Obese and TTC

[billie1007]

Dear All,

I have been lurking here for a few weeks but this is my first post (be gentle)! Wondering if you can share your experiences of TTC/being pregnant whilst starting out overweight.

I am a size 18 (5'6" 220llbs - I think) and have decided to come off BCP - which I did three weeks ago. The plan was always to lose three stone first then I thought about how I had let my weight hold me back all my life and I really should stop that so lets go for it.

Now...... am I doing totally the wrong thing - will my bump be invisible? Will I be miserable and too big? I am active and fairly healthy other than my weight (I ride my horse walk the dog a lot, teach full time)

I just don't know what to do - a woman at work even suggested I may struggle to ovulate - what with my weight and all!! I could have swung for her!!

Advice please - is plus size pregnancy beautiful? Do you have experiences you could share?
Many thanks
I hope you are all well.

Emma xx

 

[AislingMcM]

Hey hun, im a size 18 too(think im 14 stone). and my weight has ruled my life for a long time. I have a 19 month old. I lost 2 and half stone during the pregnancy but doctors didn't mind as i was eatin healthy. But my bump wasnt noticable, even with the weight id lost, my tummy stayed around the same size(it wasn't til after the birth that people realised how much weight i had lost !!! I could walk around at 8 months and people didn't even realise i was pregnant... How rude that woman is, even if it was true !!! Some people just dont have a heart !!! Iv never heard of not ovulating from been overweight, i know its alot healtier to be average weight but, i was overweight, and we have the most beautiful daughter ! She has no health problems, has only been to the docs once wit a minor ear infection. Shes just perfect. Anyway, im still overweight and we are currently trying for number 2 !!! So your definitely not alone !!!

 

[rsergeant]

HI Billie

Please don't worry too much about your weight, yes it may be better to lose some, but you can do this while TTC.

I am a size 20, and was over 20 stone 3 weeks ago. I had lost weight before TTC but the stress of it all meant it crept back on. I have ovulated sucessfully each cycle. I found I needed something other than TTC to obsess about so I have started a weightloss campaign and have lost a stone in 3 weeks. Wheteher this will have made a difference to my TTC campaign, I have yet to find out.

don't put things on hold, you can do both in parallel if losing weight is something you want to do

good luck

 

[billie1007]

What positive replies..... thanks so much. I am starting my diet (again) this morning as I figure it may take me a while to fall pregnant after being on the pill so I may wll be able to lose some before I fall.

It is lovely to hear that other happy and healthy (bigger) girls are doing this too. I was very positive until a friend sent me some edocuments about ttc, one of them was a chart which showed obesity/bmi etc and risks involved with pregnancy. Can't help thinking that it wasn't something she had for herself but that she looked it up as a pointed message to me - I could just be paranoid though.
Thanks for sharing ladies,

Other plus size ttc or pregnant ladies please keep your stories coming
xx

 

[Jen_uk]

I'm bigger than you and I'm ttc, I've been torn as to whether I should wait until I've lost weight but in the end I've decided to try. I'm trying to lose weight now and I will continue to do so when I am hopefully pregnant. Like you I am very active and I work out for an hour each day which I am hoping will help in pregnancy.

Good luck trying

 

[merlotgirl]

hi there!!

I'm a size 16/18 and weight 13 1/2 stone and I got my this morning on our second month of trying! so it can be done!!

However, I did lose 43lbs for my wedding in September and found that as my weight came down my irregular AF cycles became a lot more regular and I really think that's helped us be so succesful so quickly

Best of luck hun and try not to get too obsessed about TTC

 

[Blue12]

I want to share my experience with you that may be relevant or not. I am very close to your size and my weight has been in my way in many times like you said. We have been ttc for 3 years and while I always thought of dieting while ttc I never took the thought too seriously. I have recently gone through many tests for infertility and my weight has nothing to do with my fertility issues (I have blocked tubes and pcos). But now that ivf is my only option I have to lose weight to be able to have ivf a lot of weight - I need to be 150 pounds at most. Now I wish that I spent the last 3 years losing weight so that it wouldn't be so hard right now. Also many of my friends who had difficulty ttc did get their bfps after losing weight. I know it seems harsh to think that weight could affect your fertility but it does and it also makes your pregnancy much more high risk. You are at high risk for gestational diabetes and higher rate of miscarriage and more things but those are the main two.

You are definitely going find many success stories of larger women who got their bfp and had risk free pregnancies - but that is not the majority from all of the information that I have. I wish I listened to someone earlier. In the last two months I have lost 20 lbs and although I am motivated for ivf - it really feels good to take my life back for me too!

