Hey ladies! Not pregnant yet, but have been actively trying for 7 cycles.
I'd love to hear some experiences from some other plus size mammas that had intervention-free births.
I am overweight (about 300lbs) but I'm active and healthy. No diabetes or high blood pressure, nothing to suggest I couldn't have a perfectly normal birth.
I am eating healthy, real food, but I'm not loosing any significant amount if weight. I'm going to start interviewing prospective midwifes soon, and I'd love to go prepared with a list questions to ask.
Anyone care to share your experience?
Re: Planning a Plus Size Home Birth
There's really no reason to ask any special questions just because you're plus size. Your midwife will likely warn you that you are at a higher risk for developing complications such as gestational diabetes, pregnancy induced hypertension, and pre-eclampsia. Those complications might force you into an induction and/or hospital delivery, so I suppose you could ask if they can deliver you at the hospital or if you'd be transferred to an OB, but that's a general question that anyone would ask anyway.
Don't have personal experience as I chose to birth in a hospital, but I've had 2 low intervention births despite being overweight. I had elevated blood pressure at the end of my second pregnancy, but it never developed into PIH and didn't get outrageously high so I was not induced and went into labor on my own at 40w6d.
As PP 's have said, there is an increased risk for GD, high BP, and preterm labor and it's likely your midwife will mention this risk. I would caution you to stay away from any provider that puts too much focus on these risks unless something does develop. You don't want a doctor or midwife going into it convinced that you will have issues. I would be afraid they would convince themselves of things that aren't really there because of their preconceived notions. Just my opinion.
Not pregnant either, we just made the decision to conceive last week. Just wanted to say thanks for this post. It's giving me hope, I'm planning to meet with a CNM soon for a preconception interview.