Is becoming pregnant while obese ethical?

[Dopeyjopey]

I agree it isn't for any of us to dictate who can and can't have a baby. But if science has shown us that being x amount overweight can cause problems in pregnancy we can still think it ideal to get out of that danger zone first. I wouldn't ever judge someone's situation to the point of saying they are 'wrong' but i would say it waan't ideal.

 

[reedsgirl1138]

But this same risk that they say happen in obese people can happen to everyone...the studies just are not done in people with "normal bmi" as they have done in "obese" so really I can't say I take those studies to be truly accurate. Society only wants to point out issues with those who don't fit into what they consider the "norm"

 

[Dopeyjopey]

You are right about 'the norm'. I felt that immensely when pregnant as alongside all the above i am bipolar and was single! To me, even if it is only a 0.00001% risk i think whatever causes that risk should be worked on if possible to eliminate that risk.

 

[reedsgirl1138]

So with that being said Dopey you and I both are not in the "norm" I am also bipolar. Not something you and I can control. So we should understand better than some about things are beyond our control and shouldn't be judged for.

 

[Cloberella]

Thank you to whoever pointed out that in my original post I did not state that this was MY opinion, I had merely been having a similar discussion with my OH, did a quick search of this subforum and noticed that it hadn't been debated so far.

I agree that the reason it is such a contentious issue with people is because so many are overweight. If this thread had been titled 'Is becoming pregnant while addicted to drugs/alcohol ethical' then there would have been a lot less people accusing me of being rude for merely starting a discussion.

You can't compare becoming pregnant while obese to being addicted to drugs or alcohol, because the consequences are drastically different.

I agree that you can't compare being pregnant while addicted to drugs or alcohol to being pregnant while obese- that was the point I was trying to make because people keep asking why I'm not 'targeting' women that would fall into that catagory. It's a completely different kettle of fish.

 

[Laura2919]

Thank you to whoever pointed out that in my original post I did not state that this was MY opinion, I had merely been having a similar discussion with my OH, did a quick search of this subforum and noticed that it hadn't been debated so far.

I agree that the reason it is such a contentious issue with people is because so many are overweight. If this thread had been titled 'Is becoming pregnant while addicted to drugs/alcohol ethical' then there would have been a lot less people accusing me of being rude for merely starting a discussion.

You can't compare becoming pregnant while obese to being addicted to drugs or alcohol, because the consequences are drastically different.

I agree that you can't compare being pregnant while addicted to drugs or alcohol to being pregnant while obese- that was the point I was trying to make because people keep asking why I'm not 'targeting' women that would fall into that catagory. It's a completely different kettle of fish.

I bet if you researched into it you would find more babies are born with problems from mothers who drink and take drugs than that of an obese women. There is different sizes of obese. We arent all 20st and cant get off the sofa..

 

[twinkle1975]

Laura - this is NOT a go at you but just wanted to comment that although I'm doing my best to lose weight while TTC & have lost 15lbs in 2 months, before I started I weighed nearly 20 stone and I hold down an active job which involves looking after children, keep my house clean(ish!) regularly go on hikes of 6 miles or more and basically live a normal life. While I know that being 'morbidly obese' carrys risks I also know that lots of other people I know of my size have had babies with no problems. What makes me sad is that I am not able to adopt because of my weight.

 

[andella95]

Laura - this is NOT a go at you but just wanted to comment that although I'm doing my best to lose weight while TTC & have lost 15lbs in 2 months, before I started I weighed nearly 20 stone and I hold down an active job which involves looking after children, keep my house clean(ish!) regularly go on hikes of 6 miles or more and basically live a normal life. While I know that being 'morbidly obese' carrys risks I also know that lots of other people I know of my size have had babies with no problems. What makes me sad is that I am not able to adopt because of my weight.

Actually, I think that statements such as the one you are quoting are a huge part of the problem. Seriously, 20 stone and can't get off of the couch? THAT is the kind of statement that shows ignorance. Even though I'm on your side Laura, people need to stop that kind of bias. There was one point, 6 years ago, when I weighed over 300 pounds, and I had no problems "getting off the couch." In fact, I worked an active job on my feet all day (heavy duty janitorial work, which is what I'm doing again.) I got comments from my male coworkers about how shocked they were that I could keep up with them, didn't need to stop constantly to catch my breath, etc.

