Overweight and Pregnant?

[RyvreWillow]

Hey there

I'm seriously overweight (according to those lovely BMI charts, i'm literally on the line between overweight and obese), and i have some major conserns. First, of course, i'm afraid my weight is completely out of control already, and will pose a risk to my baby, especially when it keeps increasing. I recently started jogging, and lost 8 lbs, but last week i gained it back--and then realized it's because i'm pregnant.

Should i keep jogging, or should i worry about my heartrate, etc effecting the baby? Also, i'm a big gal, lol, so there's some jarring-type motion involved. I don't want to shake something loose you know!

What if i'm too fat to feel the baby move, or to find the heartbeat?

What if i never look pregnant, because i'm so fat to start with? Will everyone just think i've gained more weight?

What if i can't move enough to get in a good position to give birth?

I just feel like a big monster right now, and i know it isn't fair to my baby to be so unhealthy. This pregnancy was a big surprise, and i would have never tried for a baby with my current health.

Argh, i need help.

[thismama]

Aw mama, I'm sorry you are feeling so crappy and worried.

My dd is 15 mos old. I weighed 266 when I got pg, and was 271 lbs when I gave birth to her, naturally, in what was an amazing birth experience.

I wouldn't worry a bit about your weight. I would just focus on being active and eating healthily as possible for yourself and your babe, just like you would do no matter what the # on the scale says.

With me they found the heartbeat just fine, and I felt her move quite early. Once at 14 weeks or so (I was reading and the book was resting where she was, so just a fluke), then more consistently on the early end of the regular time (I think 18 weeks or so).

They did have trouble seeing her well with the ultrasound. The tech told me the equipment was acting weird, but the report he sent to my midwife said they couldn't see everything "due to patient's body habitus." :LOL And my midwife had trouble telling what position babe was in toward the end so I got sent for another ultrasound - I was fine with them but lots of mamas refuse ultrasounds altogether.

I was really excited to look pg, and started asking if I was showing at 3 mos. By 5 or 6 mos my friends could tell, but a guy I know as an aquaintance didn't figure it out until I was 8 mos. That's when I started showing for sure - and suddenly I was reaaaaally big and pg looking.

Birthing - I found it was uncomfy to put my legs in the spot on the birthing bed that skinny people use. My midwife hooked up the squatting bar and I lay on my back with my feet braced against it for traction - this felt great and worked fine. I also didn't feel comfy squatting for long, and didn't trust people to be strong enough to help me get up between contractions, so squatting was mostly a no go.

But you will find what works for you and your body at the time.

And there are great things about being big and pg. I didn't feel off balance or waddly the way many thin pg women look. I walked my unruly 100 lb lab and my little pit bull up until I was 9 mos pg. I felt comfortable lifting heavy things at my job when the skinny pg women didn't - it was psychological but I figured my baby was extra padded in there.

Congratulations! Enjoy watching your body perform this miracle!

[Shorin_Mama]

Ditto to what thismama said (from yet another large mama). I just wanted to add that the Plus Size Pregnancy website is a GREAT resource. Spend some time there and realize that you are NOT automatically unhealthy or risky just because you weigh more. What matters is how you take care of yourself, not what the scale says.

Jess

[RyvreWillow]

Thanks ladies! You have just helped me out sooo much!

[*green*faery*]

Hi!

I am a plus size mama too. I am so glad to see this post, so I know I'm not the only one I do yoga almost everyday and I think that will defiantly help when I'm in labor as far as position. I am trying to be careful with sugar intake due to our slightly increased risk of gestational diabetes.

I think that if you already have a running routine it should be fine to continue, but I think brisk walking would be just as good. I do a stationary bike a few days a week and hike about once a week. I don't think I would feel to comfortable running, I'd probably have to wear a corset to keep my boobs in place :LOL

I also have the fear that I wont look pregnant, I'll just look fatter! I will start wearing maternity cloths as soon as my belly grows any more... and I was thinking about getting some shirts with silly little sayings about being pregnant.

