What is a healthy goal weight to have a baby

Miranda_panda_16

Hello,

I have a general question because in the near future i want to have kids but i want to be at a decent weight before i try.

Im about 5'1 and currently am at 226LBS but my goal weight is 140LBS, at 100LBS i was way to skinny.

Anyone whos conceived or knows the medical side of this can you give some advice?

Unknown

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Blondiemon

While being overweight can make it difficult to conceive, you can fall pregnant at any time if you health is in order. The best thing is to talk to your doctor and get professional medical advice from someone who can actually assess you. If you have been 100 pounds before and felt too skinny or unwell because of your weight than your goal weight is perfectly fine.
After consults with my doctor and dietician we've settled on 75kgs (165lbs) as a final goal weight for me because of other health issues that effect my weight long term. I can't even remember the amount of times I've been told by almost every doctor to NOT look at my BMI as it's not a good indicator, but that's my own medical experience.

TavistockToad

Miranda_panda_16 wrote: »

Hello,

I have a general question because in the near future i want to have kids but i want to be at a decent weight before i try.

Im about 5'1 and currently am at 226LBS but my goal weight is 140LBS, at 100LBS i was way to skinny.

Anyone whos conceived or knows the medical side of this can you give some advice?

That's a question for a doctor who knows your medical history.

Aiming for the top of a healthy BMI is a good goal in general though.

ashxtasticness

Being heavier can make it more difficult to actually get pregnant and if you have other medical issues related to weight (diabetes etc.) can make your pregnancy a little more high risk and women who are overweight have a higher chance of developing gestational diabetes and sometimes preeclampsia , but there are plenty of overweight, even morbidly obese women who have happy healthy pregnancies. Your concern is a legitimate one, and it is wonderful that you are thinking about that before diving into it. I am 5'3 and was around 240 when I got pregnant. I didn't have any complications and wasn't even miserable until the very end when a lot of women get that way haha but every body is different. I would speak with a doctor who is familiar with you and your health and ask their advice.

Best of luck to you!

steph2strong

https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Obesity-and-Pregnancy

Above is a link to the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology info on Obesity and Pregnancy.

This is also a good review article on Obesity in Pregnancy: risks and management, with suggestions for pre-conception management.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4989730/

Good luck.

elizabethmcopeland

First thing, I'm with everyone else here: talk to a doctor familiar with your health history.

Secondly, remember that focusing on a weight doesn't imply health.

Perhaps if you're overweight, you should focus on developing good habits that will help you be consistent even when there is baby weight added and you don't feel good.

A number on the scale isn't going to tell you if you're getting enough micronutrients for baby's growth.

A number on the scale isn't going to help you not binge eat a bag of Reese's cups weekly throughout your pregnancy (not pointing fingers, that's literally what my mother did when she was preggo with my little brother.)

A number on the scale isn't going to help you figure out what meals you actually can eat when you're in the throes of morning sickness.

A number on the scale isn't going to help you teach your bundle of joy how to value healthy eating and to grow smart and strong.

Sure, it can help guide you, but in the end, it's just a number and I'd suggest thinking about the bigger picture and letting the number just be a waypoint.

[edited by mods]

stanmann571

fernt21 wrote: »

https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Obesity-and-Pregnancy

Above is a link to the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology info on Obesity and Pregnancy.

This is also a good review article on Obesity in Pregnancy: risks and management, with suggestions for pre-conception management.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4989730/

Good luck.

TL;DR: BMI above underweight and below cat 2 obese shows very little difference in risk level.

Miranda_panda_16

My doctors kinda weird and wants me to wait till my mid 30s to have kids guys! I want to start now

TavistockToad

Miranda_panda_16 wrote: »

My doctors kinda weird and wants me to wait till my mid 30s to have kids guys! I want to start now

so that you have lost weight, or for another reason? how old are you?

Miranda_panda_16

Im 21 turning 22

TavistockToad

Miranda_panda_16 wrote: »

Im 21 turning 22

what was your doctors reason for you waiting?

