High BMI
Body Mass Index (BMI) has been official guidance to find out healthy weight for many years in all areas of health care. Invented by Belgian Mathematician Adolphe Quartelet in the 1800 and as a measurement for populations of WHITE MEN ONLY. So although has been widely discredited as an accurate way to measure weight for many reasons, the main being that it doesn’t take fat or muscle into account it is still used as a high risk marker in pregnancy and birth.
A BMI of 25-29.9 is considered overweight, a BMI of 30 or above means you’re considered very overweight or obese. A 2016 study from UCLA concluded that tens of millions of people who had overweight and obese BMI scores were in fact perfectly healthy. 30 per cent of people with “healthy” BMIs were in fact not healthy at all based on other health data.
You’re likely to be offered the following
Regular growth scans
Gestational Diabetes test
Appointment with an anaesthetist before the birth
Maybe Consultant led care
You may also find many Midwife Led Units will have High BMI as a policy to not allow you to birth there. However, if this the only “high risk flag” this can often be overridden with a meeting with the Head of the Unit
It should not prevent you having access to a birthing pool.
Resources
AIMS High BMI waterbirth – time for trusts to take the plunge
www.uclahealth.org/u-magazine/bmi-a-poor-measure-of-health
Sara Wickham: research-updates/induction-of-labour-and-larger-women-what-are-the-consequences/
Podcasts