Obesity and Pregnancy

Ohh good qs, Chai. I dunno either.

I always thought that being overweight could decrease your fertility (?). Possibly not?

At the very least, losing weight before trying to get pregnant would increase the mother's health - which would affect the baby once it is conceived.

The scenario you lay out seems so weird to me - if she wants to get pregnant so badly (enough to go to a fertility specialist) , I'd think she'd put the effort to try everything she can do first (go to a healthy weight, change diet, all that jazz).

awaiting answers.....

I've never been pregnant so I don't really know but from what I've read they would not want her to lose weight while she is pregnant but they wouldn't want her to gain more than say, 30 pounds.

My niece, who is tiny, had morning sickness so bad thoughout her pregnancy that she lost a lot of weight. The doctor gave her morphine suppositories to control the nausea. It seems that the weight loss/lack of nutrition was much more dangerous to the fetus than small amounts of morphine.

It does seem kind of unusual that a doctor would begin any kind of fertility treatment (or any kind of voluntary proceedure) if the patient was unhealthy.

Interesting question!

You know, I this this woman is one of those (I'd say rare) people who honestly and truly can't loose weight.

I'm ususally skeptical when someone says that. I certainly don't mean to imply ANYONE can become thin, but I think it's rare that someone, despite exercise, diet, etc. can't loose some weight. They might still be overweight, but can come closer than they are to some type of norm.

Anyway...what if a woman who is obese just comes up pregnant? I wonder if they started eating a diet that was healthy for a pregnant woman if she would end up losing, staying the same, or gaining?

It seems that losing while pregnant, if eating a healthy diet, is less risky for the baby and mother as far as the entire pregancy and birth process.

Really, I have no idea what I'm talking about...just one of those random things that you think of.

ROTFLMFAO! How silly! Fat women have been having babies since time began!

When I was going through infertility stuff (admittedly, 15 years ago) I was advised not to diet even though I was 30 or so pounds overweight. Seems our bodies go through hormonal fluctuations with weight gain AND loss, and if conception and/or pregancy problems exist, it's best for your weight to be as stable as possible.

Pregnancy is no time to diet. You can compromise the baby's health that way. There's plenty of time to worry about losing weight AFTER the baby comes.

Yeah. It's interesting though. A lot of overweight/obese women get pregnant and deliver a healthy baby free of a bunch of complications, so it can be done I guess.

My aunt was obese when she got pregnant, and she suddenly turned into a health nut when she found out. She wasn't one who just couldn't lose weight - before getting prego she smoked, didn't exercise, ate crap galore. She made changes while prego under the guidance of the doc. She gained weight (not much at all in pounds) but became much healthier with child. After she had the kid, she shed pounds like crazy and she looked - better, healthier. lol. Hard to explain exactly.

I guess I'm saying, I can see people who have changed their habits to become healthier while preg. and they lost weight after the kid. That makes sense to me. Give the fetus proper nutrition, no booze smoke, exercise with sense.

rambling now!

I'm not talking about 30 lbs Eva.

I thinking about a person REALLY obese, like morbidly obese. Someone who's body weight is approaching or over twice what they should weigh.

Like someone who should weigh between 130 - 160 and instead weigh 350-400.

What about them?

I know fat women have normal babies. My mother was probably 70 lbs overweight when she had all her children, (70lbs plus gained pregnancy weight)
As far as I can tell, the only thing was that we were all born about a month early, and all weighed just under 6 pounds.

Lots of levels to this one.

What standards do fertility clinics have for offering their services? Anyone who can pay? Only within certain risk factors? (Under 35, under 200 pounds?) I dunno.

Another level is SHOULD they have those standards (whether they do or don't)? I think that as long as it's informed consent, it's probably fine. It's a service that's being paid for -- I think that as long as the fertility clinic is very up-front about what the risks are, and the mom decides to go ahead anyway, that's pretty much her decision unless she's mentally incapable.

Part of what I wouldn't like about standards is the whole slippery slope thing -- say two Deaf parents want to have a kid, and the fertility clinic determines that the kid has a high probability of being deaf, and refuses to help out. It's a disability, after all.

I might change my mind on that one though (whether there should be standards), here for a minute and responding quickly.

hmmm...we're going off on the fertility clinic stuff.

