This is partly a vent. I went to my OB appointment yesterday and it was an OB I hadn't seen before.
Whilst I was lying on the bed with the OB feeling my tummy, she started asking questions about my previous pregnancy etc and I was happily answering her questions.
She mentioned that I had high BP last time but this time my BP has been perfect and I replied 'Yeah I lost a lot of weight before this pregnancy, so being that bit smaller has probably helped keep my blood pressure down this time'
Then she asked 'How did you manage to lose a lot of weight after your last pregnancy?'
I said 'Well I lost a lot straight after the birth as a lot of it was fluid, then I dieted a bit on my own and I then joined weight watchers to lose the last few kilos'
She said 'Oh, good on you, sounds like you did well. It does look though like you will have a very saggy belly after this pregnancy'
I was a bit annoyed at this comment but I didnt get upset, I just replied 'Well, I guess I will deal with that when it becomes an issue and if I lose more weight and it's still bothering me I might consider a tummy tuck'.
Then she helped me sit up on the bed and when I did she pointed at my tummy and remarked 'Oh I can see you already have a bit of excess skin on your stomach'
Uuuuummm thanks for pointing that out but I thought I was here to check if my baby was healthy NOT to get advice on my appearance!
Now I don't have a lot of excess skin, and nobody has even thought to mention it before so I don't see why this Doc thought it was appropriate to even talk about it! Am I being too sensitive or am I right in thinking an OB should only discuss baby related issues and not take it upon themselves to hand out remarks about peoples physical appearance???
As if a hormonal, emotional, 38 week pregnant woman needs to hear those kinds of comments from ANYONE let alone their OB!
ive never been overweight, infact im cyrrently under weight and have been for nearly two year, but i have got the biggest mummy pouch EVER!!! all squishy squashy skin that refuses to snap back. its part and parcel of pregnancy and your body type.
very very very unecessary for your ob to point it out.
maybe u and i can go for that tummy tuck together
Hmmm I had a similar thing with a midwife during my antinatals. I had hardly any belly until 24 weeks then I popped & had massive stretch marks. I had several comments about how putting on weight will cause that & keeping the weight down would've prevented it.
I think yes we may be a little oversenstive sometimes, but there is certainly quite a bit of insensitivity on their part too. they see so many mums they forget I think.
When she made the comments I just thought 'what was the point of that?' it was not offering me advice or anything it was purely just pointing out something that was going to make me feel bad about myself. I just don't know why she thought that it was necessary to mention it.
All of this came from a Doctor that was probably a good 30kg heavier than me and obviously didn't take any pride in her own appearance. But yet she found it okay to comment on her patients appearance!
That's awful! It is unnecessary and unprofessional to make comments like that. Just because you are pregnant, it does not give any one any more right to comment on how your body looks than when you are not pregnant
Its a tough one hun, while the comments are rude you WERE talking about it openly and freely so maybe she was making the comments just as conversations as well as observations.
If it was just mentioned out of the blue I could understand your being really uipset but you were talking about your weight and sagging in a part of weight loss not to mention childbirth as well. given the entire story I personally wouldn't be upset by it
I know what you mean, yes I was talking about it and yes I said that I had lost a lot of weight when she asked me about my previous BP issues but that was why I brought it up, not because I wanted her opinion on how my body looks.
If she had left it at the first comment I might not have been so bothered but to have pointed at my stomach and made a useless remark about my tummy just seemed very rude to me.
Not to mention my Hubby was in the room as well and that made me feel even more embarassed to have my flaws pointed out in front of him.
omg I would be majorly offended!! How rude!! Just check the baby thanks!!
I was offended when less than 24hrs after having DD2 the physio commented 'hmm...you still have a pretty big tummy'. No **** woman, I just gave birth, but thanks.
Would you be upset?
Reply With Quote
given the entire story I personally wouldn't be upset by it 
Bookmarks