Best wishes and I hope whatever you decide gets you quickly to that bfp. (I would still recommend ttc while dieting). I am sorry if this isn't the positive response you wanted but I wish I had done something sooner.

 

[africaqueen]

i am a size 18-20 and im ttc whilst dieting aswell. i have lost 3 stones in total since last june and continue to do well, so when i get preg i plan to stick with trying to lose weight in a sensible way altho i will indulge myself a little

my friend is a size 26 and she has 2 kids an got pg very easily but obviously try lose weight as pregnancy puts a strain on the body anyway and bit harder if over weight. also we need to be fit for labour too ;-)

x

 

[fernie3]

I am size 16 and trying to lose weight for pregnancy. Before my first two pregnancies I was size 16-18 and before the last I was size 14. with the first two I DID have more problems and both ended in pre eclampsia. with the third I had high blood pressure but not pre eclampsia - dont know if the weight was relevamt but I am trying really hard to lose a bit again!, I am 5 foot 3 and 170 pounds now I think my bmi is about 30 or 31 - when I started this diet my bmi was 33 so it is going down slowly.

 

[xMissxZoiex]

I wouldnt worry. i have heard of womens periods stopping because of being morbidly obese but those women have been so overweight they have been bed ridden but they are seriously overweight. ignore what that women said to you it was thoughtless and some people really dont think before they open there mouths. im also over weight and have been TTC for 14months now and my doctor said i need to loose weight because it will help me to concieve. your not alone hun

Zoie x

 

[WelshRose]

Hi Everyone,
I'd like to join you in the journey of ttc whilst carrying extra lbs....Emma we share the same stats babe
I currently would like to lose almost 5st...started last week and have managed the first
2lb...

We've been trying for the past 14mths and in that time we have had two bfps. My weight isn't obviously stopping us from getting pregnant but...staying pregnant is proving more difficult and my cycles are also all over the place at the moment.
I was probably about 2stone lighter when we caught with our son and I didn't have any problems in the pregnancy until he decided to arrive 10weeks early...thankfully perfect and needing no help apart from temperature control....they have not been able to give me a reason for him coming early as there was no infection etc and I'd done everything right in terms of eating the right foods and I don't drink or smoke....maybe the extra lbs were to blame

Anyway enough of the ramble just wanted to say hi and well done to those that are losing weight at the moment and wish those contemplating it heaps of luck....not to mention super sticky to all

 

[TrishyC]

Hiya Billie!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am slightly taller and slightly heavier than you and I just want to say - while it is always advisable to lose weight for good health, it WILL NOT STOP YOU getting a BFP! There are LOTS of reasons why women have trouble getting preg and being overweight is just one of many and IMAO only if coupled with other issues.
I disagree that an obese woman is a higher-risk miscarriage candidate than a thinner woman with some other issues.... just MAO again!
I for one fell preg with our DD 4 yrs ago (I was 35) without trying, and have just become preg with #2 (at 39 yrs of age) on our 3rd cycle of TTC.
It soooooo can be done and as long as you are essentially healthy, it should not be perceived as an obstacle. I do not smoke, I drink VERY LITTLE alcohol and coffee, I DO drink loads of water, eat mostly organic fruit and veg, do regular "light" exercise (looking to improve there!) and live as positive a lifestyle as possible.
I also have a friend who has a beautiful baby girl through IVF and I know for a fact that she was over 200 pounds when they got their successful cycle, so I am sure that the rules and regs for IVF are different everywhere.
Hoping this helps hun - please PM me if you ever wanna chat further!!

 

[billie1007]

So glad to know its not just me who is taking the plunge and not waiting for willpower to suddenly appear.

Thanks for all your advice ladies - it was lovely to hear. Perhaps we could keep this thread going with our plus size ttc stories as they progress!?

I stopped taking the pill 20 days ago and have 0pk'd every day since then, I have not yet ovulated but keep doing preg tests because I have managed to convince myself I have fallen! I just want to either ovulate or for AF to arrive so I know where I am and can start planning.

Who would have thought that one little conversation about stopping my BCP could have turned me into this. I have always looked forward to pregnancy - I think I was born to be a Mum but it was always such a distant thing. Now the time is atually here and I have turned into a baby monster only 20 days in!!

I have to stop thinking about it!
I guess whiling away the hours on here isn't going to help!

