Larger pregnant women...

Hi,

Lee, my homebirth plans are not moving as i haven;t seen my midwife in 7 weeks! LOL! I have a letter from the head of Midwives asking me to discuss what i want at my next appointment so that'll be on Monday.

I basically read an awful lot about childbirth and pregnancy before i ever fell pregnant, including books such as Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin. She is a very down-to-earth American midwife, and has been delivering babies since the 60's. She basically writes about the Farm, the birthing centre her and her (midwife) colleagues run. Their c-section rate has never, in nearly 40 years, been above 2% (they transfer to hospital for these, and the reasons have been prolapsed cord through an undilated cervix, brow presentation in an exhausted woman and locked twins (where the twins are both head down and both are trying to come through the bones at the same time)) Breeches, face-presentations, long-labours and twins have all been birthed perfectly safely on the Farm. It is 40% in the rest of the American hospitals. Her secret is that they interfere physically as little as possible (no drugs, no hormones, no forceps, no excessive examinations) and support and encourage the woman tirelessly, helping her to change positions to be comfortable and coaching on how to handle the energy of the rushes (they feel "contraction" is filled with enough negative conotation to scare a woman who just thinks "oh, another contraction") to minimise pain. SHe has found through this work that the vast majority of problems which lead to forceps, ventouse and cesaerean deliveries (all of which involve cutting and stitching of some sort and a longer recovery and often more difficult bonding process for the mothers and babies) stem from uneccesary medical interferance.

SHe points out not only the obvious things (like if you lie flat on your back you have to push your baby out UPHILL, and if you have an epidural then you'll have to be flat on your back) but also things i never thought of (like birthing when your assistants shout to push is the same as trying to do a poo with a team of strangers shouting "push push" at you from a few feet away!). She basically points out that, in AMerica especially, the proportion of maternal and infant death is not falling enough when you consider the level of medical expertise. When women in remote areas of Africa bleed after birth, they die because there is no blood to give them. In the Western world they are probably only bleeding because their exhausted uterus, which has been contracting almost continuously under the direction of the drip feeding artificial hormones to the mother, is too weak to contract and stem the bleed caused by a impatient doctor yanking on the cord to "help things along" in the 3rd stage. She feels that the medical care looks at fixing a problem and that, with encouragement loving support and skilled sensitive care a long labour, a breech presentation or a shoulder dystocia (when a shoulder gets stuck) needn;t BE a problem. She points out that though it is one of the most challenging, physically demanding and miraculous things a woman's body does, it is no more abnormal an occurence than pooing, peeing, orgasming or breathing - none of which i turn to my doctor for help with!

I don;t want to go in hospital because in my house, it will be me delivering my baby with help from the welcome visiting midwives. I will do things the way i want to because i am in a safe warm familiar environment. In hospital i will not feel in control, i will have to fit into the schedules and expectations of the hospital. When my sister-in-law delivered i was there with her, and after she had been pushing, with an epidural (so she couldn;t feel very well) for just 20 minutes a consultant came into the room with a massive pair of forceps and said "If you don;t get the baby out soon i'm going to use these and you and your baby don;t want that". The insensitivity of this man, to waltz into the room and THREATEN a woman at the most vulnerable point in her life (immobile, numb from the waist down, as "open" as she had ever been in her whole life, her baby in her BIRTH CANAL!) by waving frankly terrifying-looking metal surgical tools at her. I was shocked and knew right then and there that i would NOT be going into hospital unless i had to.

In the UK homebirths are around 1% and the NHS doesn;t like doing them because they are expensive, but the law states a woman can deliver where she wants. I am getting my way by flattery. I said at my first appointment, to my team midwife "i think between your skills and my uterus, this baby is perfectly safe to be born in my home". How could she argue?

Hana

For maternity clothes try looking online, there is one called Cosmic Clothing that stocks larger sizes. I did buy a couple of pieces, they were fine to wear, but not my favourites. I did find it helped to spend some extra money on a couple of nice pieces that I wore to death. It made me feel good to wear a couple of nice things and did receive some great compliments :D

If you are looking at sewing you own clothes and are buying commercial patterns remember not to go by the sizing on the packet, go by the measurements. For some reason the commercial sizes seem so much smaller.