I was really just asking about an actual pregnancy with a really obese woman.

I'm fairly sure that the answers here already are right -- lose what weight she can before she even gets pregnant, but after that, purposely losing weight during pregnancy is a bad idea.

no no no.

that's not what I'm asking.

I'm saying if a woman was REALLY obese...and just got pregnant out the the blue....

If she was eating healthy(ier) because of the baby, eating the right amount of calories, getting the right nutrition, as opposed to the massive amount of calories she had been eating....wouldn't she loose weight anyway?

If a person weighed that much, they might be taking in 10,000 calories a day to maintain that weight.

If the person cut their calories to 4,000, or 3,000, still a lot but much less than they were used to, they'd loose weight.

If they were now eating real food rather than major junk...they'd be healthier.

Wouldn't that be a logical scenerio.

I can't imagine a doctor saying to a 400 lb woman...keep eating 10,000 calories a day until the baby is born, just make it good food.

Would they?

That's scary to think anybody except a pro bodybuilder in his bulking phase would be eating 10,000 calories a day. Of course they're out there though.

I would think obesity would act as birth control in itself. Besides, how exactly does a 400lb person have sex? Please, nobody answer that.

Ok, I've skimmed over most of the post, so forgive me if I've missed something..lol



1. When I was 18..I weighed probably 135#'s. I was in a car wreck, afterwards...my battle with the weight began.

2. I'm a picky eater...hardly eat meat...honestly, I couldn't tell you what I live on. Today, for instance..I had half a peanut butter sandwich..and one of those small bags of popcorn. I don't loose weight easily...I am not a couch potato..I'm ACTIVE!

3. Ok..here goes...Ready for this? When I was 24 years old, I weighed probably 280...and got pregnant with my first son. I had a very healthy pregnancy, didn't gain much weight...matter of fact, lost about 30 when I gave birth.

4. After I give birth, I lost a major amount of weight, just to put it back on...so during my 2nd pregnancy...I weighed..(SHEW..OMG) 331#'s...yep...I said it. Again, I lost more than I gained. That was in 98'. Again, healthy baby, healthy pregnacy...

Since then, I have managed to loose 100#'s...keeping it off is a constant battle...and I mean constant! But overweight women can have healthy babies and can get pregnant...




Ok Slappy, Mr. Insensitive....We have sex just like you do...matter of fact, us WOMEN that are of a heavy body weight...are probably more sexual and less inhibited than someone of a smaller stature....I am.

Matter of fact, I do not play into that no self-esteem crap that alot of women dish out because of their own body wieght...I deal with and go on. I am very active, very open, very...downright out there...bold, and take good care of myself. I don't fit the american ideal version of a bigger women...never have. I'm not one of them sweat pants wearing, no combing her hair..no makeup kinda gals.

wow

sorry I started this

just curious from a medical standpoint

Chai


I can't speak for others...but I have never consumed 10,000 calories in one day, hell..lol, probably not in a weeks time...to be honest.

And it is a logical scenario...but a doctor wouldn't tell them to continue to eat that many calories.. I don't even remember my OB/GYN being concerned with my weight..my blood pressure was normal, everything else was normal. I was just overweight...

I won't lie, I hate it..with a passion. But its something I have to deal with, and weighing 231 pounds isn't the greatest. But..I live with it, and deal with it...and don't let it take over my life.

I'm me...flash and flare, whether anyone likes it or not..my motto has always been, "Take me or leave me".

But I have honestly talked to my doctors about my weight, it concerns me to some extent, heart problems, high cholestoral, high blood pressure come into play the older I get. But when I was in that wreck....something happened...and after alot of reading, I've come to the conclusion that its more a lack of AGH, than anything. Because my eating patterns aren't that bad, I was walking 6 miles a day..not to count, I hunt, fish and I am outside day in and day out doing something...not just sitting. My children eat more than I do...and my whole family knows it...

So..there are some of us women that just can't..loose wieght ...without aid...(been there done that) and than half the time, it comes back...no matter how hard we try....I'm living proof...

Ohh Chai...don't feel sorry for starting this thread..lol I think its a great thread.

