About a year and a half ago my hubby and I decided that we wanted to start a family in that next year to two years, so when I went in for my annual, I also had a preconception checkup. At the time I was roughly 200 lbs. Due to my history of depression and my mom's weight issues after having my brother and I, and just for the overall health of the baby and pregnancy, he suggested I lose about 50 lbs and get to my ideal weight first. I wanted to lose weight anyway - I had already started working out and had lost 15lbs - and I thought this would be a good catalyst to keep me going. Now almost 2 years later, I'm still 22 lbs away from my goal. Whenever people ask us why we haven't had kids yet, and I tell them my doctor suggested that I lose weight first, they are aghast. First they think that I don't need to lose weight, and then they think it's horrible that this doctor wants me to lose 50 lbs before having a kid. My husband is dead serious about it and won't even consider trying until I hit my goal. He's seen my mom struggling today and doesn’t want me to have serious weight problems after having a child. I'm more concerned about having a healthy pregnancy and (if possible) an easier childbirthing experience, but I'm so tired of waiting and dieting that I'm ready to get a second opinion, which every female I speak to says I should. Has anyone else done this before - lose weight before getting pregnant either by choice or by the advice of their doctor? What are your collective thoughts on this?
heidelene - I too am losing weight with one of the goals being a healthy pregnancy. It's one of many goals, but I am also a diabetic, so the less I weigh, the better my blood sugars are. It is inevitable that I will probably be on insulin regardless, but my doctor also told me that if I got down to my goal (THE SAME AS YOURS btw my pregnancy would be a lot easier and the diabetes would also be easier to control. In the end I think that she will be correct, and the exercise is making my core muscles strong, so I'm hoping for no post-pregnancy sag and an easier bounceback. I'm looking at somewhere between 3 - 4 years til pregnancy at this point, but I'd love to be at my goal for a while before that. Bottom line: I think it is good advice, especially if you already have an underlying health problem (eg. diabetes, PCOS, etc) but don't let it stop you either. It's your decision, and you've lost a lot already. I have a friend who is about our weight and height and she got prego, and the doctor just gave her strict guidelines to follow on how much to gain during the pregnancy. It's definitely a motivator, though isn't it?
heidelene - I too am losing weight with one of the goals being a healthy pregnancy. It's one of many goals, but I am also a diabetic, so the less I weigh, the better my blood sugars are. It is inevitable that I will probably be on insulin regardless, but my doctor also told me that if I got down to my goal (THE SAME AS YOURS btw my pregnancy would be a lot easier and the diabetes would also be easier to control. In the end I think that she will be correct, and the exercise is making my core muscles strong, so I'm hoping for no post-pregnancy sag and an easier bounceback. I'm looking at somewhere between 3 - 4 years til pregnancy at this point, but I'd love to be at my goal for a while before that. Bottom line: I think it is good advice, especially if you already have an underlying health problem (eg. diabetes, PCOS, etc) but don't let it stop you either. It's your decision, and you've lost a lot already. I have a friend who is about our weight and height and she got prego, and the doctor just gave her strict guidelines to follow on how much to gain during the pregnancy. It's definitely a motivator, though isn't it?
Thanks so much, Becca. I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one on the "weight-loss for pregnancy" train. Good luck to you on your quest!!! I'm definitely doing it for other reasons, too - I just want to be healthy and feel good about myself for a change - but the baby thing is the biggest reason. And it really is a great motivator. It's easy to forget when it feels so far off or unobtatinable, though. For instance, work just announced they are ordering pizza for the whole office for lunch. I totally forgot that they were providing meals this week on account of our kitchen is out of comission. I brought my own super-healthy lunch today. I'm gonna need a lot of will-power this week! I will just have to think of little tiny hands and feet while I eat my salad, I guess.
I don't think that losing weight before pregnancy is a bad idea. You want to be at your healthiest so that you can create a very nice room for your little one.
After DH and I tried to conceive for about 7 months with no luck I started temping and charting (it helps to pinpoint when you ovulate.) I was about 185 or 190 during that time. After charting for a few months, it showed that I wasn't ovulating every month. I started South Beach and lost 25 pounds. Right after I started the diet and began eating healthier and exercising regularly, I started ovulating regularly on my next cycle. I started SB and jazzercize in July and got pregnant in October. The weightloss seemed to be a huge contributor.
