I had the same issue with my BMI. My booking in midwife never asked for my pre-pregnancy weight (which would have put my BMI at 26), just took my weight at 10 weeks, which put my BMI at 30, I grew very fast in my first trimester, I was still the same weight at 16 weeks as I was at 10. Any reference on BMI categorically states it is no use in pregnant women, I have no idea why they do this. I didn't get put under consultant care though, because I am low risk. I am not sure if this has more to do with the particular system in my area or whether it was because she calculated my risks before asking my weight (she was surprised at my BMI). I would be inclined to ask exactly why the consultant was involved. As an aside, if anyone tries to talk you out of a home birth, it will be him. Consultants only see births that are going wrong (seriously, most doctors never witness a natural birth), and are driven by their responsibility to keep the pair of you healthy, so will be inclined to assume that all intervention is a good and life-saving thing (when actually, unnecessary intervention can cause a cascade of problems.)
The good news is that weight alone is not a good enough reason to deny you a home birth if you are fit and healthy. The increased risk of gestational diabetes could be, but I expect that, like me, you will have the joy of a GTT at 28 weeks, and if that is fine, and your urine has no sugar in it, then that isn't an issue. There is also the risk that if the mother puts on a lot of weight her baby may be larger, but a large baby is no reason for a hospital birth either, I just read an account of a 12lb plus baby being born on the bathroom floor! If you are determined to have a home birth, I would get in touch with your local support group (and borrow their books) and keep reminding your midwives that this is your plan. I told mine at booking in, but somehow the idea evaporated from my notes until I brought it up again. The line is that you plan to have a home birth, not that you are vaguely interested. Also the sooner you tell them, the less excuse they have for not having available, trained staff, they have a responsibility to make sure their staff are competent, and if you give them 6 months notice, then that is plenty of time for them to sort that out.
As for the diet, how are you with dairy? I ask this because I have become milk-obsessive, I drink around 2 pints a day,(often straight, which I would never do before, or in smoothies or ovaltine) plus yoghurt, they say you lose a tooth for every baby you have, if I do then it will be because he has an exoskeleton. Eggs are also great, get those omega 3 ones if you can for baby's brainz. The good news on diet is that your foetus is a true parasite, you will get malnourished long before he does, remember women with sever hypermesis who barely eat anything in their first trimester still have normal healthy babies. Make sure you are taking a good pre-natal vitamin and mineral complex (not just folic acid). I take the Sanatogen ones where you get a vitamin pill and an omega 3 capsule, but I am pretty sure they aren't veggie (in fact I am near positive the oil is fish-derived) there are veggie alternatives though and it will save you the worry of wondering if baby is getting the right nutrients. Generally though, keep up your variety of fruit and veg intake, and if you feel well on that, then things are probably fine, I ate very oddly for the first few months because I felt sick all the time, but now I am much better at eating and tend to crave lots of healthy wholefood type stuff.
No one even asked me about birth plans at my booking in. I didn't know whether I was supposed to bring it up or not. Also, I'm not sure whether it was a consultant or a nutritionist that I'm supposed to see. The weird thing is that I am low risk too; it says so right in my maternity notes.
I generally drink about a pint of milk per day. I don't eat eggs that often (except in cake) because at the moment, they taste good when I eat them but I regret it later. I have been eating yoghurt and cereal together but mostly, my body seems to be telling me to eat raw or very simple food. Anything rich or too cooked turns my stomach. Apparently my mum was the same. I also eat plenty of pulses as raygungothic does lots of salady middle eastern cooking. Plus I am one of the incredibly lucky women who does not seem to get morning sickness. I do not know why this is, but I definitely appreciate it.
Glad to know about home birth things. Thank you very much as that is quite reassuring.
The good news is that weight alone is not a good enough reason to deny you a home birth if you are fit and healthy. The increased risk of gestational diabetes could be, but I expect that, like me, you will have the joy of a GTT at 28 weeks, and if that is fine, and your urine has no sugar in it, then that isn't an issue. There is also the risk that if the mother puts on a lot of weight her baby may be larger, but a large baby is no reason for a hospital birth either, I just read an account of a 12lb plus baby being born on the bathroom floor! If you are determined to have a home birth, I would get in touch with your local support group (and borrow their books) and keep reminding your midwives that this is your plan. I told mine at booking in, but somehow the idea evaporated from my notes until I brought it up again. The line is that you plan to have a home birth, not that you are vaguely interested. Also the sooner you tell them, the less excuse they have for not having available, trained staff, they have a responsibility to make sure their staff are competent, and if you give them 6 months notice, then that is plenty of time for them to sort that out.
As for the diet, how are you with dairy? I ask this because I have become milk-obsessive, I drink around 2 pints a day,(often straight, which I would never do before, or in smoothies or ovaltine) plus yoghurt, they say you lose a tooth for every baby you have, if I do then it will be because he has an exoskeleton. Eggs are also great, get those omega 3 ones if you can for baby's brainz. The good news on diet is that your foetus is a true parasite, you will get malnourished long before he does, remember women with sever hypermesis who barely eat anything in their first trimester still have normal healthy babies. Make sure you are taking a good pre-natal vitamin and mineral complex (not just folic acid). I take the Sanatogen ones where you get a vitamin pill and an omega 3 capsule, but I am pretty sure they aren't veggie (in fact I am near positive the oil is fish-derived) there are veggie alternatives though and it will save you the worry of wondering if baby is getting the right nutrients. Generally though, keep up your variety of fruit and veg intake, and if you feel well on that, then things are probably fine, I ate very oddly for the first few months because I felt sick all the time, but now I am much better at eating and tend to crave lots of healthy wholefood type stuff.
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I generally drink about a pint of milk per day. I don't eat eggs that often (except in cake) because at the moment, they taste good when I eat them but I regret it later.
I have been eating yoghurt and cereal together but mostly, my body seems to be telling me to eat raw or very simple food. Anything rich or too cooked turns my stomach. Apparently my mum was the same. I also eat plenty of pulses as raygungothic does lots of salady middle eastern cooking. Plus I am one of the incredibly lucky women who does not seem to get morning sickness. I do not know why this is, but I definitely appreciate it.
Glad to know about home birth things. Thank you very much as that is quite reassuring.
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