Comments on: Obesity And Pregnancy: Time To Change The Conversation

By: plussizebirth

plussizebirth — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 23:38:00 +0000

In reply to Courtney. I'm interested in learning more, as from what I've read, the increased risks are present but small when we look at the actual risk and not the relative risk. Talking about increased risks is important because it empowers people to be proactive with their health throughout preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum. With that said, so often, the information is presented misleadingly. Thanks!

By: Courtney

Courtney — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 15:15:18 +0000

I am very happy for anyone who has had a healthy pregnancy without complications, despite their pre-pregnancy BMI, and I do find it disturbing that some people tend to communicate scientific information in degrading and shameful ways! But, as a scientist who works on the effects of maternal obesity, I think it is important for women to understand the effects their body can have on their child’s development. It’s great if you managed to avoid the immediate pregnancy complications for you and your child, but a lot of new research is finding there are likely effects on the child’s cognitive and behavioural development as well. There is fairly strong evidence that maternal obesity is linked to cognitive deficits, reduced academic performance and behavioural problems. This is besides the increased risk for the child to become obese in their lifetime, have hypertension and increased inflammatory markers. We need to work on communicating scientific information in a factual way, without shame, because this information is very important to disseminate. We should love our bodies, but we also need to stress the importance of a healthy living, for us and our future generations.

By: Liz

Liz — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 19:29:27 +0000

I am considered obese. I’m 5’7 and was just over 200 when I got pregnant. I have had regular mensural cycles and it took my husband and I only 3 months of trying to get pregnant after his vasectomy reversal. I’m currently very early (9 weeks) but my ultrasound turned up a healthy heartbeat of 167 bpm. “Everything looks terrific!” and “I would have to get a doctor if there was something wrong.” my radiographer said to us. I have always been an athlete and I am very strong (stronger than my husband :-D). So I do not feel that a BMI chart defines me, but it also doesn’t represent those of us that are more muscular than our thinner counterparts. I don’t have high blood pressure and I eat relatively well most of the time (darn those cravings!). Articles like that, really anger me. They don’t know me, my story, or my background. Shame on them!

By: Preitty

Preitty — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 04:55:32 +0000

Thank you for this article , I am really glad I found it through Pinterest . I am 7 weeks pregnant currently and I was really scared what will happen , will my doctors treat me correctly , will I be able to give normal delivery coz I weigh 220lbs on my conception , I feel really motivated by hearing so many success stories. I am less scared now Thanks

By: Jen

Jen — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 23:06:52 +0000

I am 5 months pregnant and was 275 when we conceived. We weren’t really trying to concieve but we weren’t really trying not to either. I don’t have any health issues or conditions other than obesity. So far, no weight gain. All tests given have produced normal levels… I received a bill in the mail from the doctor’s office and thought it to be in error. When I called, I was told that I had been designated as high risk from my doctor which then meant that my appointments were “specialty” with an added cost. I emailed my doctor asking if there was a reason other than my weight as the cause for her designating me as high risk. Her response was no and that she had gone over the elevated risk of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia with me due to my weight. I was taken aback and in shock that although the tests all came back as normal, she still had me as high risk because of my BMI…. and didn’t tell me. I think that if she had taken the time to speak to me as an educated, aware person I may have understood her reasoning a bit better. Although my blood pressure has been normal, I recently received an email from her suggesting that I take low dose/baby aspirin daily as it has been linked to lowering rates of preeclampsia. I don’t know if in her experience all overweight women that she has treated have developed preeclampsia but it bothers me… after discussing with my husband, we decided to not challenge her reasoning further because if it means I get more treatment then we are fine with that! We’ve also discussed with her our goal of a vaginal birth and she seemed on-board. I’m not sure what to think as I haven’t felt shamed exactly but more or less questioned on whether or not I am able to have a healthy pregnancy. And it seems to boil down to my weight.

By: plussizebirth

plussizebirth — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 06:07:10 +0000

In reply to Kathleen. Thanks for sharing your journey with us and I'm sending ***baby dust*** your way!

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Wed, 06 May 2015 06:32:59 +0000

I was 250 pounds when I became pregnant with my now 5 year old. My doctor said he would not treat my pregnancy as high risk just on my weight alone unless I developed complications. He was honest about the possibility of complications but did not automatically treat me as high risk just due to my weight. I only gained 15 pounds during my pregnancy. I did develop preeclampsia at 34 weeks and was induced at 36 weeks. My doctor had the goal of it being a vaginal birth but after 24 hours with no progression it was an emergency c-section. My son was 5 lbs 2 oz. I did deal with secondary infertility as I suffer with depression and PCOS and gained up to 300 pounds after his birth. Thanks to PCOS I do not ovulate at that weight. I have lost back down to 250 and am now ovulating and having fairly normal cycles again. We are trying for number 2 now. I am still trying to lose weight but have been stalled for a long time. I am worried about preeclampsia again as I do know it is a risk but I’ll be 35 this year and can’t wait forever. I am a lot healthier and happier at this weight than at my heaviest. It is not perfect but I am healthy other than my BMI and PCOS but then I had PCOS as a teenager at 160 pounds so it’s not going away any time soon. I don’t have diabetes or high blood pressure. All my blood work was normal. I lost weight to help my menstrual cycles regulate which they did but don’t feel I need to be thin to have that second baby.

By: plussizebirth

plussizebirth — Mon, 04 May 2015 21:28:04 +0000

In reply to Carless. Thanks for sharing your story!

By: Carless

Carless — Mon, 04 May 2015 19:59:18 +0000

I’m a plus size mom, i gained 80lbs the last trimester of my son due to my job. i birthed a healthy 9.4lbs baby boy who came at 42wks by csection last May. now I’m currently 5mos pg with a lil girl who’s due in Sept and she popped out right away and getting bigger faster than my son.

By: Rachel H

Rachel H — Mon, 04 May 2015 05:50:41 +0000

In reply to plussizebirth. I just saw your reply to my comment! A little late. LoL But I would love to share my story with you and let you know how everything goes. So many families are looking for a wonderful surrogate to help them grow their family and now that more doctors are understanding higher weight doesn't always mean unhealthy or more complications, more women who were not accepted as a surrogate before will be able to help families fulfill their dreams! :)