Another thing is to find a local seamstress. Some can copy existing clothing, so if you find a piece that you really like you can have more made in different materials.

Don't forget the belly belt, it really helped me for a few months so I did not have to rush out and buy pants/skirts straight away, just a couple of longer tops.

Astrid

I was big to begin with when I got pregnant and didn't really put much on which was good, so basically all I did in regards to maternity clothes was just by 1 or 2 sizes up in regular clothes. This was perfect as I didn't have the added cost of it being "maternity" and the problem of getting the size I needed.

I actually didn't have any problems finding maternity clothes. I guess at 86kg, I was on the smaller side of large?! But yeah, no problems there for me.

Boy do I hear where you are coming from on the clothes front! I am preggie with twins too and large and I have reverted to going up in size at 1626, which is expensive but at least I don't feel so disgusting!

What I have found with 1626 is that if you go in on a regular basis, you will find some great bargains! Yesterday, I went in and found some lovely cheesecloth tops on sale for $19.95! Three weeks ago, they were new stock and were $39.95! I bought three of them. Just keep checking.

hoobley,
I think it is wonderful that you are having a homebirth! I have done a little reading, and having as natural a birth as possible is something I want. I have read a book by Ina May Gaskin, I love her way of thinking! Unfortunately, hubby and I have different views on how we would like to birth our baby, and hubby is very keen on having a hospital birth. We have chosen the Womens and Childrens Hospital in Adelaide, as it is the hospital eqipped to deal with any medical emergency (if we were at any other hospital and we needed emergency care for the baby, the WCH is where we would be transferred to anyhow), and yet it also has a midwifery practice, so I think it offers the best of both worlds, to keep me and hubby happy :)

I will still be doing as much reading as I can to keep learning about what my options are in childbirth, and to help me develop a 'birth plan'.

I admire you for choosing a homebirth, and I look forward to hearing more about your plans!

I had a checkup this week, and everythings going well :)
Blood pressure excellent! Urine test was fine. My heart is great. I have even managed to somehow lose 1.5 kgs since getting pregnant! I am sure it is because I am eating so much better now. My Dr wants me to keep my weight gain to around 7kg the entire pregnancy.
Fingers crossed!
My Dr told me that my uterus will start to move above my pubic bone in the next couple of weeks, and that by the end of the month I will have a fuller belly. WOO HOO. I may even start to look pregnant, lol.

Hope everyone else is doing well :)

Well done Lee,
Glad everything went well. Excellent blood pressure.
Don't focus too much on the weight increase number as sometimes it can be fluid and there is nothing much you can do about it.
Looking preggers is so fun, although I think I looked pregnant for about 6 weeks the rest I looked fluffy..lol
Bec

Well Done Lee!!

I gained a little over 2 kgs in fluid on top of my sons birthweight and lost it all within days of giving birth. Sadly I didnt lose any more!!
My girlfriend told me the other day she lost 17kgs in pregnancy! (the only time in her life she has managed to do this) and she is a larger girl! I wish!
Dont worry too much about it! Just stay healthy and dont stress over it. You can work on all "that stuff" after you give birth to your healthy little bubs! :)

Keep up the good work!

Hi ladies,

Well i am a little mad about my midwife this week. She was a woman i'd never met before. She gave me the standard lecture on the dangers of homebirth, i nodded but ignored her as usual! LOL! THen my blood pressure was up - i mean it is fine but it is high. Like it was 143/84 when i was booked so they just call that "high essential blood pressure" as at 11 weeks the bubs shouldnt be affecting it yet. Well i was at the hospital for my booking-in and i felt stressed and thought it was white-coat hypertension. Well this time, at 18 weeks, in my GP practice it was 1-something/88. Now if the lower number goes over 90 that counts as high BP, but in pregnancy the doctors give you 15 points above your booking rate (so 84 + 15 = 99) before it counts as "high". BUt it does mean if i go above 90 i might have to have my check-ups at the hospital which will mean more (unpaid!) time off work, and more stress. I have gained no weight, my baby is moving, i have NO headaches or blurry vision, and my urine is fine, so there is nothing to worry about but she wrote it all carefully on the chart. Despite that when she weighed me and i was 2.5kg LIGHTER than book-in, she didn't think that worth writing in! GRRRRRRRRR!

