Firbit discriminate against mums

[Annie2508]

Hello ladies, just looking for a little added support...
I have a fitbit to help get back into shape... but there are no features to allow for breastfeeding so I can't accurately assess calorie burn or needs. When I contacted fitbit they have no plans to add any despite over 1500 people wanting this on their forum page.
Smells like discrimination to me..
So I'm hoping a few of you who also use fitbits might help me lobbying for change by posting on their social media sites and sharing this.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women want to get fit too.. the data is out there, they could include it..let's stop this discrimination!

Well quite, dementedpixie, but how would Fitbit know either? IME I gradually reduced it down as DS got older. Usually prompted by a few weeks of rubbish losses when inside my calorie goal. Reduce the bfeeding allowance and boom, back on track.

Calling out discrimination inappropriately negatively impacts those having to deal with genuine discrimination being taken seriously.

Stick a few calories in your fitbit and go and lobby something worth lobbying instead.

Agree with pp's - it's annoying, yes, but hardly 'discrimination'. Also it's dead easy just to set it up as an exercise - I did that and deducted 200cals a day for it. Ok it's not 100% accurate but it gives you an idea, and how do you think Fitbit could actually develop an accurate measure?

Life is too short to get stressed about this.

My fitbit registers pushing a pram or trolley, I checked as I heard people complaining that they don’t.

You can’t have a set deduction for breast feeding, every baby has different needs and therefore will burn a different amount of calories, it’s how I managed to get fatter despite ebf twins, they just weren’t as greedy as their mum!

I really wouldn’t bleat on about discrimination over this.

When I was pregnant mine told me that I had “poor” cardiovascular health due to my resting heart rate increasing so much!

There should be options for pregnancy and bfeeding on Fitbit. The majority of its users are women.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women want to get fit too.. the data is out there, they could include it..let's stop this discrimination!

I didn't lose any weight by breastfeeding, in fact I put it on. Not all women burn the same calories through breastfeeding, so how could this feature be accurate? Also pregnant and breastfeeding women can get fit without a fitbit!

You can amend your target calories yourself

*You can amend your target calories yourself

And accept the idea that default humans are male, that breastfeeding is an anomaly not requiring a programmer's time, just tap in that you went for a long run instead. And accept your lot.*

Good grief 🤦‍♀️

noton nope, BF 3 myself thanks, still think its ridiculous

I bf my DS for 18 months. I also used a fitbit. As I said, it is irritating that there's no bf option on it - I even remarked on that at the time. But it's really not discrimination and it's really, really not worth getting as worked up about as some of the pp seem to be.

I can't actually believe I'm still discussing it -I'm just as bad! Will toddle off now.

Are the 'discrimination' posters missing the fact that there was a breastfeeding option but it wasn't accurate, users kicked up a stink and it was removed?

There are so many variables it would be impossible to calculate just how many calories BFing used on a day to day basis.

The devices are nice but hardly sophisticated, high-end, medical grade technology. It can only do so much - just adjust accordingly. At least you'll know it's roughly accurate for you personally then.

Indirect discrimination means offering the same service to everyone which puts people within a protected characteristic at a disadvantage. Which fit bit does... yes I am perfectly capable of adding or subtracting the approx calories myself but that kinda defeats the point of having a tracking app. And yes it is possible to get fit or lose weight without an app.

But what we are saying is that it's OK for fitbit as an organisation to ignore pregnant and breastfeeding mothers needs... because well. . We can make do by logging it as a run..
I agree it is hard to accurately calculate but it's hard to accurately calculate any activity, providing a rough guide would be a start. Just a label to put it under..so people can add in what they think they are burning would be helpful but there is currently nothing.
Over 1500 women have requested this change and they are not adressing it. Yes we can take our business elsewhere. .. not bother with apps.. shut up and put up. But really. .what that says is that we don't feel we deserve better?

Annie did you read any of the comments that said Fitbit used to have this?

A Fitbit is not a level of technology that is going to be able to accurately calculate how many calories breastfeeding burns. It is not discrimination. Just deduct the average estimate of calories burnt and get on with it. O

This would be very hard to track, surely? It depends on how often the baby is feeding, how much, if they’re ebf, combination fed, or weaned... I think it would give wildly inaccurate readings for most mothers, surely?

I never knew there were so many mad people until i joined this site

I thought this was going to be about it not registering pushing the pram, annoying pushing with one hand so my other arm can swing normal and register my steps.

When I was pregnant mine told me that I had “poor” cardiovascular health due to my resting heart rate increasing so much!

Ha! My fitness app told me off for becoming overweight and would not allow a goal that included gaining weight because of that. Gave me a lot of encouraging reminders about getting out there and being as active as I used to be, though!

Guess I should just stop being ‘so precious’ and accept that there is no way on earth wearable devices and apps could possibly track anything as bizarre and unusual as being pregnant.

Well I suspect the real reason they won't be doing it is because they don't want a pregnant/breastfeeding mother to sue the arses off them should they cause themselves harm but 'it was Ok on fitbit'

I don't use Fitbit, but none of the three trackers adjusts for age, which is a process which affects more of us, and for longer, than pregnancy/breastfeeding, and which is also a protected characteristic.

Instead of banging on about the inherent ageism in the systems, people generally just amend their target calories to match a separately- calculated TDEE. I really don't see why temporary changes in TDEE cannot be reflected in the same was as any other changes, of long or short duration, most of which arise from age or disability

Come on, it isn't sexist that a pedometer that is worn on the wrist and relies on arm movement cannot register steps while you are pushing something! It is impossible to make that work, otherwise you would be registering thousands of steps while driving. You cannot make a movement detector register movement it doesn't feel. If it bothers you then get a pedometer to wear on your waist.

Near as I can tell, tracking devices are pretty inaccurate. Tested a Fitbit charge2 a lot, how well it counts steps. Consistently 5-30 steps over-estimate per 100 (eg., counts 125 when I actually only walked 100). I've tried it on either ankle or arm, same result; I would always assume 25% over-estimate. Anyone else done this test, what did you get? I had similar when I tested a Flex2 yrs ago.

Charge2 over-estimates my resting heart rate, says I was asleep when not, and hopeless under- or over-estimates my true HR when aerobic exercising. But funny enough the calorie count is probably about right, I've decided (!)

Since I don't trust the numbers at all, 200 kcal for breastfeeding - I can't care about ability to add it on automatically. Fitness trackers are just amusing toys.