I also am very concerned because I am only 6w and I have already gained 6 lb., my doctor told me not to worry (even though I still am).

The good news is, breast feeding can really help you get back to atleast the weight you started at!! A good friend of mine went from 200lb to 250lb. during pregnancy and steadily went back down to 200lb and she said it was very much helpful to breast feeding!

Right now I am just focusing on eating enough fruits, veggies, and healthy stuff, and if I eat more then one burrito for lunch I am not worrying about it, as long as I eat the healthy stuff first

I'm there with you mama, and if you ever want to chat, just IM me!!!

*erin*
: #1 edd 10/29/05 :

[RyvreWillow]

Breastfeeding never helped me lose weight...but i guess that's because i gained more weight after my kids were born. I think it may have slowed it down a little though.

Now i'm going to give a detailed account of my weight-gain history, lol, because for some reason i feel the need to explain (humor me please, lol)

Before i was pregnant with my first child (4 years ago) i weighed 115 lbs (of course, at the time i thought i was a cow, lol). By the time i was in labor, i weighed 165--ouch! After giving birth, i was down to 145 (a good weight for me, i think), but over the next year gained 20 lbs, so that i was back to my pregnancy weight Then, i was pregnant with my daughter, and eventually weighed 185 lbs. Again, i lost 20 with the birth, breastfed for a year--and when she was weaned, i gained back the 20 lbs! Crazy. So now, i weigh 180, give or take, and i'm just wondering when it will end, lol.

[youngnhappymamma]

Oh my...180 sounds like a nice weight!!! I wish I was at that weight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!
I weigh about 205. I weighed 180 after my last child was born, but, true to form, I gained 25 pounds by the time she was 5 months old. That has happened after EVERY baby!!!!! My highest weight was 220, (after my third child was born...I guess when I weighed that she was about 11 months old) and then I really buckled down and lost 40 to 45 pounds and felt wonderful (but, true to form, did not fully appreciate my thinner body!...URGH!) I was a healthy and thin 135 when we got married (I am 5'4" and naturally muscular...so at 135 I was a size 6/8 and looked good!) I was planning on getting down to at least 160 before getting pregnant again but (suprise!) it obviously did not work that way! I am so nervous about being like 225, or higher!!! I am going to be walking and riding my bike and possibly swimming most every day all summer long and hopefully will be working out 2 to 3 times a week at the gym or curves or something like that with my mom. So I am actually hoping to only gain about 10 to 15 pounds during this pregnancy since I am hoping to replace alot of fat with muscle and baby, not more fat.
Of course now it's Easter season and all the YUMMY easter candy is for sale!!!
But seriously, you don't have to worry too much about any "negatives" you may incounter in your pregnancy because of your weight. I have been obese wih all of my pregnancies, and have never had a problem as far as diabetes or feeling the uterus or ultrasounds (although I haven't had many of those) or deliveries, etc.
And, I have to say I HATE the BMI charts in all the dr.'s offices these days. I think BMI is a hoax and stupid and makes most people feel fat and unhealthy when they are not. BMI does not take into account your body structure, your bone structure, your breast size, or the amount of muscle you have (muscle ways a lot more than fat). I think body fat percentage is a much healthier way to go. I know this is long, but an interesting story about this is when I was 17 I was visiting my SIL who is RAIL thin. I was not fat by anymeans, but not skinny like she is. We went to a gym for a fun free trail workout and they took our body fat percentages. Mine was a very healthy 18% (my SIL was super suprised...she thought I was fat!) and her's turned out to be an unhealthy or upper-end healthy 26%!!!!! She was floored, to say the least. She was super skinny, but unhealthy because she had hardly any muscle and too much fat. Anyway....BMI sucks and is an inacurate way to determine your health and fitness level. Not to mention the fact that the stupid chart says that for my height I should weight between 110 and 125 or something like that. I have been in that range before and the only way I got there was by eating 800 calories a day (yes, I fainted a few times! I was a teenager....) and running every day....not because I was particularly healthy! Sorry...I'll step down from the "BMI is stupid!" soapbox now!
Happy pregnancy!