Lee, my DP was also a little dubious about homebirth at first so i made him read "birth your way" by Sheila Kitzinger, which goes into details about what to expect at hospital, at a homebirth and at a birthing centre. After that he came round a little but did say "do you think you can handle a homebirth?" and i just said "I am having this baby the way i want to, and the day you feel the contractions and have your lower regions ripped open shoving a persons head out of you is the day you can tell me what i can and cannot handle." He laughed at me and said he took my point and now is 100% supportive. I feel that while the baby is inside of me, the choices on what to do and how are mine. It is my diet that has changed, my body which is being taken over, my hormones running riot. DP can moan about my skills once i get the baby out, but before then he just has to trust in his choice for the mother of his child ad let me be. But i realise this wouldn;t work for every couple. I can be very headstrong, and any attempt to control me makes this much worse LOL!

I'm still in my jeans but they are annoying in that if i pull them up over the bump they stretch out and fall down, and if i don;t they fall down anyway! My maternity trousers are cool but make me look MUCH more pregnant so i only wear them when my jeans are out of action. I might get some maternity jeans soon. Long Tall Sally seem to be the way to go as their mat trousers are nice. My only dilemma is which size to get. I got 18 mat trousers and they seem bigger every time i put them on (except over bubs!) but i'm worried if i get the 16 i will suddenly pile the weight on and they won't fit... The most annoying thing is that i need to order them so i can;t try them on until AFTER i buy them and have them delivered. What do i do ladies?

HAna

hoobley,
I have never ordered clothes without being able to try them on! I dont have any advice for you there..... except to say Good Luck!
Sounds like your pregnancy is going well!
I plan to do more reading on labour/birth, I want to have as much information as possible, so I will be able to make informed decisions, rather than have a doctor make them for me! I have read one Sheila Kitzinger book, cant remember which one, it was an old one? I will look out for the title you mentioned - thankyou.

I am still in my regular clothes, have only noticed a slight tightening of my jeans around my waist, but definately not showing yet - at least not baby tummy anyway LOL.
The past couple of days have noticed some changes going on in my nipples! Some dry crusty skin !?!? and they have become much darker in 2 days! Also they seem to be erect alot more of their own accord, lol. Am assuming this is normal??

Hi guys,

It's a relief to see I'm not the only one :) I am already worried about being able to find maternity clothes. I know people have suggested target, but don't theirs stop at 18? Not big enough I am afraid! I will probably have to buy stuff online I guess.

I am not all that worried about anything else. I am fit, eat well and generally healthy. I know I am at high risk of gestational diabetes, but that's because I have insulin resistance. My blood pressure tends to be on the low side if anything :evil:

It will be interesting to see what my OB says when we meet for the first time tomorrow. I'm not gonna take any crap from him so for his sake I hope he's open minded :lol:

Kylie

hi girls - well i managed to loose about 10kg before falling pg this time - last week weighed in at 98kg so thats good - but my Dr is keeping a close eye on my weight and doesn't want me gaining much at all - and i have fortnightly insulin checks - i am trying to eat good and stick to a low GI diet - the hardest thing is staying away form energy drinks ect because mostly of the caffiene - but yeah am trying and feel good to be able to talk with others...

I am hoping to be able to get away with my "fat" clothes for a wee while rather than try to get maternity wear...

I can't believe I've only just seen this thread.
I am a "big mumma" too (well over 100kgs).
When I was preggo with Gabby, I didn't put on a great deal of weight (about 10kgs) but it definitely caught up with me afterwards! Anyone that tells you that BFing causes the weight to drop off is telling huge fibs!
Anyway, I too found it difficult to buy maternity clothes.
Kmart and Target had a very crap selection and it drove me nuts with the Small, Medium and Large sizing. What the hell is that about?? Because the Large sizes would have barely been a size 16! What about women sized 18 and over?
I had a few tops and dresses that I just loved while I was pregnant that weren't actually maternity clothes. They were just a lovely stretch fabric (with a generous amount so it didn't cling!). Big W have got some nice larger sized clothes that could pass as maternity clothes.
I found shirts to be helpful too (esp. for work when I had to look at least a little professional ;) ).
Bonds make those roll-over tracksuit pants. When they are not rolled-over at the top, they make reeeeallly comfy maternity pants.
I also got a lot of clothes from ebay. I know some people are a little uncomfortable with second-hand clothes but all the clothes I won off ebay came to me in really good condition - most had hardly been worn!
It's a way of getting some different brands for much cheaper than the shops.

