I find it quite hard to talk about how I feel during pregnancy for fear that if I'm caught complaining then I'll be judged as a bad mom. No one else has ever said that, just my own fears and insecurities have made me feel that way.
With that said, the whole point of talking about my pregnancy is because I really want to share an accurate 'real' account of of how pregnancy is (so far), paying special attention to how a plus-size pregnancy is after hearing so many mixed stories about the impact my weight would have on pregnancy and how I would be treated by professionals as a plus size woman.
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS
I'm not going to lie to you the second trimester has been a journey for many reasons, none of which are related in any way to my weight or size.It's important to remember that pregnancy is different for every woman.
Dizziness after eating
Something I never read or heard about from all the blogs and videos I've looked at is the impact something as simple as eating can have on your body when you're pregnant.Thankfully, the nausea passed early into the second trimester but what quickly followed has been feeling off balance and quite dizzy after eating. I had blood tests done to rule out any 'big' problems but as it turns out, my blood vessels are relaxed due to pregnancy (that relaxin hormone!) and some women find that they feel somewhat dizzy when they stand up or after they eat because the blood doesn't reach the lungs or brain quickly enough which then causes dizziness. When I eat, the blood focuses on digesting the food and feeding the baby so that in turn makes me feel dizzy.
My midwife explained it much better than I can but it's a relatively common complaint that will disappear once the baby is born.
As a result of this, I have been avoiding eating much and have lost 3 stones in weight, which is why actually, being overweight in my pregnancy has been a relatively good thing. If I was already quite slim, my baby may have suffered growth wise but because I have 'reserves', the baby is growing perfectly.
Blood pressure
My blood pressure, much like many women in pregnancy, dropped in the second trimester. I didn't have low blood pressure but it certainly was on the low side of normal for me. My blood pressure is back to 'normal' now.Gestational diabetes
I had a test done to rule out gestational diabetes at 26 weeks. This involved fasting and having a blood test. Apparently this is done differently to normal right now due to covid19. My result came back clear and my levels are all deemed as 'normal'. See, not all plus size women get gestational diabetes! Doctor google and the media would have you believe otherwise...Hip Pain
I've had hip pain, especially at night time when I'm trying to sleep. It's not excruciating, just 'uncomfortable'. My uterus is pressing on my sciatic nerve which is really common in pregnancy (in women of ALL shapes and sizes) which is what is causing it.Anxiety
I've discussed this before on my blog. I have anxiety and throughout the second trimester (mainly caused by feeling dizzy), I've struggled. I wrote a blog post on how I deal with it which I will link here.Kicks, Rolling, Punches etc
This is the part I actually quite like! Our baby is very active and regularly kicks or punches me to the point where I can actually see my belly bounce with each jab! Again, I read online that as a plus size woman I would struggle to feel my baby. So untrue in my case! I also have an anterior (front facing) placenta.Aside from these, I've had no problems so far! let's talk about the baby...
BABY
Our baby is currently growing perfectly! As I mentioned before, he's a right wee wriggler and is very active through each scan we have which is fantastic! He also currently weighs 2.9lbs and is in the 55th percentile (almost bang in the middle which according to my widwife is 'ideal').Throughout the second trimester he was breech off and on which is really common but at our 28 week scan we were informed that he is head down now. Obviously this could change again before the birth.
BIRTH CHATS
I was told initially that I may need to be induced a week or 2 early depending on how the baby grows (if the baby is too small or too big they sometimes like to induce, this is sometimes caused by women who are 'overweight' due to restricted room). However, I've been told by my anesthetist and midwife that I currently have no reason to suggest getting induced and stand as good a chance as any other woman of having a vaginal or natural birth.So there we have the second trimester all wrapped up! I wonder what the third trimester will hold...?
If you have any questions then please feel free to ask!
H x