Plus Sized Pregnancy

[WeeMansMummy]

I love the kmart maternity clothes BUT they dont put enough room up top for the girls iykwim!
Oh and i love how you find out you are this massive bra size but where on earth can you actually bye that size!! Department store sell out of the big sizes as soon as they go out!
One more whine....... I went to David Jones thinking with all the nice designers i might get a nice dress or outfit, but NO, they dont sell maternity clothes!! WTF??? Where are we supposed to buy up market mat clothes if not in DJ or somewhere like that???

[juniper76]

Ahurani, FX for a perfect scan today!

ezymay, your best option is to call your chosen hospital and ask for their policy. I've heard of women being turned away from some hospitals because their BMI was too high, but I don't know what limits they exceeded. I knew that the two biggest hospitals in Brisbane (1 public, 1 private/public) would take me no matter what weight I was, so part of the reason I picked one of them was to avoid embarrassment (among other reasons). I'd be guessing you may start to have problems once you reach a BMI of 35, but that's just a guess. I know that the info I received from my hospital said that some facilities (eg the bath in the birthing suite) cannot be used if your BMI exceeds 35. My BMI is currently 33, so I'm hoping I don't gain too much in the last trimester (currently 15kg below my pre-pg weight, so doing ok so far).

Oh and i love how you find out you are this massive bra size but where on earth can you actually bye that size!!

Jaki, there's a store in Brisbane which specialises in big sizes. I've found them very helpful whenever I've dealt with them. I'l be going there to get measured up and they'll order in what they think will fit. If it doesn't fit when it arrives in stock then I'm not obliged to buy it. I realise you're not in Brisbane, but they do mail order and I'd hope their helpfulness extends to their mail order clients. Check out brastogo.com.au. I gave up on buying bras anywhere else once I hit an E cup a few years ago...

[Yarrawin]

I love the kmart maternity clothes BUT they dont put enough room up top for the girls iykwim!
Oh and i love how you find out you are this massive bra size but where on earth can you actually bye that size!! Department store sell out of the big sizes as soon as they go out!
One more whine....... I went to David Jones thinking with all the nice designers i might get a nice dress or outfit, but NO, they dont sell maternity clothes!! WTF??? Where are we supposed to buy up market mat clothes if not in DJ or somewhere like that???

I know what you mean re the bras! Myer doesn't do maternity clothes either They did but they stopped... about a month before I needed maternity clothes! I swear maternity clothes are getting harder and harder to get.

[ezymay]

There is a shop in Sydney called debras that does big sizes (I'm in a12H right now!) they r online too. Another good site is blest bras.
My bmi is 31...just worked it out...I'm obese....WAIL!!!!!

[AwesomeFoursome]

This pregnancy I've just been buying normal plus-size clothes from target or autograph. There are no shops here that sell maternity clothes above size 18. My doctor called tonight I have gestational diabetes . I cried when I found out and my darling boy came up and hugged me til I stopped crying, he is so beautiful. My best friend came over 20 minutes later and I drown her shoulder. I think I'm all cried out today.

[Yarrawin]

I'm so sorry to hear that hun Hopefully it won't be as bad as you think. Do you know much more about what you have to do yet? hugs again x

I have an obsetrician appointment tomorrow and I'm so glad. Had a run in with my mum on the phone (first time she's spoken to me since I told her we're moving to England after bubs arrives) and it was really horrible. No matter how nice I tried to be she just kept attacking and when i got off the phone I couldn't stop crying. I ended up having pains that I had to breathe through and was contemplating calling the birth suite when they stopped. It really scared me but hopefully it was just stress and nothing more serious.

[juniper76]

Sounds like we need a few hugs all round...

Yowie, sorry to hear you about the GD. I need to do my GTT some time in the next 2 weeks and I'm dreading getting the same news. It doesn't help that the other day I got really sick (bad enough to go home from work) after eating a (sweet) muffin, so it looks like I do have some sort of issue with sugar. Now I just have to find out if it's GD...

Yarrawin, sorry to hear your mum stressed you out so much. I hope she can get past it and start accepting your decision. Glad to hear the pain passed. I hope your OB appointment goes well.

ezymay, I don't know about you, but I honestly think the BMI scale over-estimates the degree of my obesity. I have a big build to begin with (broad shoulders and hips) and I don't look as big as the numbers say I am (although there's no denying I'm overweight). My point is, as upsetting as it is, try not to think too much about being just over the cut-off because there are plenty of health professionals out there who think the BMI scale is inaccurate. I think it's more important to worry about how you feel and your level of fitness.

Afm, my maternity jeans were delivered this morning. I found them on the doorstep as I was leaving for work. I can't wait to get home and try them on!

[sconeonamission]

I'm not getting my belly buddies updates or these updates via email! Frustrating as all the other threads I just comment in or say congrats or whatever, they come through on email.

I bought a maternity set from Kmart. At my Kmart it was on markdown to $29, but at another Kmart (30 mins the other direction) $39 not on markdown... so bargain for me! I've put on weight since being pregnant (obviously ) but the maternity set I bought was a small? Totally confused.

I've been looking for NZ websites that sell clothes, nappies etc coz the exchange rate is awesome... does anyone know of any good ones?

