Risking out due to weight?

[Breathless Wonder]

I was wondering, if a mom does not have diabetes, or any other weight related complications, why a birth center or midwife would automatically risk her out? Can someone enlighten me?

[Jenne]

Not a medical professional, just a reubenesque pregnant lady but it has been my observation that there are medical professionals, including midwives, who have fat phobia. If one midwife/birthcenter said no, keep looking. You want someone who believes in you and supports you, someone who is anti-fat probably isn't the right choice. Best of luck!

On the other hand, I do think statistically that obesisty raises the likelihood of complications like GD, Pre-E, and difficult delivery. But, I don't know the particulars of the studies in terms of how much prenatal care, nutrition, exercise the participants had or what the parameters of obesisty were.

I hope you are able to have the birth you want.

Jenne

[Breathless Wonder]

The thing is, that I have been "big" with each of my pregnancies, but now I find myself with severely limited out of hospital options, and if everyone risks me out due to weight, and weight alone, I'm going to end up in the hospital, most likely delivering on or around Christmas/ New Year's, which is a recipe for disaster.

I don't have high blood pressure.
I don't have diabetes.
I'm just fat.

I do have 4 vaginal births under my belt.

[HeatherB]

I have seen two CPMs and neither has made an issue of my weight. I do not know of any solid, evidence-based reason to risk out a woman who has no health issues other than being overweight. In fact, I have other health issues (not related to pregnancy, but which contribute to the weight issues), yet have had perfectly healthy pregnancies.

I hope you can find someone who isn't phobic.

[BirthTender]

overweight

hi, Breathless wonder,
I have had a few overweight women who had no medical issues/diagnoses. And no problems birthing. I do expect my clients to follow a very healthy diet, which is discussed at the initial consult, and I expect my clients to get exercise.
I did respond to your PM to me.

[Joyster]

I'm not doing homebirth, but it was made clear to me right at the beginning with my midwives, so long as me and the baby are healthy, they will care for me and I definitely fall in the plus sized section.

[Greenlea]

Not sure how big you are, but I'm 200 pounds (at 25 weeks.) I had no issue with any midwifes I interviewed about homebirth. My DH is having a bit of an issue with it, as he doesn't want me to have complications due to my weight at the end of the pregnancy, even though thus far I've been healthy.

I just didn't lose all the baby weight from my first pregnancy before getting pregnant again when my son was only 10mths old.

[MidwifeErika]

I don't risk people out based on weight, so I don't know what reasons these others would be using to do so. I am sorry you are having trouble finding someone!

[nashvillemidwife]

Originally Posted by Breathless Wonder

I was wondering, if a mom does not have diabetes, or any other weight related complications, why a birth center or midwife would automatically risk her out? Can someone enlighten me?

Do you have any other issues that aren't weight-related they may be factoring in?

[Lovemy3babies]

I have heard some midwives are like this, but I have not been told it at all. With my last attempted homebirth I was 317 when I delivered, YES, 317. I have never had GD, or high blood pressure or anything bad in pregnancy. I just found out I am pregnant again and I have lost 70 lbs and am 230. Still overweight, but I have worked my tail off to lose weight, I have eaten and tracked every food I have eaten, stayed in my calorie range and exercised. I have lost it and feel great! My midwife said she just had a women vbac who was well over 300 a couple weeks ago, and with my weight being so much less then before, it should help!

[Breathless Wonder]

Thanks to everyone. I may have found someone that will take me.

nashevillemidwife: No, I have no other complicating issues due to weight.

The situation is that I lost my midwife last weekend, and was feeling a bit panicky. I spent all day Sunday trying to find other people that might take me, and wrote this post in a moment of frustration.

When I looked at the freestanding birth center in my state, I found out they would risk me out solely due to my weight. It is incredibly frustrating, and is one of the reasons that I know some midwives don't want to see licensure for direct entry midwives. Malpractice insurance has limited options in so many ways, and "evidence based medicine" is frequently based on tainted "evidence". I've asked exactly what my fat can do to interfere with my birth, given no other compounding factors, and no one can give me a solid, evidence based answer. So why would the birth center risk me out solely due to weight? Prejudice, or bad evidence? It's a frustration!

[billikengirl]

Peggy Vincent (a CNM) wrote in her book Baby Catcher that she once insisted that a mama who weighed 450lbs deliver in the hospital because she was worried about not being able to move the mama quickly in case of an emergency.

I hope you can find a provider who will attend you

[MsBlack]

Originally Posted by billikengirl

Peggy Vincent (a CNM) wrote in her book Baby Catcher that she once insisted that a mama who weighed 450lbs deliver in the hospital because she was worried about not being able to move the mama quickly in case of an emergency.

I hope you can find a provider who will attend you

Yes, that. Well, I can't say I'd insist on a hospital birth, only that that amount of weight would worry me for the same reason, and I'd want to arrange for enough muscle-power to be available at the birth in case it was needed. Otherwise, weight itself does not worry me. The care and concerns are the same as for all women.

Sure, statistically speaking the risks are greater for large women but with a reasonably healthy diet/lifestyle that risk is lower on an individual basis. One might fall into a 'higher risk group' for any number of reasons, such as weight, number of pregnancies, age, other, but the actual risks have to be calculated/projected in accordance with an individual woman's habits and general health. This is just as the actual observations/measures such as b/p, etc, occur individually. Your 'risk categories' have only so much value!

I too, hope you have found--or soon will find--the mw for you.

[Sustainer]

I hope the provider you found works for you. If not, I agree with the others that you should keep looking. I was 250 lbs when I first got pregnant, and my midwife didn't treat it as an issue at all. She never even mentioned it. If it were me, and I couldn't find anyone who would take me, and my only other option was a hospital, I would have a UC.

[Nicole730]

I do not know. I gained over 60lbs and as long as my bp was fine and swelling was within the normal range my midwife did not have a problem with it at all. I agree with pp, find a midwife that it okay with it.