As far as feeling and looking "pregnant", I probably didn't feel good about it until the 3rd trimester when it was really obvious (and my belly had firmed-up). When people touched my belly earlier, the look on their face seemed confused because they mostly felt soft, squishy flab and not the firm preggy-belly they were expecting.

Thankfully I didn't come across any nasty doctors or midwives throughout my pregnancy. I had heard of stories of hospitals refusing women because they were over 100kgs and of doctors and nurses saying nasty things about stretch marks so I was a little wary. But, uno, it was rarely mentioned. The only time I can think of where something was said to me, it wasn't that bad. The doctor that ended up delivering my baby mentioned that I would need to exercise more and eat healthier once the baby is born so that I could lose weight. She said "Maybe it will also help you to conceive easier next time around". I didn't tell her that our fertility problems were due to a low sperm count and my weight had nothing to do with it! I was a little ticked off but I figured she could have gone about it in a much nastier way so I got over it!

I'm hoping to be lighter next time around (which won't be for a couple of years yet so there's plenty of time). The main reason is because I had high BP issues towards the end of the pregnancy. I never had any fluid retention and, for the most part, I had a pretty good pregnancy but I would prefer to not have the hypertension issues next time around (if I can help it). At least if I was smaller, they might not be so quick to induce me "just in case" something bad happened....

I'm currently at 88kg (my highest was 99kg 2 years ago). This is my 2nd IVF attempt and I've decided if this one doesn't work out that I really want to try and lose some weight. It's great to hear that larger women have had healthy pregnancies, as it's something I have been worried about if I do get pg. And it's great to have the extra support in here!

Good luck to everyone. :cheer:

Marg

Just wanted to bump this and let people know I found some maternity bras at target in larger sizes. Were all between $20 and $30 so not too bad. I thnk they had underwire but I was only interested in the soft cups. I got a size 20 and a 22 \:D/

Not sure why this got put in the trimester one discussion :-s

What cup size did they go up to tho?
It drove me nuts that kmart and target would stock DD normal bras but not maternity bras to compensate (eg... someone that is normally a DD would probably go up to an E or an F or even bigger when BFing).
It's great that they had the bigger sizes but they need to stock the bigger cup sizes too!

:

---

What cup size did they go up to tho?
It drove me nuts that kmart and target would stock DD normal bras but not maternity bras to compensate (eg... someone that is normally a DD would probably go up to an E or an F or even bigger when BFing).
It's great that they had the bigger sizes but they need to stock the bigger cup sizes too!

---

Ah. Not too sure about that. I got a DD but don't know what the highest is. I never thought of that :(

I personally think they would make a killing in sales if they went up to at least G cups! I know that many women that got up to that size and even bigger! Yet they had to go to specialty shops (or order online) and pay top $$ for their bras.

Hmmm... it is rather odd that this topic is in this forum.... :-k

I think it's in here because a lot of people shop for maternity bras in the first trimester, I know I did.

It's not just about bras though :-k

Bump

Have moved this post guys into here as it is more related to general pg than just the first tri.

I had forgotten about this post!

I am 26 weeks pregnant now, and still pretty much in my regular clothes! I have bought 2 skirts from Target, but not maternity skirts, because yes they stop at size 18 which I think is just stupid! They are larger size skirts, but fully elasticised, so they will stretch with my waist when it expands.
Havent needed maternity bras just yet.

So far, have put on a total of 3/4 kg. So my weight gain is being kept to a minimum. I am by no means starving, still eating quite well, just making healthier choices then I was before i was pregnant.

Felt baby move for the first time at 21 weeks. Hubby felt baby move at 25 weeks.

Blood pressure still excellent. Had my long glucose tolerance test, and that came back normal, my health is very good :)

Only issue has been that I have a hernia. No-one has responded to my post about hernias......so I'll bring it up here too!!
My GP told me hernias can develop in pregtnant women, but also in overweight people....has anyone else had a hernia during pregnancy??