Love to all xxx

 

[MUM OF FOUR]

I am 5ft 5ins and weigh 17st 8lb, I have caught on with all my 4 children within 3 months, they always say that bigger ladies have smaller babies, well mine where 7lb 6oz, 7lb 10oz, 7lb 12oz and 8lb 3oz so i would say that is not true

 

[NGRidley]

Hi all!! I would like to join

First I want to point you here:
https://www.babyandbump.com/pregnancy-second-trimester/165711-plus-size-bump-pictures.html

I check this out all the time. They are woman who are plussize sharing thair bump pictures

 

[NGRidley]

As for me....my DH and I just got married in June and decided in July to TTC #1
I am currently 270lb (pic in profile) and I am 5'9". Size 18
The smallest I have ever been was 220lb size14 while on Weight Watchers.

I am not letting my weight discourage me in my TTC. Besides being overweight I am very healthy (according to my doctor) I have never had any health problems.

Right now I am not sure if I am ovulating yet. I am just on my second month of recording my BBT, but my cycles are not back to normal yet (getting there) from coming off of BCP (29 days, 39 days, 32 days).

 

[sglascoe]

hey hun

well i am a size 18 weighing 13 stone and 5 ft nothing (which is classed as obese)lol and i have 4 kids, ttc #5, just go for it hun, my weight has never stopped me conceiving, good luck with ya diet hun, i should really start mine but i LOVE my food lol...

sarahxx

 

[klcuk3]

I'm with you ladies....am TTC#1 and am classified obese, I'm 5'7" and weigh 220lbs. Thought about losing a million stone before ttc but decided to keep ttc and hopefully start losing weight when motivated! Life's too short and who knows how long ttc will take? On cycle 6 of trying but only 2nd one using cbfm. Nice to see lots of you have had successful pregnancies whilst not being waif like models! Good luck everyone xxx

 

[bunnyg82]

Hello! I have just started ttc this month. I am much bigger than you, but again have been putting so many things off my whole adult life and so we are going to go for it but I am hoping to join Slimming World this week. Even if I don't lose lots of weight (although I am sure if I stick to the SW plan I will) then I will be getting healthier by eating all of the right things, instead of the bad ones that I am so used to! I am also aiming to get fitter! So, even if I am lucky to get pregnant straight away, I am intending on carrying on with SW (with midwife's permission of course) and exercising! It may mean I won't have a noticeable bump and things like that, but hopefully it will mean I am healthier than I am now and my baby will be getting the nutrients from my healthy eating plan!

I definitely think you should try and lose weight (healthily) while ttc, but if you feel ready to ttc, you should go for it and not wait till you get to a lower weight.

good luck xx

 

[Blue12]

I have to say that while I did not say that it was impossible to get a bfp or that miscarriage would happen, it sounds to me like you have been very lucky and have not had to go through much of a medical ordeal.

With myself having to go through so many medical issues (not due to my weight) blocked tubes and pcos I have seen many many many doctors and they have provided me the information about more risks during pregnancy when you are significantly overweight - which only makes sense considering your general health is more at risk with extra weight as well. Many countries will not perform IVF (invitrofertilization) if your BMI is not under 30 - which for a person who is 5'6" they should be under 185 pounds or under 13 stone BECAUSE miscarriage is at a much higher risk. Lucky for you that you have not had to go through IVF and obviously there are still some success stories which is great.

I did not say that it should be perceived as an obstacle - but rather to consider that it would be healthier for yourself and for baby to be a better weight. TTC and being overweight is perfectly fine - but when being asked do you recommend it or what are your thoughts - I am just sharing the information that I have.

Hiya Billie!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am slightly taller and slightly heavier than you and I just want to say - while it is always advisable to lose weight for good health, it WILL NOT STOP YOU getting a BFP! There are LOTS of reasons why women have trouble getting preg and being overweight is just one of many and IMAO only if coupled with other issues.
I disagree that an obese woman is a higher-risk miscarriage candidate than a thinner woman with some other issues.... just MAO again!
I for one fell preg with our DD 4 yrs ago (I was 35) without trying, and have just become preg with #2 (at 39 yrs of age) on our 3rd cycle of TTC.
It soooooo can be done and as long as you are essentially healthy, it should not be perceived as an obstacle. I do not smoke, I drink VERY LITTLE alcohol and coffee, I DO drink loads of water, eat mostly organic fruit and veg, do regular "light" exercise (looking to improve there!) and live as positive a lifestyle as possible.
I also have a friend who has a beautiful baby girl through IVF and I know for a fact that she was over 200 pounds when they got their successful cycle, so I am sure that the rules and regs for IVF are different everywhere.
Hoping this helps hun - please PM me if you ever wanna chat further!!