Consultant led (NHS)

[mrsmummy2]

Hi ladies

So I haven't had any appointments yet as apparently I have to wait for the midwife to contact me for my booking appointment (very different from my previous two pregnancies)
But I'm wondering if any of you are consultant led due to bmi?

With my first pregnancy I was slightly above average but not a concern, however I ended the pregnancy with a bmi of 44.3.... then my second pregnancy I had a bmi of 44.3 at the beginning! So automatically put on consultant led. That made my pregnancy a lot less enjoyable as I was reminded 101 times that I would probably develop pre-eclampsia/need intervention/c-section, they would struggle to put in a spinal/epidural .. the list goes on. At one appointment the consultant actually made me cry he was so horrible

So I'm wondering what the score is 4.5 years later... My bmi is currently 34.5... I've lost 4st since I was last pregnant and hoping this will go in my favour.

To add - I had zero complications both pregnancies, did not need intervention or develop any conditions etc. 10 hour labour first time, 1.5 hour labour second time. No tearing, stitches.. nothing.

Reeeeeally don't want to be consultant led again as it caused so much fuss over nothing

 

[Brightxeyes]

I think they probably will take the weight loss and previous easy labours into consideration.

I was extremely underweight just before I got pregnant with my first and had just come off anti depressants the day I had my BFP and I had only just got up to a slightly healthier weight, but my BMI was just under. I easily put the weight on from the start, and third trimester I piled it on. So their initial worries of baby maybe being small was not at all a problem! I think even they were surprised I'd caught up more than expected with my weight. I think it was a bit too much precaution myself, but to be honest, I'm a huge worrier, so I was happy to have the additional scans to check how baby was growing. My appointments I think were to mostly check on my mental health, as my mental health went hand in hand with me becoming dangerously underweight. It was a bit of a blur, I did find it annoying with them digging to make sure I felt mentally okay all of the time.

They may still do consultant led as a precaution, but I'm sure they will take previous births into account too! If you do end up consultant led, tell them, you know what the risks are as you were told with your previous pregnancies, and if anything, being reminded of it puts you in a negative state of mind. I think they're actually really careful with pregnant women's mental health now. Like do the appointments and extra check ups, but unless there is an actual concern then please do not keep repetitively reminded me of the risks as you already know about them.

Oh, I think my last appointment which was 3 weeks before my due date they were happy to sign me over to midwife led, as they didn't see an issue with growth. So that could still happen for you if they don't see a high risk?

You've done really well with your weight loss by the way! Wishing you a happy and healthy pregnancy!

 

[Wishing_well]

Ive been consultant led in my last 3 pregnancies (not #1) because my bmi is 15/16. It’s an annoying waste of time as I have no risks whatsoever - I’ve had 3 perfectly healthy babies of normal weights and all at home. And no issues with myself other than small bumps.


TBH I just go along with it no just to please them, even though I totally disagree with everything they say and I’ll end up having another homebirth whether they like it or not.

I think they’ll take your weight loss into consideration though, along with your history. Good luck.

 

[mrsmummy2]

Thanks Brightxeyes ! I really hope they do take it into account just because it was SO inconvenient with all those extra appointments and being looked down on etc. And at the time I only had one toddler, now I would have to fit appointments around school and nursery times
I'll gladly take their help with regards to not piling any weight on as I've worked sooo hard to get to the point I'm at the last thing I want to do is go back to square one. I guess I'd just rather them monitor me and *IF* I need to be moved to CLU then that's fine.

Wishing_well - Oh that's great they allowed you to have home births! In some ways I'd like a home birth as with my other two children we lived less than a mile away from my parents so they were able to come and take me to the hospital (hubby doesn't drive) where as this time we're around 17 miles away.. so although that's not really far, being as my last labour was only 1.5 hours i'd be slightly concerned they wouldn't make it in time Not so much getting to the hospital.. more having someone to look after my two children while hubby comes with me.. last thing I'd want is to be alone!

 

[Brightxeyes]

I was actually considering Slimming World, not for weight loss but to keep healthy through the pregnancy, and to actually get better at cooking and learning new recipes. I actually totally suck at cooking, and I did slip up in third trimester last time and probably ate a lot of things that weren't fully nutritious! I got a bit lazy with trying to eat healthier things!

But to be honest, you can find a lot of recipes on their website. I've seen a lot of pregnant slimming world members do really well on it, and I see the meals they post on instagram and it's not even small meals, they actually seem like good filling but balanced meals with all the nutrients you and baby need. I just go through instagram pinching their meal ideas really and going through recipes!

My midwife recommended I keep on top of iron and that chilli con carne was good for that because of kidney beans. Found slimming world had a recipe, first ever time making it, and it was absolutely amazing. Nothing about the ingredients screamed diet either! I felt full, but not stodgy from it! It was actually very easy to make too, even I didn't mess it up!

Might be worth looking into to keep pregnancy weight gain steady? Also, handy to have meals you can freeze for easy meals after baby arrives? Totally going to have a few meals prepped this time to just pop in the microwave!

 

[mrsmummy2]

Yes slimming world is great! I did join in January, and found the "diet" itself very good, but the consultant was RUBBISH. Not supportive at all.. just very robotic. I didn't see the point in paying £5 a week just to weigh in a room full of people so I quit after about 6 weeks. I am still trying to keep the diet in place though as you're right, it doesn't really scream diet at all. I was really surprised at the meal sizes and how good they tasted.