[RyvreWillow]

Heidi, sounds like we have much in common, except you have more kids! lol

I'm definately going to keep jogging at least; maybe us big mamas can be our own little support group :P

[fragglzmom]

Hi. This is my first post to this forum. I'm about 8w with my 2nd baby. Last pregnancy, I started out at 192 lbs. and went up to around 260 lb. I had pregnancy induced hypertenstion, which causes extreme swelling/water weight gain, so that accounted for about 20 lbs. I lost weight pretty steadily afterward...about 50 lbs. the first two weeks (!) and then the last 20 came off slowly in about 6 months...thanks in part to Weight Watchers, which I started around 4 months pp. I should have kept going with it b/c I really wanted to be at a lower weight with this pregnancy, but oh well. I stayed around 190-195 lbs. for a few years, then this past fall when my DS (3yo) nightweaned and cut back on nursing, I gained about 10 lbs. So...I'm starting this pregnancy out already having gained! Makes it really hard to find clothes that fit, now, b/c my regular clothes were just barely fitting anyway, but the next size up was still too big. I guess I'll just say "screw it" one of these days and just go for the maternity stuff.

So..I know where you're coming from! I know lots of moms who have great births (including myself!) while being overweight. The only problem I had last time was the hypertension, which is more common in 1st time moms. The way to combat that is to get lots of protein from very early on in your pregnancy and drink lots of water. If you're already exercising, that's great! Keep it up! I just started a prenatal water aerobics class today, and it felt so nice to work out for an hour while not putting my body through undue stress. I also am going to start yoga again tomorrow. I can't recommend yoga enough b/c it makes you feel very connected with your body...very flexible and strong. There are some great asanas (poses) that help in labor and delivery as well.

I'm a little nervous about my first meeting with the midwife next week. I went to an OB with my DS, and she was always okay with the weight gain, but I have a feeling that the midwife will stay on me more. I know it's b/c midwives are so much better at prevention.

[Shorin_Mama]

Leah -- So far the midwives I've interviewed (3) have been totally unconcerned about weight. They watch it a little during the pregnancy but mainly to catch things such as gestational diabetes or unusual swelling (PIH). Weight gain in and of itself was not a concern for any of them (particularly the one who recommended the Brewer diet to me). They were also all fine with my not knowing my weight once during the whole time.

Jess

[swngrrl]

I'm technically "obese" at 5'6", 215. With my first child, I weighted 225. My OB told me I would have GD and a big baby. I only took the first GD test. My levels were much lower than the skinny mamas there doing their second stage testing. (Ha!). My son weighed 7lbs 14ou, and was delivered full term. (I have little trust in OBs, and take what they say about normal birth with a grain of salt.)

I did lose weight during my first trimester. My MW (I used both MW and OB for my care, but birthed with the MW, not OB) said that's typical of larger women. It's a result of better eating - and in fact, my pregnancy was my healthiest time of my life. Oh, and had no problems with either US or finding heartbeat.

Eat lots of protein, fruits, and veggies. Limit your carbs - they turn into complex sugars that may be harder for your body to process during pregnancy. Chose whole grains over white, processed things. Drink lots of water.

In the end, I weighed 260 at my son's birth. At 9 months of age, I was down to 190 (EBF until about 8 months).

I'm not doing nearly as well with this second one as I did with the first! But trying.

I did find it irritating that I didn't look pregnant. Most ppl thought I'd just been gaining weight, I guess. At 8 months pregnant, I even had a coworker who thought I wasn't due for another 3 months! I envy those mamas who get to enjoy the completely rounded tummy.

