plus size and pregnant !

[MidnightSun]

Not too sure if anyone is still using this page, but I have sat and read the past 20 or so pages

I am a lot heavier than when I fell pregnant with my daughter in Sep 2010. I was roughly 14.5 st then. Had awful hyperemesis, and after the birth I weighed myself and was 13.5 stone.

I had a lot of post birth complications and to be honest the weigh just piled on as I simply sat and ate crap as I was so low and depressed!!!

Come round to now, I'm currently 17 st exactly and am 5 ft 4. For the past year and a half I've wanted another baby, but kept putting it off saying I'll lose some weigh first ... Blah, blah, blah. Well I didn't and I fear if I wait much longer (I'm 34) I might miss my chance

I'm in the UK and am concerned about quite a few things!

My BMI 34 when I fell with my little girl and I had a water birth. Would I not be allowed one now?

Would I be consultant led as I'm so big?

I know there's a high chance I will have sickness again and that I'll lose weight as I did before, but don't they take into account your weigh at your midwife booking appointment, not if you actually lose weight?

I don't want to 'diet' as such, but does Slimming World still take on pregnant ladies?

Sorry for all the questions

Xx

 

[tryn4]

Sounds like a question for uk ladies? I know over there the weight issue seems more serious. My weight has never been an issue for me during pregnancy. You weigh much less than me. I hope someone can answer these questions for you! Lots of ladies that were in this thread including myself had babies in 2014. But I'm back with another pregnancy so feel free to chat away but my prenatal care is very different in Canada. In all of my pregnancies I've been anywhere from 225lbs to 290 lbs. Lighter when I was younger with my first. My doctor doesn't bat an eye.

 

[tryn4]

And congratulations!

 

[donnarobinson]

Aww our thread
I think u can be in slimmin world when pregnant but might already have to be a member.
I think ur consultant led if you have a high bmi bt mine was 31 last time and it wasnt mentioned x
I also have a march 14 baby and pregnant againx

 

[Mummafrog]

Hiya Midnight Sounds like your bmi will be over 40 like mine, I am in the UK and gave birth 6 months ago.

Firstly I want to remind you that there is no such thing as 'not allowed' it is in every professionals oath surrounding birth that the mother has informed choice. If they make it sound like you do not have a choice, they are breaking the rules of their practice and you can complain and challenge them.

You will be recommended by the midwives and doctors to: have two extra scans, take a small dose of aspirin along side a multi vitamin from 12 weeks of pregnancy, have appointments with a consultant and be 'consultant led' although you will still see a midwife regularly, have an anaethetist appointment at some point in pregnancy, monitor your weight carefully. For the birth you will be recommended to be in the consultant led unit and they aren't great with promoting water birth but some consultant led units have a pool and are happy for ladies with just a high bmi to use it ah and you will also be encouraged to have an active third stage of labour (injection for placenta).

That's everything I can think of, they will also go over and over the things you are at higher risk of developing, most likely.

At the end of the day IT IS YOUR CHOICE ABOUT EVERY ONE OF THOSE POINTS They will say it like you don't have a choice just "This is what we recommend." But if you challenge them (what I found) is they are like "Oh yes well of course it is your choice." and they were pretty good.
We were fortunate enough that my family paid for us to have a private midwife which meant that I was able to have the strength to have what I wanted with her support which was a home water birth which went beautifully. We were very methodic and worked together to help prevent and be aware of each risk. A private midwife is worth looking into if you want to go against some of the guidelines but not everyone can afford it :/

Slimming world or something similar definitely has a course for plus size pregnant ladies and it might be worth a look, my independent midwife encouraged me to eat well and drink lots of water and do gentle exercise and I naturally lost weight any way, as long as baby was growing well she was happy You absolutely shouldn't go hungry or eat less fat when pregnant, just avoid sugar and too much carbs

Your care is taken from your BMI at the beginning of pregnancy yeah.

I've tried to answer as much as I can but baby is fussing! Ask more follow on questions as much as you like, it's daunting at first but being overweight really shouldn't stop you having another baby, you can make your experience whatever you want it to be if you're confident in your decisions xx

 

[Wannabe Mommy]

My BMI was 36 at my booking in appt and the cut off for the birthing centre in my area of the UK is 35 although I was advised I could appeal to the head of midwifery services if I wanted.