Definitely going to freeze ready for when baby is born. I have a lot of slow cooker low calorie meals that are also delicious so will batch cook during October ready for baby's arrival!

 

[xarlenex]

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/overweight-pregnant/

I think with a bmi over 30 they might do consultant led regardless of previous births, I can't find any definate information though.

 

[mrsmummy2]

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/overweight-pregnant/

I think with a bmi over 30 they might do consultant led regardless of previous births, I can't find any definate information though.

I hate how negative they are about things like this. They put the fear of god in you that something is going to go wrong with your baby and it's all your fault because you're overweight

Never mind the fact that SO many women are "overweight" these days and go on to have successful pregnancies and births.

 

[Joybell]

My BMI is similar and I am consultant led but only because of a previous c section. I asked if it was weight related too and she said no I'd need to be heavier if it was weight alone.

Fingers crossed your weight loss and previous births will mean no consultant!

 

[mrsmummy2]

Oooh that's really good to know! Thankyou! That's given me hope.

Not that I really mind.. but it's so much more convenient to only need to be consultant led when it's actually necessary!

 

[glong88]

I think over 35 is the cut off x

 

[Brightxeyes]

Yes slimming world is great! I did join in January, and found the "diet" itself very good, but the consultant was RUBBISH. Not supportive at all.. just very robotic. I didn't see the point in paying £5 a week just to weigh in a room full of people so I quit after about 6 weeks. I am still trying to keep the diet in place though as you're right, it doesn't really scream diet at all. I was really surprised at the meal sizes and how good they tasted.

Definitely going to freeze ready for when baby is born. I have a lot of slow cooker low calorie meals that are also delicious so will batch cook during October ready for baby's arrival!

Yeah I thought the same! I just want the recipes, I really don't want to be attached to the scales through pregnancy. I just want to make sure its a balanced diet but try to ensure I add iron rich foods where possible.

I have all my fingers crossed for you that you're not consultant led, or if you are, they're nice this time!

 

[mrsmummy2]

Glong - eeek... fingers crossed i just miss it then...

Brighteyes - yeah same here. Just as healthy as i can be is good enough for me! It does help im craving fruit and veg (unlike my usual self who wants lots of chocolate and sweets )

 

[happycupcake]

I'm not sure but just wanted to say I was consultant led with my previous two babies and I didn't find them helpful. In fact I found them the opposite of helpful! They were really doom and gloom and they were completely wrong. I can't remember if I was consultant led because I was overweight or because of my mental health, I think it was my mental health, but they didn't do anything? It was pointless! With DS2 he was breech and they wanted to do an ECV. They were convinced he wouldn't turn but the day of my appointment he did. With DD they were convinced from a scan she wasn't growing properly so jabbed my bum with steroids and said I would be induced soon after, but on follow up scans they showed she was growing just fine. My midwife even commented she didn't know what they were on about because in her opinion all was fine. So I understand why you would want to be midwife led!

Tbh they had zero right to make you feel rubbish. That was really unprofessional and totally unprofessional to give you the 'you WILL have all the problems under the sun' speech. I had preeclampsia with my first but not until a few days before his due date. I didn't have any problems before that and I still went into labour naturally and didn't require any intervention. With DS2 I was overweight but didn't have any problems. I actually lost weight up until the third tri with him and DD. Not intentionally, I just went off most food until then. But I didn't have any complications with DS2 and had a natural labour without any intervention there too. With DD aside from their mistake with her growth, I didn't have problems. I was on the cusp of healthy BMI, but ironically despite having lost weight and being the smallest I had been in any pregnancy with her, I developed SPD which was horrible! It didn't cause any problems except to cause me a lot of pain. But, she was by far the easiest labour and birth I had, despite having a chest infection at the time I went into labour, and even the midwife commented on how pleasant the birth was (I was her first after coming back from leave). So don't take any notice of their negativity. Having a few extra pounds doesn't mean you will automatically have problems, lots of women aren't an ideal weight and don't have problems

 

[mrsmummy2]

You're always so helpful with your responces happycupcake! Sorry you had those experiences you'd think you would have better care being consultant led .. seems like thats very rarely the case!

 

[happycupcake]

You would think so yes, but I have heard so many negative stories regarding consultant led care. They are usually really clinical and don't tend to explain things realistically. They give you worst case scenario but don't tell you that actually, everything could just as easily be perfectly fine

 

[Blah11]

I think consultants are so used to seeing the bad births and problems they don’t really remember that most are born without any issues! I have had one experience with w consultant when my bump was measuring 6 weeks behind and she basically tried to put the fear of god in me saying my baby will be tiny and struggle to retain heat and feed etc! Also tried her best to get me to decide against a home birth. Very negative experience.

 

[happycupcake]

I think consultants are so used to seeing the bad births and problems they don’t really remember that most are born without any issues! I have had one experience with w consultant when my bump was measuring 6 weeks behind and she basically tried to put the fear of god in me saying my baby will be tiny and struggle to retain heat and feed etc! Also tried her best to get me to decide against a home birth. Very negative experience.

That sounds familiar! This is pretty much what I heard from my consultant with DD. She wasn't growing, would have to be born early ... only to find they made a mistake with the scan and all other scans showed she was growing fine. She was a small baby, but had she stayed put until her due date like her brothers she probably would have been more like DS2's birthweight. She was fine though, there wasn't anything wrong with her, just petite and perfect. They do like to focus on the negative