[fragglzmom]

Well, I had my first appt. with the midwife on Tuesday...not an official prenatal appt (that won't start til 12w), but a consultation. She said that she treats all women the same. I am a risk b/c I had PIH, possibly Pre-eclampsia the first time around, so she will monitor my diet more carefully. She puts all her moms on a diet starting with week 12. (She says she doesn't bother before then b/c of m/s and because the baby is being nourished by the yolk sac.) The diet is a lot like you described, Sally. Lots of protein (60-80g), very little sugar and sat. fat, only 2 servings of dark fruits a day, two big servings of leafy greens, lots of veggies (but limited potatoes, carrots, and peas), and 240g of complex carbs a day. 2500 calories. She says that this will help to control blood pressure and blood sugar levels while strengthening the uterus. OH, and I have to drink lots of water...she said the amount she recommends is half your body weight + an extra 32oz. for the baby. For me, that would be 137 oz. a day!!!

[Shorin_Mama]

Leah -- Sounds a lot like the Brewer diet! I hope it works as well for you as it does for others. My midwife recommended it to me, too.

Jess

[fragglzmom]

yep, it is...except I think in the Brewer, you eat 3 potatoes with skin on a week, but my mw wants me to stay away from potatoes, carrots, corn, and peas b/c of their sugar content.

[emmasmommy]

I'm overweight too, but not really concerned yet. I am trying to watch my diet, but it's so hard right now with all the food aversions I have. But hopefully that won't be a problem after a couple of weeks I can begin to eat better. I did have pre-e with my first, so I am definately concerned about my protein intake, but I am not sure I have the discipline to follow the Brewer diet, so I will just increase my protein and make sure to get lots of other good stuff.

[Worldshakerz]

Well, I'm 5'10" and was 193 when I got pregnant with ds. I went up to 232 with him and within a month of him being born was down to 203. But then I put weight back on and have been about 210-215 ever since. For the past year I've been saying..."Okay, I've got to lose some wieght before the next baby". Well, here I am :LOL . I'm about 218 right now at 12 weeks pregnant, so I've only gained about 3 lbs. I've been mostly good about my diet, eating lots of protien and veggies and fruits. But about 3 weeks back I had a horrible craving for Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and gave into that a few too many times. I've been good except giving into my craving for chocolate here and there. We got the treadmill out in the living room so it will get used more and I did go on it twice this week so far. So that's good. I was borderline on the GD last pregnancy, didn't actually have it but was close they said. I was able to control it with diet. So I just want to avoid that all together. The biggest challenge will be staying away from sweets but just thinking of passing my first glucose test and not having to do the 3 hour GTT is good incentive I think . I did just have bloodwork done a month ago at a regular doctor visit and he said my blood sugar was great, so that's good. I just have to keep it up.

[*green*faery*]

I went to my first midwife appointment & she is going to refer me to a nutritionist so I can "set goals" with my weight gaining. I'm 5'6" and weigh 228lb before I got pregnant and now at about 238lb. The sad part is that I totally know what to eat and a lot about nutrition. I just eat to much! I'm picky and strict about certain things (no meat, no hydro oil, no high fructose sugars) but then I'm weak when it comes to quantify! But I think it will help knowing I have to check in with someone once a week and talk about my weight. I've already gained almost 10 lbs and I'm at 8w. Of coarse my boobs have already gone a few sizes up!

I just ordered a bra from www.decentexposures.com and I am so happy with it. Its the first bra without an under wire that actually has support. They have a huge range of sizes and custom make each bra. Its super comfy and kinda cute!

How is everyone doing with their exercise routines? I really need more, but so far I am doing about an hour of yoga 3 days a week (I would like to bring that up to 5) and I use a stationary bike for 30 min 2-3 times a week. I went and walked on the beach yesterday, it was perfect, I think I'm going to try and do that at least once a week.

*erin*
: eed 10/29/05 :

[Viola]

I just caught this thread and I see someone has already linked the Plus Size Pregnancy site, but I thought I'd respond anyway.

Originally Posted by RyvreWillow

What if i'm too fat to feel the baby move, or to find the heartbeat?

:LOL You aren't that fat, according to what you have said. I'm morbidy obese according to the BMI charts and I could feel the baby move and the midwife and OBs could find the heartbeat.