I kept up jazzercise until I was about 6 or 7 months. I also think the regular exercise helped; I had an amazingly easy pregnancy, labor and delivery.
My overall opinion. I don't think you should HAVE to lose weight before getting preggo, but I do believe that it will make the whole process easier for you.
My gyno told me she would like to see me in the 120s before I start trying for babies.. Im in my 20s and still going to college so she knows its a long ways away, but when you're overweight your hormones are off so when you get to a better weight your hormones are more inline and you don't have to take pills to adjust them. I think over all you would have a healthier lower risk pregnancy. But tell your doc. you sick of waiting and see what he says.. also with a Gyno/OB cuz they know everything about being prego and hormones
If those people aren't doctors IMO there opinions are not as valid- would you rather have a good pregnancy or one full of complications?
I'm losing weight and one reason is because I do want to have children soon. People tell me I'm fine and that they know someone "fatter" than me who had a baby blah blah and I'm like yeah many of those women had complications- hey I know HEALTHY women who have complications- so why shouldn't I do all I can?
You have 22 lbs to go- maybe if you buckle down you can get down to the goal in 5 or 6 months? Maybe you could consider south beach diet if you have PCOS? That's the only thing that's worked for me.
I never thought I could have kids at my highest weight (250) but boy oh boy, the moment I lost weight, it just took one shot and I'm currently 19 weeks pregnant! I feel better and healthier. I wish you the best of luck!
If those people aren't doctors IMO there opinions are not as valid- would you rather have a good pregnancy or one full of complications?
I'm losing weight and one reason is because I do want to have children soon. People tell me I'm fine and that they know someone "fatter" than me who had a baby blah blah and I'm like yeah many of those women had complications- hey I know HEALTHY women who have complications- so why shouldn't I do all I can?
You have 22 lbs to go- maybe if you buckle down you can get down to the goal in 5 or 6 months? Maybe you could consider south beach diet if you have PCOS? That's the only thing that's worked for me.
I've heard all the same comments from people, too - that overweight women have healthy babies all the time - but I've read so many things that say that if you are overweight and pregnant, labor tends to be longer and more difficult because your muscles aren't strong enough to push the baby out, overweight women are more likely to need a c-section than women who are at a healthy weight, etc. I definately want to go for while not totally natural childbirth, I want to avoid having a c-section if I can. And that's exactly what I've told myself about their opinions - they're uninformed. I'm going to do what is best for me and my child(ren).
No PCOS here, but I do have depression (albeit mild), and if you are overweight your chances of having PPD increase greatly. Add that to my already-diagnosed depression and the stress of having a baby and you are at even greater risk. So we're just trying to take out one of the factors that put me at risk.
I just keep telling myself I've already lost over 44 lbs. I can do another 22. I'm starting to buckle down as of yesterday and I'm already feeling great about my choice.
I never thought I could have kids at my highest weight (250) but boy oh boy, the moment I lost weight, it just took one shot and I'm currently 19 weeks pregnant! I feel better and healthier. I wish you the best of luck!
I'm in the 'lose the weight first' boat. Previous posters are right, it will contribute to a healthier and easier pregnancy if you are in better shape/health. Also, if you think its hard to lose weight now, wait until you are looking after a baby and have additional pregnancy weight to lose! It will be much easier to lose that post-partum weight if you are already used to eating healthy and exercising.
Pre-Conception Weight Loss
my pregnancy would be a lot easier and the diabetes would also be easier to control. In the end I think that she will be correct, and the exercise is making my core muscles strong, so I'm hoping for no post-pregnancy sag and an easier bounceback. I'm looking at somewhere between 3 - 4 years til pregnancy at this point, but I'd love to be at my goal for a while before that. Bottom line: I think it is good advice, especially if you already have an underlying health problem (eg. diabetes, PCOS, etc) but don't let it stop you either. It's your decision, and you've lost a lot already. I have a friend who is about our weight and height and she got prego, and the doctor just gave her strict guidelines to follow on how much to gain during the pregnancy. It's definitely a motivator, though isn't it?