[Yarrawin]

Hi all,

I too have the same thing with BMI. My BMI has always been high even when I was 18 - and now I look at pics of me at 18 and think how damn skinny I was in comparison to now! I mean, my collar bones were all sticky outy and everything! So I try not to focus on it too much even though it is pretty depressing. I normally throw it back at doctors that go on about BMI that I don't believe it's an accurate representation of health and that it doesn't take a lot of important factors into account. Generally they don't want to get into a debate and they shut up

Had my appointment. They're a little concerned as they think I had a few contractions last night, most likely because of extreme stress, and that I need to keep an eye on it but not to panic just yet but that somehow we need to make the situation with my mum calm down for the sake of me and the baby. Fun times!

[Danielle_NZ]

Sorry that I've been missing in action ladies... I have no idea where time has gone... I will back track the thread tomorrow when I have a bit more time and update the front page....

Had our OB appointment yesterday, went briefly over history (2nd time, different OB)... she said that they wouldn't decide on when baby was to be born until 36 weeks as ANYTHING could happen between now and then... "things could get exciting" were her words. Due to issues last pregnancy caused by going into labour I was told to avoid labour.

She was very direct and to the point, which amused me rather than upsetting, I have a referral to a dietitian, to try to and keep my weight pretty much the same for the rest of the pregnancy, but they won't manage me but give me the resources to do it on my own. I've booked in for my next scan which unfortunately isn't until 3rd December (19 weeks 6 days) as they are pretty busy in the hospital.

She has asked for me to get some bloods done now so she has something to compare the next lot to (which are at 26-28 weeks) and she would also like to test for diabetes now and then again later due to my weight. Although after reading the updates from everyone else I'm a little surprised, after my discussion with the OB on the GD test I just assumed that it was 2 hours over here (not 1 hour like NZ) because she is getting me to do that one... wonder why?

Unfortunately we couldn't hear the baby's heart beat (too much interference on the machine) so she brought in a scanner and Josh and her got to see it (I was at the wrong angle).

So all in all a pretty good appointment, nothing "exciting" to report :-)

In regards to clothes... anything that sits in the middle of my belly is avoided due to it being uncomfortable... and the singlets that I LIVED IN last pregnancy are too small (up top) this time and I can't seem to find shelf support singlets in my size that are long enough to cover the tummy, and cheap enough to have 1/2 a dozen in different colours.... for that I miss the Warehouse in NZ... every summer they bring out new singlets....

Oh and I have belly pictures on my blog (listed below)... or what there is of a belly for now....

[Danielle_NZ]

Ahurani how did your scan go? did you find out the sex of your little monkey?

[WeeMansMummy]

Yarrawin- you need to tell your mum to lay off you! If she effects you that bad tell her to behave or dont call at all.

Yowie- sorry about your GD, Glad your little fella knows how to make mummy feel better.

Thanks for the bra tips ladies

Oh and the BMI think is a total crock of S**T. I remember doing mine when i first started aged care nursing, so 35 kgs ago. I was practically anorexic but still measured as obese because im tall and have heavy bones.

[Ahurani]

Danielle: scan went good I have to go back on Friday for another scan. She said they couldn't get clear enough photos. Probably cos I'm fat oh well.

She thinks I'm having a baby girl . She wasn't that sure though

[juniper76]

Yarrawin, can your DH deal with your mum and tell her you're resting if she calls? That's what my DH does when he thinks my mum is causing me too much stress. Maybe if she keeps getting the message that your Dr is telling you to rest she may work out you really do need a break?

Danielle, my understanding is the 1 hour test is a screening test. Some people fail it even if they don't have GD (ie they fail the 1 hour but pass the 2 hour). It's the longer test that gives more conclusive results and is diagnostic. I'm going straight to the 2 hour test as well because my dad has a history of hyperglycaemia. They also frequently test for GD early for us plus-sizers. I was actually surprised I didn't get sent for an early GTT. I'd be interested to hear what sorts of things the dietician recommends.

Ahurani, FX you get the shots you need at the repeat scan. I had to get a repeat one too and one of the two reasons listed on the report was pretty much the same as what you said (but in medical terms -> maternal habitus)...

[sconeonamission]

for that I miss the Warehouse in NZ... every summer they bring out new singlets....

do they have a website, so you could buy online and ship over?

[angelaartsstudent]

Can I join this discussion?

I'm 5'10', 16-18 on top, 24 on the bottom, 15 weeks pregnant. Pre-Eclampsia with last pregnancy (not diagnosed until labour, but I knew I had it. Hello sausage fingers.), and was rejected from birth centre and home birth becuase of my weight.

Have gained 60kg in the 5 years since my Dad died...it had a huge affect on me, obviously. I used to be large and fit, but now it's damaging my health and I have recently made the commitment to turn myself and my diet around and get healthy again.

Lost 5kg in my 1st tri this time. Doing okay so far.

Sick and tired of people telling me that my pregnancy will be wrought with problems becuase I'm fat. Okay, I generally don't like pregnancy and it doesn't like me either, but it doesn't mean it has to do with my weight.

Here's a gem from a workmate when I was last pregnant with P (just before I went on leave...even for a fat chick I was visibly preg):

"Oh I had no idea you are pregnant. I though you were just getting fatter."

[angelaartsstudent]

Effect, rather. All this fat must be blocking the grammar correcting parts of my brain. :-P

[juniper76]

Hi angelaartstudent. Congrats on your pg. I hope this one goes smoothly for you. Sorry to hear you've had to deal with some insensitive comments in the past. I can relate to your story about your workmate. Yesterday two of my workmates were asked if they knew I was pg and they had no idea, so clearly they just thought I was putting on weight (even though I've lost 15kg since the start of the pg).