What if i never look pregnant, because i'm so fat to start with? Will everyone just think i've gained more weight?

With my first pregnancy, most people didn't think I was pregnant because I just bought larger sized clothing at Lane Bryant. But the second time around I bought some stuff and borrowed some stuff. It's amazing what will fit you maternity-wise. The Target size 16/18 stuff fit me even though I'm more of a 22/24.

What if i can't move enough to get in a good position to give birth?

People experience pregnancy differently. I've seen moms I could barely tell were pregnant dragging around while my friend who was pregnant with twins bouncing around at 38 weeks. I think it part of it depends on how fit and flexible you are before you get pregnant, regardless of your weight. Certainly the exercise will help with that, although I'm not sure I'd jog just because it is extra strain on the joints. I liked walking hills when I was pregnant, and I'd add more incline to the treadmill to make up for the speed decrease.

I had two easy pregnancies and good births. Both times I was tested for GD and was negative, but I did have big babies. My second one was over 11 lbs, but I was able to move from a side lying position to my hands and knees once the head was out and I realized I needed a new position.

I gained about 12 lbs with my second baby and she weighed 11-6. Yeah, I felt big at the end, but in general being pregnant didn't stress me out and I still was active and on the move right up to going into labor. Being pregnant gave me feelings of elation and well being that I really enjoyed. I hope you enjoy your pregnancy as much as I did!

[mamatoady]

hi mama, Iknow what you're going through.

My prepregnancy weight with dd was 263 and I'm 5'4". When I found out I was pregnant I had all the same fears you do. I made sure I ate REALLY healthy, lots of whole grains, legumes, fruit,and veggies and I didn't eat crap(until about the end when I got sick of being pg). I initially lost some weight (like10pounds) which my doctor didn't like, but I switched to amidwife who said as long as I was eating well, she didn't care what the scale said. Overweight women are equally capeable of having a normal birth. I continued eating well. I then gained about 15 pounds (put me at about 270) and then I had MAJOR swelling that put me at 280 (yikes!) and then after my baby was born, I weighed myself a week later and I weighed 255...8 pounds less than my prepregnancy weight.

I remember people commenting "oh, your not even showing yet!" and I was like 37 weeks pregnant and it bothered me a lot. I went in for induction and the nurse who came in to get me to get an ultrasound literally looked around the room for the pregnant lady.

All i can say is, every woman is beautiful when they are pregnant no matter what size they are and you will no doubt glow like the best of them! This is about you and your baby and that you two are healthy and happy....It's NOT about what others think. If it helps, I looked pregnant naked in the mirror, so you can probably strip down and you will see you're very pregnant self! Also, I didn't buy any plus size maternity and I think if you do, you will probably look more pregnant than if you wear regular clothes that are bigger.

I would nix the running if you just started it and just walk. What's important is that you are strong in the legs to help support yourself in comfortable positions when you birth your baby, NOT that you lose weight. Walking will be better for both of you. Also, if you want, go to the gym and tell them you are pregnant and need a specialized program,you will definitely lose some fat and gain some muscle healthfully and without harming you or baby. I would steer clear of the scale. Let them weigh you if need be and just avert your eyes and say you don't want to know or bye-pass it all together. Tell them you don't need to be weighed because you know you are eating healthy.

good luck mama, happy pregnancy!
Sarah

[RyvreWillow]

How's everyone doing?

My exercise routein is not going well, haha, it's nonexistent these days. My husband is working mornings now, so by the time he gets home in the afternoon, i just want to be lazy. Before, i was able to motivate myself, because i "had to get it done before hubby went to work" now it's like...eh, tomorrow is good. And, of course, there's always another tomorrow, haha.

I haven't gained any weight; i think i've technically lost about 5 lbs, but it's hard to say. Before, i'd weigh myself, and depending on what time of day it was, my weight was between 175 and 180. Now it's 175 all day. So whatever that means, haha. My belly is sticking out more though.