Hope everyone is keeping well.

Good to hear things are going along nicely, Lee. It's really silly how maternity clothes at kmart and target don't go above a size 18, hey? Considering they stock regular clothes in an 18, wouldn't common sense prevail that women who are normally an 18 might go up a dress size or two when preggo?? Sheesh! Some of their clothes can be pretty generous though so you can get away with it sometimes.

I haven't had a hernia nor do I know anyone that has had one (that I know of) so I'm sorry I am not much help there. Hopefully someone else on here will be able to help you out.

Yay for feeling all the kicks too! It's so exciting when that starts happening! I think I felt the kicks around the same time as you. It's probably what I miss most about being pregnant!

Hi Lee,
Im now 27 weeks pregnant last weight check i was at 126kg im high risk due to this and the fact i have PCOS im now in an F cup bra and they are still getting bigger. we are around the same distance through our pregnancies so if your looking for someone to talk to and share experiences with dont hesitate to email me.
Have a great day
Mel :D

Hi Girls,

So glas that you created this thread, I too am on the larger size, I weigh 108kgs when I found out I was 4 weeks pregnant, I still weigh that now so far.. so fingers crossed I dont put on too much weight. Im also high risk as I have PCOS and Insulin Resistance just like Kylie..I also have been told by specialist I will get GD sooner rather than later, that really upset me

I found some great bras at Target and some clothes too!

Im just really hoping that I dont get high blood pressure or pre-eclamsia. Question for you im a bit confused is pre-eclamsia related to GD?

Bel
xxx

Hi Bel :)

Just so you know, I already had my first GTT at 10 weeks and it was absolutely perfect. No sign of GD, and my insulin levels were even lower than my last test. My specialist doesn't seem worried, although I do have to have the test again later of course. How horrible of your specialist to assume you will get it :fuming: I know other women with PCOS who have had babies and did NOT get GD.

I found a few places that have plus sized maternity clothes, but unfortunately I'm not allowed to post a link here. If you want to google, one is called belly basics Australia and the other is the cosmic clothing company. They are quite nice, funky clothes which is handy :D

Kylie

hi girls, i am also a 'larger girl' who is only 7 weeks pg with my first bub. i am getting married in june, so was in the process of losing weight for the wedding when bub decided it was time to join us! wedding is still going ahead, but don't know if i will fit in to my dress. i figure if that is the least of my probs then life is pretty good. i am going to google those maternity places you mentioned kylielysha... one of my concerns is i won't be able to find some nice clothes. look forward to sharing your journeys girls, and your reassurances make me feel a lot better about my pregnancy too.

I was 97 kg when I got pg with my twins, 109 when I pg with #3 and 120 kg with #4 and I have never allowed them to classify me high risk I had shared care for the twins, and a 4 hr natural delivery, I had to have an emerg csec with #3 for oblique lie( bubs was diagonal and I was in full blown labour) and I had a vbac for #4 again through a shared care program I walk 4 km a day and eat only "good" food, just have a sluggish metabolic rate, and genetically am solid. I had GD with #3 but none of the others. Never had to have insulin Ob said it was "borderline" but they couldnt believe that I didnt have it with #4 checked me 5 times ](*,)
I always buy normal clothes at target, just a 26 ( plenty of room) and I got one pea in a pod maternity dress that still looks fabulous!!!
I am normally a H cup, and had to order maternity bras in from america for about $ 140. Sux.

Wow Vanita! Thanks for sharing all that.

I lost count of how many times they tested me for GD. It was almost like they were willing me to have it because of my size (like an "I told you so" thing).
They also induced me early because my BP was high yet I had not one ounce of fluid (my slimmer friends had fatter ankles than I did throughout their pregnancies). I really think they jumped the gun in a big way just because of my size.
One doctor even told me that after I have the baby, I should exercise, eat better and lose weight so it wouldn't take so long to conceive the next baby - little did she know that it was Neil's low sperm count that was the cause of us taking a while to fall with Gab. I didn't say anything to her but I thought she had quite a hide to assume.
My GP never mentioned my weight when we went to him after 12 months of TTC. He the bloodwork on me and I was found to be ovulating as normal. So neeerrrr to that doctor at the hospital!

