Question for Moms and Medical Folks!

[BellaRisa]

What would you say to a dear friend in her late '20's who really, REALLY wants to get pregnant with her first child ASAP, but is approx. 250 lbs overweight?

A lovely friend of mine, happily married and actually rather healthy except for weighing 398 lbs at 5'7, is looking for support and encouragement and advice. Personally, I remember the toll on my body that was pregnancy at just 25 lbs overweight and very fit, I can't imagine it at nearly 400 lbs and completely out of shape, not to mention the strain on the baby. Heck, she's always saying she hates her 5 basement steps because her knees hurt so much. But perhaps it doesn't matter as long as she eats right... Moms, docs and nurses around here, what would your take on it be?

Thanks, Bella

 

[Mimi]

I'm definitely no medical professional, so I will only speak from my own experience.

I myself am rather large. Not quite as large as your friend, but I'm far past the 'slightly overweight' catagory. I carried my daughter to a full term pregnancy with no weight involved issues at all. I had other complications unrelated to my weight (miscarried her twin early on, morning sickness 24/7, a case of strep that landed me in the hospital with severe dehydration, lots of fun things), but all in all the pregnancy went well and I delivered a perfectly healthy 6lb little girl.

I have a friend who topped out at around 500lbs before she went in for gastric-bypass surgery 2 years ago. She has 4 children she carried to term at varying weights. Her last child was delivered when she weighed in around 400lbs, or slightly more. All 4 children arrived safely and in good health, and her weight never caused any issues for her while carrying them.

But all people are built differently, and a lot would depend on her personal stamina and health factors. There are overweight people who are heavily (no pun intended) affected by their excess weight, and have difficulty breathing, walking, getting around, and they experience a lot of weight related pain. There are other overweight people like myself who are energetic and lively and despite being quite large, are in fairly good shape with lots of stamina. If your friend fits into the first catagory, she could probably still manage a pregnancy fine, but would need a lot more care and supervision. If she falls into the second catagory, she'd probably pull off the pregnancy as well as most thin women.

I wish her luck with whatever path she takes!

Mimi 🙂

 

[TklDuo-Ann]

While I have some medical training, it's not enough to speak authoritatively on this. (My training is as a home health aide and a first aider.) So, I'll just give you my own opinion based on what I do know...

When you're talking that much weight, the first thing to do would be to get a complete physical. Are there any heart issues to worry about? Is she diabetic? Does she have high blood pressure? Are there any thyroid or other hormonal issues? Any other health issues other than simply being overweight? These are questions I'd want definite answers to before even attempting to get pregnant. They're areas of concern to look at even if she doesn't get pregnant and major issues that could endanger the child if she does.

Another consideration, as you've pointed out, is her lack of ease with mobility. Granted, at that weight, she isn't likely to see a huge difference purely from weight change during a pregnancy. But, the fact that she has difficulty getting up and down stairs now, suggests that she could have difficulty carrying a small child around...especially if she's got steps to worry about. There's also the possibility that the extra weight she's already carrying would shift the baby to a position inside that would cause pressure on nerves, etc. and interfere with her mobility further.

Other issues to consider...

- Is she financially able to not work during her pregnancy if that becomes a necessity? That's something a gal (near that same weight) who I went to college with dealt with, which is why I bring it up. In her case, she ended up having to apply for public assistance.

- If basic health isn't a major issue for her, I'd still consider finding a place where she's all on one level if possible. (This is something that should probably be addressed before she gets pregnant. If she waits, it may be too difficult for her.) That would decrease the effect of mobility issues somewhat and increase the safety of both her and the child. If she's in a house of her own that she doesn't want to move from, there are always ways to make it more friendly to those with mobility issues. I've done this many times with clients who wish to remain in their own home. It can take a bit of work at times. But, it's worth the effort when you see the greater comfort in mobility and being able to getting things done on their own that they couldn't handle before. Feel free to drop me a note if you're interested in more specifics on this. (Or, if nothing comes to pass before then, we can discuss it a bit at NEST.)

Ann

 

[BellaRisa]

My friend went to the doctor today, who told her that being morbidly obese shouldn't keep her from getting pregnant. She's very happy, I wish her luck!

Bella

 

[TklDuo-Ann]

Good to hear. I'll keep her in thought/prayer that all goes well.

Ann

 

[tommytikl]

My friend went to the doctor today, who told her that being morbidly obese shouldn't keep her from getting pregnant. She's very happy, I wish her luck!

Bella

Hey Bella.

The big thing with larger women getting pregnant is that they tend to get gestational diabetes while pregnant as the baby grows.
The diabetes goes away after the pregnancy is over though and usually doesn't require needles, just diet control(sugar mostly).

But it can be a concern and something to keep in mind.

Take care and good luck to your friend.