Hi All,
Also posted in DIM (sorry for cross posting)

I've been reading the NHS direct website and i swear that website is designed to make bigger people feel like complete villians for daring to get pregnant.

Now i have been an athlete and a Judo fighter for pretty much my entire life (until 3 quite serious operations on my knee and feet) but still train most day and have always been on the heavier side. Apparently my BMI is 33 which is obese but my ffmi (fat free mass index) says i'm a just overweight (only a little). Now the NHS website says i'm at higher risk os Gestational diabetes, i might not be able to have a midwife led care, no water birth, no epidural etc....

Now i'm not being funny but i run a few miles most days, other than the days i play squash and eat a good...not perfect but good diet...but now i feel like i'm already the worst possible mother and am dreading the midwife bringing up my weight. Has anyone else had weight related problems?

Emma

Hello Emmabon, I am currently going through the same thing - how dare I have a baby when I am overweight and over 35!! I have to have two injections daily (self given) to stop the risk of blood clots, also had my glucose tolerance test today and have another one in November, the last time the nurse took my bp she put a bigger cuff on that nearly cut my arm off and left me with red lines all over my arm for two weeks. It is horrible and I have already said to my fiance if we have another baby I will be thin so I dont feel so horrible with how I am spoken to.:\?

I wouldn't worry about it too much hun. BMI is rubbish, it doesn't take into account your frame, bone density or muscle mass, simply a rating of height v weight and so is really not very accurate, for instance a couple of years ago I got down to a BMI of 20, the lower limit being 18 and I had to put weight back on because I looked and felt ill as I am quite big built (my hands are actually bigger than my hubbys)!!!

BMI is tosh! speakto your mw on your next visit. if you're healthy then there is no reason why you shouldn't have mw led care! My BMI is lower than yours but from all the activities you do then you must be an awful lot fitter than I am!!!

I'll be honest I am terrified of gaining more weight!

I am now 15wks+3 but before this preg I had 3x miscarriages in the space of 12 months. It really took its toll on my body and mind and I gained nearly 3 stone in the space of 8 months, which is rapid gain and not healthy!! My BMI is now 33.5

I admit that some of this was down to comfort eating, but I also believe some of it was to do with my body going through so much!

Pregnant
Not Pregnant
Pregnant
Not Pregnant..... etc.

I also got so paranoid and distressed that I stopped doing my exercise class. I convinced myself that it was too high impact and would dislodge a bean from sticking. During the 2ww, I would do very little, again fearing an egg not sticking. So lack of exercise also contributed to my gain!

Once I got this BFP, I did nothing! I was scared of losing it. I am only just now starting to go for nice walks and started swimming again. I love it and it makes me feel better, but I do currently feel fat and horrible and am trying to watch what I eat. It is a nightmare and unfortunately we do seem to live in a very sizest society!!

In fact I had a bit of a rant earlier about the Prima baby shoots. You know the one where they ask for volunteers in the forums to appear in the magazine. Well in a nut shell; I've never seen a plus size lady (16+) used and it isn't a true reflection the range in size of readers. I bet if they did choose a large lady, it would be in a special -Plus size' edition rather than just picking her and treating her as a normal representation of society! Grrrr! :evil:

As for you; you sound uber fit and I wouldn't take any notice!! Enjoy your pregnancy and keep healthy! xxx :\)