I feel like its time some of the myths concerning overweight women are busted....really....

makemeshiver,
You mentioned that you didn't gain much weight with your pregnancy and lost a bunch of weight afterwards. Did you change habits while pregnant - is that why?
Just wondering if it is the same sort of situation as my aunt. Being pregnant changed her approach to things for the better - I guess cause she was so concerned about making sure her kid would be healthy.

And I'm still wondering - Is it possible to lose weight while pregnant and be healthy about it? I'm gathering a 'No'. The pregnancy in itself seems to ensure that weight must be gained, at least a little?

It's very, very risky, flushd.

High five to MMS!!! Yeah, let's bust some of those myths. Like, for starters, the idea that it takes 10,000 calories a day to maintain a heavy weight. Hahahahaha!!!!! I nearly spewed Diet Coke all over my monitor when I read that one! When I was at my (non-pregnant) heaviest at 240, I couldn't lose weight on a 1,500 cal/day diet. I had to get it down under 1,000 to lose anything, and lemme tell ya, that is miserable.

I've even gone into the hospital and come out weighing more. One time I had food poisoning, was on IV only for five days. Gained 3 lbs. Another time I had an emergency appendectomy. 5 lb. gain. Pneumonia? 10 lbs., maybe more.

I had a bad case of bronchitis/sinus infection/ear infection in March & April. Took several weeks to get well. Gained 10 or 12 lbs., which I still haven't managed to lose.

I am married to one of those terminally skinny guys who eats 4-5 high-fat meals a day and never gains an ounce. It's disgusting, I tell you. I'll wait all day to have my small bowl of low-carb ice cream before bed, and he'll fix himself a mixing bowl full of popcorn with 1/2 cup of melted butter and a large Coke float. Every night. Drives me crazy.

I gained 40 lbs. when I was pregnant. My son was 10 lbs., 1 oz. I lost all the pregnancy weight plus another 25 lbs. within four months after he was born. I'm telling ya, breastfeeding is wonderful.

And yes, Slappy, they make lots of sexy lingerie in a size 1X. Which should be good news to you since it will be increasingly difficult for you to find size 4 women as you get older.

Eating under 1,000 calories a day isn't healthy or good for losing weight either. Even if you're overweight, you want to eat 5-6 small meals a day to kickstart your metabolism.

But yes, obviously genetics plays a huge part. Some people will never be "fat," and some people will never be skinny. People still blame, or at least, believe genetics play a bigger part than they actually do in most cases. Look at the people in Japan for instance...obesity isn't anywhere near as common. One quick look at their diets explain why. Americans don't have a basic grasp of how to formulate a healthy diet.

And no, I'm not "sensitive" to it. As long as you're happy, I don't care how much someone weighs. If you're not happy, then do something about it. I did the opposite: went from being a complete bone-rack and put on 50lbs of lean weight over the last 7 or so years. It's no easier than losing weight.

So I saw Chai's last post on the way to the gym, and it buzzed around in my head in the background as I watched the Mets hammer the Yankees, and I formulated a response, and get back here and it's already covered...

Basically, what I was gonna get at is that, first, flushd's example already pretty much covered the 10,000 calorie thing ("keep eating 10,000 calories a day until the baby is born, just make it good food"). One would assume from the "health nut" part that she wasn't taking in anywhere near 10,000 calories a day, yet she still gained weight rather than losing it (though not much, and she lost weight later on).

The other part is what's been covered about it not being necessary to take in nearly that many calories to stay really fat. Most people (I'd say all, but who knows) don't enjoy being fat, and have repeatedly attempted to lose weight, often by dieting. Our bodies react to starvation (taking in few enough calories that weight is lost) by holding on to those fat cells ever-more tightly. It becomes harder and harder to lose weight (and KEEP it off) every time someone goes on one of those diets.

So a person who's been doing that for a long time can just eat a plain ol' regular diet and still not be able to lose weight.

That's not going into metabolic disorders, etc., etc. Person A and person B can eat the exact same thing and get the exact same amount of exercise and still wind up at completely different weights because of biological factors.

IF a person was really taking in 10,000 calories a day, that'd probably be something pathological, and something as simple as a doc telling them to stop probably wouldn't have any effect.

In sum, I think (but don't know! any OB-GYNs here?) that a doc would say "eat as healthily as you can, get enough exercise, but don't try to lose weight right now."