Miranda_panda_16

He has no reason, belives its best for people to have kids later? I want to have 4 kids posibly so

TavistockToad

Miranda_panda_16 wrote: »

He has no reason, belives its best for people to have kids later? I want to have 4 kids posibly so

Sounds like you have great motivation to lose some weight and get healthy then.

Deviette

Miranda_panda_16 wrote: »

He has no reason, belives its best for people to have kids later? I want to have 4 kids posibly so

Hmm, maybe you should speak to a different doctor. It sounds like he's letting his personal beliefs interfere with his medical advice. No one should ever tell you when (or if) you should be having children, unless there are actual medical reasons for it.

stanmann571

deviette wrote: »

Miranda_panda_16 wrote: »

He has no reason, belives its best for people to have kids later? I want to have 4 kids posibly so

Hmm, maybe you should speak to a different doctor. It sounds like he's letting his personal beliefs interfere with his medical advice. No one should ever tell you when (or if) you should be having children, unless there are actual medical reasons for it.

And risk increases with age, especially past 30 for a first pregnancy.

Unless you have financial or career considerations, or some medical concern you haven't mentioned. If you're below 34 or 35 BMI, There's no practical reason to wait if you and your partner are in a place where you are ready mentally, emotionally, financially, etc. NOTE: you're never actually going to be fully ready

TavistockToad

stanmann571 wrote: »

deviette wrote: »

Miranda_panda_16 wrote: »

He has no reason, belives its best for people to have kids later? I want to have 4 kids posibly so

Hmm, maybe you should speak to a different doctor. It sounds like he's letting his personal beliefs interfere with his medical advice. No one should ever tell you when (or if) you should be having children, unless there are actual medical reasons for it.

And risk increases with age, especially past 30 for a first pregnancy.

Unless you have financial or career considerations, or some medical concern you haven't mentioned. If you're below 34 or 35 BMI, There's no practical reason to wait if you and your partner are in a place where you are ready mentally, emotionally, financially, etc. NOTE: you're never actually going to be fully ready

OPs BMI is around 42

stanmann571

TavistockToad wrote: »

stanmann571 wrote: »

deviette wrote: »

Miranda_panda_16 wrote: »

He has no reason, belives its best for people to have kids later? I want to have 4 kids posibly so

Hmm, maybe you should speak to a different doctor. It sounds like he's letting his personal beliefs interfere with his medical advice. No one should ever tell you when (or if) you should be having children, unless there are actual medical reasons for it.

And risk increases with age, especially past 30 for a first pregnancy.

Unless you have financial or career considerations, or some medical concern you haven't mentioned. If you're below 34 or 35 BMI, There's no practical reason to wait if you and your partner are in a place where you are ready mentally, emotionally, financially, etc. NOTE: you're never actually going to be fully ready

OPs BMI is around 42

Thanks, I missed that when Reading up.

So, OP. Shoot for 170-175 goal weight Based on

fernt21 wrote: »

https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Obesity-and-Pregnancy

Above is a link to the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology info on Obesity and Pregnancy.

This is also a good review article on Obesity in Pregnancy: risks and management, with suggestions for pre-conception management.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4989730/

Good luck.

The advice here^^

Pregnancy hormones are odd and funny things, I've got several friends who found that maintenance was easier when pregnant-They were in the overweight or obese categories... OB recommendations for weight management during pregnancy for overweight and obese categories vary fairly significantly as there isn't a whole lot of opportunity to do ethical research on weight loss/deficit eating during pregnancy; and so the only data available is anecdotal and observational. And obviously others who just couldn't stop eating.

Jadub729

1. Get a new doctor. This one is unprofessional.
2. 140 is still a bit high for 5'1 depending on how much body fat you're carrying, some very athletic women can easily be "overweight" according to a BMI chart yet have very little body fat so don't focus so much on the number on the scale.
3. you probably don't need to get to 140 to be in a healthy range for pregnancy, I'm sure you could be a bit higher and still be ok, but of course as with anything carrying the extra weight can cause some risks for you and the baby so its a worth goal to try and lower your weight before you try for kids.
4. I'm 36 I had my kids at 19 and 23 I am SO glad I had them young and wouldn't change anything about it. They're teenagers now and I'm still young enough to do want I want and I'm not tied down with little ones any more. Hello weekend naps!