In the end I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 26 weeks which ruled out the birthing centre anyway.

I was not consultant led until the GD reared it's head and to be honest never actually saw a consultant then if was all nurses and dieticians.

I was induced at 37.5 weeks due to having a massive baby but was able to have a natural labour with only a little gas n air. I was induced with a pessary and then my waters were broken, there was no IV or constant monitoring so even though I was on the L&D ward I was still able to walk around, change positions and use the birthing ball (which I hated BTW).

If you want to eat sensibly look at following a diabetic diet, it's low GI so less carbs and the ones you do have are complex from whole grains and seeds, high protein, moderate fat and plenty of veg.

I was terrified if be branded as fat and would get 'the talk' from all the midwives/doctors but honestly it was only mentioned very briefly and of fairly by the MW doing my booking in, other than that the focus was on my baby and my weight was a non issue, I didn't even get weighed again till I saw the diabetes nurse for the first time at 29 weeks.

 

[tryn4]

Hi ladies of our thread! Missed you! Donna how u feeling? X

 

[MidnightSun]

Ahh thanks everyone! Great replies!

I'm getting my little girl ready for nursery now, but will reply when I have some quiet this afternoon

 

[MidnightSun]

I must say I am worried about not being allowed a water birth. I really don't know if I could do it on dry land!! Lol .. Sounds silly I know, but my little girl's birth was very natural (hypnotherapy, water, essential oils, tens etc) ... It was great and I want the same again

I do have another problem though, which may blow all of these ideas out of the water, in that I have prolapses from my little girl's birth. She was only 6lb 15oz but I guess I was simply unlucky... So for all I know they might recommend a CS.

I think before I decide to do any BDing I might make an appointment with my GP and have a talk about things with her.. My concerns... Will she help or will she not know anything?? Xx

 

[tryn4]

Gps are so useless! I'm sorry I don't have any experience with prolapse. Do kegels help?

 

[MidnightSun]

They haven't really, I guess it's just one of those things!

I have an appointment with my Dr on Friday morning - but have already ordered some clearblue monitor sticks this morning lol .. I'm determined!!!

Feeling excited

 

[tryn4]

Awesome! Keep up the positive attitude!

 

[Mummafrog]

Excellent, so glad you've decided to go for it! At least it's not first baby, you know what you want and you can be firm about it. Compromise is good between carer and mother, you can say "Well fine, I'll be on the consultant led unit, but I NEED a pool" and see if they can sort it out
Anyway, I might see you over on the ttc boards because we've had an accident this month, a big one and currently 5dpo in TWW hehe
Bit of and a bit of for meeee X

 

[MidnightSun]

Oh my goodness!! Haha!!

I shall keep my fingers crossed for you

I haven't ventured over to TTC yet...

 

[tryn4]

That happened to us mummafrog so here I am back again lol

 

[Mummafrog]

Haha oh god Tryin4 don't even say it... I'm freaking out. We're getting married end of Feb then I'm due to go back to work March..
6dpo today... I have cheapie tests in the cupboard for just such an occassion. Taking folic acid just in case
Congratulations to you hunny, I'm sure it is meant to be. How has the first tri been treating you this time?

 

[tryn4]

Thank you. 1st tri has been horrible. Way worse than with Kaliyah. Literally no food stays...Nausea headaches backaches u name it. Worse thing is I had to run back to work a month early because I need to have 600 hours to qualify for mat leave again. *sigh* start back tomorrow. My daughter started daycare Wednesday. It's a whirlwind of stress. I'm so worried about my employer reaction to my pregnancy. Hopefully everything will work out.

 

[Mummafrog]

Ohh hunny it does sound like it has all gone crazy I'm sorry it's rough at the moment.. but it will work out, it will. You'll end up back on mat leave with two gorgeous bubbas who are close in age and when you see them playing together it will be more than worth it. I like the motto 'twice the work but twice the reward'. Hopefully your symptoms will start to ease off soon. When is your scan?? Xx

 

[tryn4]

Thanks my love. I've already had one in December. Next Saturday is my 12 week nt scan. I'm sure it will balance out!

 

[donnarobinson]

I lost the baby hope u have a healthy pregnant tryn4 x