight,she just had SPD.

I was 3 stone overwight and had backache and SPD.

I was worried about my health,but was 39 and 41 yrs old in my last 2 pregnancies.

I think age is on your side,and it has been proved that despite the extra weight,a persons heart and lungs can be just as fit as a slim person.

If you stay active,eat healthily during your pregnancy,don't smoke,or drink more than 1 unit of alcohol a day,can't see why your pregnancy has to be considered High Risk.

Relax and Enjoy your pregnancy.Try not to worry about things that may never happen.

"Overweight"

Hey Maxiplum.. i was reading that its less likely in second pregnancies.. so fingers crossed for you..! so glad your little boy is ok too..! Congrats on your pregnancy.. =).. i think im glad ive been told the risk now.. im not as "fragile" in state now.. ive just realised there are things i have to watch out for.. although the risk of DVT is driving m crazy.. im like "omg.. what if i get it".. its a new think every week though.. lol..
Thanks everyone for your advice.. it has really helped calm me down.. i think th more i expect sometime to go wrong.. the more i worry myself and the more it will go wrong.. just need to learn how to calm myself down..
x

Has anyone else found the choice of hospital is dicated by your BMI? Where I live you cannot go to the chilled out, birth-pooly, mid-wife led unit if you have a BMI of 30+ - you have to go to the consultant unit at a different hospital that is known locally to have a high rate of interventions and more medicalised birth, also old and grotty. My friend is big but super fit and was not allowed to go the midwife led unit based on BMI, and in trying to get across town to the other hospital actually ended up delivering her baby herself in the car . Thereby proving that she was quite capable of a natural pain-relief free birth which would have been denied to her if she had made it the hospital (here comes a fatty, quick let's hook her up to all the monitors so she can't move which will mean more pain and probably end up in assisted birth..) Can you tell that I had a bad experience at a certain hospital?

oh dear, I'm getting freaked out now! I am 5'4 and just under 17st at 14 weeks pg. So far haven't gained any weight, actually lost 2 pounds this week. Losing weight has always been a struggle, mainly due to my PCOS.

Due to my weight I was told no chance of a home birth, nor could I use the mid-wife only birth rooms/pools at the hospital.

I've also been googling and seen that it's apparently safe for me to gain only 15 pounds during the pregnancy. I'm just wondering how realistic that is? ATM I can't imagine gaining anything, because due to severe nausea I am not eating much. When do I 'have to' start gaining weight?

I'm 21 weeks pregnant, 5ft1 and I was about 19 and a half stone when I found out I was pregnant. I was trying to go for a zero weight gain pregnancy but it didn't work. I'm currently just over 22 stone. So I know how everyone here feels.

I just wanted to say that I too worried myself sick about this pregnancy as I am also overweight, about 20st I think I am
So far I have no complications, perfect bp and no swelling or anything else, I am 28 weeks now.
Try not to worry about it, it might never happen
On the other hand my friend who is slim, 10st or thereabouts and much younger than me, ended up having emergency C section at 29 weeks pregnant due to preclampsia
Just because you are obese doesn't mean you will have all these cmplications, and same way just because you are slim doesn't mean you will not be affected by same complications

In my opinion they blame too many things on the obesity factor alone, you would think a slim person never had a c section, gestationa diabetes or any other complications. Sometimes makes me mad

That's true CroNanny - I have a friend that is really slim and she had allsorts of complications.

Hey - I was 16st (5'2") when pregnant with DS2. I gained no weight at all (not on purpose really) and everything went fine. My diabetes test came back fine, but I followed the GD diet anyway just incase (and to prevent it). TIny little changes will help - swapping mash for new potatoes, white bread for seeded etc. And keep moving. I was scared of clots so made sure I at least kicked my legs about in bed for abit. Get your DP to maybe give you leg massages too? Sure you will be fine

That's excellent Waffle - what do you weigh now?

I am 11 weeks pg and have a BMI of 35ish

I wasn't this weight when I was last pregnant.

So far I have lost over a stone due to HG.

So BMI was a bit higher

DS is 6 months and I weigh 13.10 (not on a diet yet) I was 14 1/2 straight after the birth I put on about 2-3 stone with DS1 though.

Hey sarah.. just wanted to say it is totally possible if your overweight not to gain any weight at all.. im doing SW/eating uber healthy with the odd "treat" and ive lost stone and a half.. Google is soo evil.. i would stay away from it.. lol..
Babylon.. hey.. Just shows doesnt it.. I saw a anesthetic consultant today, had no idea why i was there.. (him not me).. asked me had i any concerns.. i said no.. he asked why i was there.. i said i was told to go by regular consultant.. lol.. and basically has attempted to say.. "you should have an epi".. but hasnt forced me into saying yes.. which is nice.. as ive read some horribl stuff about women being almost forced into it..
Thanks waffle.. I do the alphabet with my feet.. lol.. cos i read that it was like a way to stop clots.. hehe.. it can be so confusing when you're lying there and your like.. "what letter am i up to?" lol..

Thanks Kitteh. Now am just wondering if I will ever look pregnant as opposed to just fat! I have what is affectionately known as my 'dewlap' of flab where a baby bump would be. Will it just get bigger? Will it be less flabby? I assume by the force with which they prodded me during the ultrasound, that it's pretty hard to scan through the fat. Read that scans are less clear because of it and now wondering if we'll be able to tell the sex at the 20 week scan?

I haven't read the thread, just the OP. I just want to say that I have had three obese pregnancies at various weights. I did not get any complications with ds1. With ds2 and 3 I had SPD, but there is no link to weight with that - many skinny women get it too. I had no other complications. However, I did have 3 sections. The first was an emergency one and at no point was it said it was due to my weight.

You can be healthy AND obese and have it not complicate pregnancy.