Just because someone is morbidly obese it doesn't mean that they aren't active or can't be. I am so sick of the negative, ignorant comments.

 

[Nibblenic]

Laura - this is NOT a go at you but just wanted to comment that although I'm doing my best to lose weight while TTC & have lost 15lbs in 2 months, before I started I weighed nearly 20 stone and I hold down an active job which involves looking after children, keep my house clean(ish!) regularly go on hikes of 6 miles or more and basically live a normal life. While I know that being 'morbidly obese' carrys risks I also know that lots of other people I know of my size have had babies with no problems. What makes me sad is that I am not able to adopt because of my weight.

Actually, I think that statements such as the one you are quoting are a huge part of the problem. Seriously, 20 stone and can't get off of the couch? THAT is the kind of statement that shows ignorance. Even though I'm on your side Laura, people need to stop that kind of bias. There was one point, 6 years ago, when I weighed over 300 pounds, and I had no problems "getting off the couch." In fact, I worked an active job on my feet all day (heavy duty janitorial work, which is what I'm doing again.) I got comments from my male coworkers about how shocked they were that I could keep up with them, didn't need to stop constantly to catch my breath, etc.

Just because someone is morbidly obese it doesn't mean that they aren't active or can't be. I am so sick of the negative, ignorant comments.

Exactly. I have no idea what people think 20 stone looks like!? But most people of that weight have no problems living normal day to day active lives.


I personally have never heard of anyone concieving above 26 stone but my best mate got pregnant and carried easily and happily with no complications at 23 stone (ish) Also like myself putting on little weight in pregnancy. Her first pregnancy when she was much lighter she gained alot more weight during however had a happy healthy pregnancy.

 

[reedsgirl1138]

Good points ladies.

 

[Laura2919]

I didnt mean it rudely. I meant that that is what people think.

 

[andella95]

I didnt mean it rudely. I meant that that is what people think.

I'm sorry if it seemed like I jumped all over you! It's just that I've been thinking...the reason why people get so offended at threads such as this isn't because of the topic necessarily, it's because people have all of these false ideas about obese women that are quite offensive and incorrect - such as a 280 pound woman is unlikely to get pregnant anyway (because well, who would sleep with her and being THAT fat is going to prevent it...) You know what I mean?

For the past three years, I've been at the University learning about how that kind of discrimination, even if not based on fact, gets into health care providers minds and obese women get health care that is based on assumptions about them, not their actual health status. (In my case, my doctor was trying to put me on Metformin for my supposed diabetes - however, all my blood glucose tests as well as insulin resistance tests came back with awesome results, so he was basically trying to tell me I had a disease I had no symptoms of based upon weight alone, lol.)

It's a very frustrating topic for me.

 

[Laura2919]

There is a lot wrong with the way some people see obese women.

 

[smokey]

Just wanted to add this is me at my heaviest, 18 stone at 8 1/2 months pregnant.
https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs222.snc3/20949_276918429368_617079368_4562810_1049950_n.jpg
(about 15/16 stone unpregnant but I dont have a photo of that) and I am a hell of alot more active then alot of people half my size and weight.
As said before im a waitress and walk an adverage of about 6/8 miles a day and im most certainly not too fat to get up off the sofa (dont worry I know that wasnt ment badly)

My weight has never caused me any problems before, during or after my pregnancy in fact my aneamia strangly vanished during pregnancy and still hasnt returned.
I am classed as morbidly obese but yes while I know full well im overweight I just dont understand the morbid part, to me that would mean my life was in danger but its not.
Not everyone fits into the dr's and societies boxes

 

[mlyn26]

I am obese. I am trying to lose weight for health reasons. I have gotten pregnant twice but had a miscarriage and ectopic. These threads aren't helpful when people already blame themselves for losing children you don't want this to add to the mix. I think of course it's ethical. You can't switch off the longing to have a child just because you are obese.