I hate it when people judge a book by its over they look at you see a large woman and go nope never having children shes too fat! my gyno said id never fall pregnant mainly due to advanced PCOS but also my weight and look at me now healthiest i have ever been so my gp keeps telling me and 27weeks pregnant!! and i fell by accident lol my gp was the only doctor out of probably about 15 that i saw that said i would have a baby he put me on metformin to control the PCOS and bammo pregnant within 6 months. I just wish people would look at you as a human being sometimes not as a fat person that cant control what they eat as majority of us do eat well and excercise but due to a medical condition just keep stacking the weight on. you have to wonder sometimes if people realise that regardless of size or looks or anything else you can still lead a full wonderful life and be happy within yourself.

Sorry guys having a bit of a vent possibly inappropriate i just really dont like narrowmindedness. Everyone is beautiful in thier own way.
Have a great day
Mel :D

Mel, I 100% agree with you =D>

Metformin worked for me as well :D Although I wasn't trying to concieve until 6 months after I was put on it so I'll never know for sure :)

rikki, hope the wedding preparations are coming along nicely :)

So you will be about 7 months pregnant for your wedding?

I am 26 weeks now, and for the most part am still wearing the same size clothes as before I was pregnant, however i am avoiding anything that is tight around my waist as thats very uncomfortable.
As Ive only put on .75kg in total so far, the only difference I have noticed is my abdomen feels firmer. My GP explains that I am losing body fat, but gaining baby weight, therefore not a great deal of difference in my weight. If I wasnt pregnant, my GP predicts I would have lost about 5 kgs.
This is due to the fact that I am eating better, and drinking lots of water.
This is only a guide, because of course everybody is different in the way that they carry their pregnancy.

Has anyone else had problems with ultrasound images? Because of my body fat, I had to return for repeat ultrasounds to get images of baby's brain and heart for the morphology scan. The fat makes it harder for clearer pictures of baby to be seen.

OMG Mel - I soooo agree with you too I hate it how some people are so quick to judge, I cant lose weight do due medical condition too and one of my friends in particular just doesnt understand, she told me if I eat right and excerise it would work it made me so frustrated last week. AUGHH. I take Metformin too!

Kylie - -hello mate! thanks for all your information, I guess I will be tested constantly too with GT tests! LOL.. oh well better to be safe than sorry!

Rikki - hello! your in the Sept BB thread too! dont worry hon, I know exactly how you feel. Im finding it so hard now just nearly 7 weeks trying to eat the best food I can possibly eat for bub, its really hard when having cravings for hot chips and carbs :(.. re clothes, i buy my clothes from My Size or 1626 or Target, even Big W has larger sizes but the nicest ones are from 1626 or My Size that I can get away with wearing at work.

Thakns so much for all your posts girls, this post has made me feel heaps better and more positive, so I am very grateful to you all!

Best wishes.
Bel
xxx

Mel, I would love to email you, but not sure how to get in touch?

Lee - I had to go back for a second ultrasound to get a better view of Gabby's heart but they never told me it was because of all the fat. Maybe it was but they were being PC?? He just said that she was squirming around too much and he couldn't get a good view.... hmm... ponder, ponder!

I did have trouble with those damn CTG monitors (I practically lived on them for the last few weeks of my pregnancy). I had to always push the monitor into my stomach really firmly so it would pick up a heartbeat. During labour, they had to put a scalp-clip on Gabby's head because the CTG was so useless. They said it's pretty common tho.... once again, they never mentioned my weight as the issue...

Hi girls,
I just wanted to pop in and say hi, and to the girls that have been taking Met the risk of GD ( which is higher in PCOS) is reduced by 30% if you have been taking it prior or during the first 12 weeks. So there is hope.
As for the ultrasound, hmm I always wondered why they did internal ones- but 20 of the buggas was abit too much 8-[
Take care of those bubbies
Bec
Hehe Deb I had trouble with the CTG machines, cause I would get the giggles and the thing would move.

LOL Bec... why doesn't that surprise me??

20 ultrasounds?? Woah! That's thorough!

I only had internal US for the first ones a 7 weeks, the rest were "normal" ones and two of the three pg's were "risky" with lotsa US's.