At the beginning of May I announced my pregnancy on here. (Yay!) Since I first found out I was pregnant, I’ve wanted to write about what it’s like to be plus size and going through a pregnancy. This is the first in a number of posts I want to write about my experience of being plus size and pregnant (in a series entitled, “Plus Size + Pregnant”). Some things are very different for plus size gals and others are the same at any size. It also varies for each plus size women. Added to health issues that some heavier women have when pregnant, there are a lot of self esteem, self image, etc. issues that pop up anew when you find a little one is on the way.
My baby was a (happy) surprise. When I found out I was pregnant, it was a shock (to say the least!). Along with the shock, I also had so many fears and worries (occurring from the crazy hormones and just natural worry). I want to share some of initial fears and my actual experiences, thus far:
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1. Fat Shaming From Doctor
Since I was a little chubby girl going to the doctor and being lectured on how fat I was, I’ve had this fear of being shamed whenever I go to the doctors. It is mainly irrational and partly valid. Becoming pregnant increased this fear and it was some what overwhelming, I was afraid of what my doctor would say during my first prenatal appointment.
My fears ended up being unfounded, because my doctor was nothing but kind, straight forward, and had a good bed side manner. She hasn’t made my weight be an issue and has focused on the fact that overall my baby and myself are healthy (which is most important).
If you are pregnant and have a doctor that does not make you feel comfortable and at ease — please consider finding a new one. At this special time in your life, you need a special doctor.
2. Fat + Pregnant = Horrible Health Issues
Don’t get me wrong, being plus size can add a lot of health issues when you are pregnant, but it can also not. You can also be super thin and healthy and end up with issues (hello genetics!). I was worried that this would be my case (high blood pressure, insane weight gain, etc.), but, so far, I’ve been good. Normal blood pressure, normal weight gain… Just a “normal” gal so far (*knock on wood*).
3. Weight Gain
Right before getting pregnant, I was probably at the healthiest I had been in a long time. At the New Year I had begun doing a Whole 30 journey. I was eating super healthy, I had lost quite a few inches, and had even lost about 7-8 pounds — I was doing so good and feeling so good. So, two months after starting this program, finding out I was pregnant threw a wrench into this.
At this point, I couldn’t stand to eat anymore eggs, meat, or veggies. The only thing I could stand eating was fast food, junkie food, and sweets. I really wanted to be healthy for my baby, but I couldn’t handle the healthy food. This really made me worry about my weight gain. I was already heavy and I was scared I’d gain weight like crazy. But, the truth is, usually the heavier you are the less likely you are to gain as much weight. Since I had some food aversions and nausea, I even lost a pound or two at first. After this I have gained a few pounds, but nothing crazy. My doctor claims I will end up gaining about 15-20 pounds total (including baby, placenta, etc.). This is still a worry, but I’ve been trying to work on not worrying about it too much.
(Please note: I am not a medical professional, these are simply my experiences with being plus size and pregnant.)
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