 

[andella95]

I am obese. I am trying to lose weight for health reasons. I have gotten pregnant twice but had a miscarriage and ectopic. These threads aren't helpful when people already blame themselves for losing children you don't want this to add to the mix. I think of course it's ethical. You can't switch off the longing to have a child just because you are obese.

Awe honey, most likely your weight wasn't the cause of your losses. Unfortunately, when you're obese, everyone is going to tell you that if you'd just lost weight, you wouldn't have problems. Like most pregnancy losses, we'll most likely never know the reason why.

 

[cleckner04]

I am obese. I am trying to lose weight for health reasons. I have gotten pregnant twice but had a miscarriage and ectopic. These threads aren't helpful when people already blame themselves for losing children you don't want this to add to the mix. I think of course it's ethical. You can't switch off the longing to have a child just because you are obese.

I'm so sorry for your losses hun. Lot's of luck to you with your weight loss and TTC journey.

I was average weight when I lost my first baby. Than was so depressed I gained weight and was obese when I got pregnant with Emma and she was perfectly healthy. So I did it completely backwards of what everyone thinks is "right".

 

[mlyn26]

Thanks guys. Doc said it was nothing to do with weight. I just find these threads totally unhelpful. There's no evidence that being obese kills babies so of course it is ethical. X

 

[superbecks]

The confidential enquiry into maternal and child health have recently finished a study on the effects of having a BMI over 35 when pregnant. The findings show there are increased risks of being obese whilst being pregnant. The rate of stillbirth is higher, it rises to 8.6/1000 births whilst for a woman of "normal" weight range it is 3.9/1000. That is not saying anybody who has lost a baby it is because they were obese there are a lot of other factors that come into it.

Obese women are also more likely to suffer from venous thromboembolism, but it is not sure the % of how likely this is due to poor documentation.

Gestational diabetes and pregnancy induced hypertension is more likely if you are obese too, it affects 8-9% of obese women in comparison to 2-2.5% of women who are within the normal weight range.

They have also come up with a figure of only 55% of obese women give birth naturally.

These are the risks found in this 3 year report. So YES there is a higher risk of certain things in pregnancy but how anybody can think having a baby while being obese is unethical is beyond me. Even a health professional would not deem it unethical. They would offer support and advice throughout the pregnancy, nobody has the right to be judgmental.

I also cannot stand the attitude coming from the OP about obesity. Insinuating obesity is so simple, too much food and lack of exercise. That is not always the case. Until you have been obese you would never understand. Fair enough some people do stuff themselves and the result is becoming overweight. Although I am not trying for a baby I do have two beautiful daughters. I am currently having a problem with too much of the hormone cortisol in my body. This has resulted in me gaining weight over a period of time. I have followed a diet given by the dr for a week (my bmi is 34) and i have gained 4 1/2 lbs. I guess the point i'm trying to make is not everything is so clear cut, and nobody has the right to judge somebody elses choice to become a mother.

 

[andella95]

One of the key things to notice here, is that the chances of any of these complications is still extremely small. In addition, studies such as these cannot pinpoint a cause/effect relationship, only that there is a correlation. For example, many obese women have PCOS, but the obesity did not cause the PCOS. It is often the underlying condition that causes problems, not obesity itself.

Additionally, losing a significant amount of weight prior to becoming pregnant doesn't necessarily prevent complications, especially since weight regain is more common. In these pregnancies, where a woman has lost weight and then gains a lot during pregnancy, it is thought to be more harmful than if she had stayed obese and gained less during her pregnancy.

Not only are you right in stating that "everything is not so clear cut" but also in stating that weight is a multifaceted issue that is not as simple as eat less/exercise more - even if the problem is that a person does need to eat less and exercise more. There are many, many factors involved in weight loss, ranging from emotional issues, food preferences, hormones, finances, time...what amazes me is how other people find it so easy to judge other people and try to dictate what they *should* be doing. The truth is that, even if a woman is overweight because she has a poor diet and too little activity, it doesn't make her a bad, lazy person. Unhealthy - yes, probably.

I've mentioned this before, but I've seen other threads on this site where women are torn down and ripped apart because of their weight - told how unhealthy they are, how they're hurting their babies, etc. Quoting statistics to a obese woman is not helpful or supportive, because statistics have very little to do with an individual.