Losing Weight While Pregnant Plus Size

Mum-of-two and business owner Cassy, who is married to husband Billy-Joe, says she ballooned during her first pregnancy - leaving her feeling depressed over her size 18 figure.

Just three months after giving birth to her daughter, Cassy became pregnant for a second time and decided it was time to shift the weight.

Cassy says she managed to drop a whopping seven stone in just seven months – taking her to a healthy eight stone.

Overweight And Pregnant

Cassy said that bystanders hated the thought of her weight loss during pregnancy and believed it would be harmful to her baby.

Cassy says that she suffered with swelling in her hands and feet because of her weight, pictured before losing seven stoneCredit: Fortitude Press

But science now tells us different. Losing weight, especially through a suitable diet, can make all the difference to the health of the mum, and the outcome of her pregnancy.

Before And After Weight Loss Pictures

Cassy and her baby would also have needed extra calcium and iron, so it's reassuring to see that she had a daily meal as well.

But her daughter, Bunny-May was born on June 9 2015 weighing a healthy 7lb 11oz – more than her first born daughter, Delilah-Rose who weighed 6lb 11oz.

Cassy added: People hated the thought of it, as they thought it was unhealthy for the baby, but after speaking with specialists and midwives, I knew I was doing the right thing.

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Cassy used Juice Plus whilst pregnant with her second daughter and says eh had two shakes, two snacks and one meal a dayCredit: Fortitude Press

Following her impressive transformation, Cassy is now a slim size six and has created a living out of her weight loss, even starting her own company, CeCe project Ltd - which sells health products.

It's enabled me to provide for my family and my husband hasn't had to work for two and half years, which has also changed my life financially.

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I now help people for a living, to inspire them and give them hope, to let them know that anything is achievable.

Previously, we revealed how a group of experts believe that exercise can make labour easier and the single mum who weighed 17 stone who claimed to have lost eight stone by guzzling GREEN TEA.Google “being plus size and pregnant”, “plus size pregnancy”, “obese and pregnant”, “fat and pregnant”, or some variation of those search terms.

Or you could read some truly damaging comments. Things like people saying you don’t have the right to be a mother simply because of your size.

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While common plus size pregnancy frustrations include not being able to find affordable plus size maternity clothes or struggling to connect with a size friendly care provider – let’s dig deeper!

As I mentioned above, there are increased risks. Gestational diabetes is one of the main ones so screening is important. Most people with a BMI over 30 will be tested twice with the standard glucose challenge test.

The first test for gestational diabetes is given very early on in pregnancy (to see if you are already pre-diabetic or diabetic).

Weight Loss After Pregnancy

Then when you hit 24–28 weeks of pregnancy, when all women are routinely tested for gestational diabetes, you’ll be told you need to be tested again.

I want to make sure you know that being tested twice is extremely common. I just wish more care providers let their plus size clients know that this will occur!

If something like this happens to you, advocate for yourself by getting a second opinion. Or consider switching to a more size friendly provider.

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In2020, it was discovered that early screening for gestational diabetes did not make a significant difference. So, ask your provider if getting tested early is necessary, especially in light of recent data.

Still, we’ve got to talk about it because there’s evidence to show that limiting weight gain during pregnancy can actually help you to have a healthier pregnancy overall.

Quite the opposite, it’s all about being proactive with your nutritional choices (consider connecting with a registered dietician) and being physically active.

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If you weren’t already doing these things, a change in your habits can result in limited weight gain or even losing weight during pregnancy.

However, if you are proactive with your nutrition and physical activity during pregnancy, not gaining a lot of weight or even losing weight can be completely normal and healthy during a plus size pregnancy.

As long as you are making healthy choices throughout your pregnancy, your body is going to gain what it needs to in order to grow your baby.

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As your pregnancy progresses, your care provider will start measuring your belly to track growth. This is called fundal height measurements (the distance from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus measured in centimeters).

Real talk – as plus size woman, we come into pregnancy already having a belly. Because of this, plus size women have a new normal or baseline measurement.

This is normal and it doesn’t mean you’re actually further along with your pregnancy. It just means you had more centimeters there to begin with.

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The truth is, your body is incredible and being plus size and pregnant is a time when many plus size people are able to see their bodies in new and beautiful ways.

Let go of the labels others have placed upon you and stop giving them control over how you feel about your body!

Jen McLellan is a certified childbirth educator, published author, and founder of Plus Size Birth and the Plus Mommy Podcast. For over a decade, she has advocated for plus size people, and the National Institutes of Health endorses her work. Jen has been featured in major publications, including The New York Times, Glamour, and Huffington Post. She helps people navigate the world of plus size pregnancy, shares tips for embracing your body and laughs her way through the adventures of parenthood.

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Another thing is for plus size women our pregnancy bellies are not always round and perfect. Some of our bellies are B-shaped.

I hated how it felt being judged by the healthcare people when I was pregnant in 2016 and plus size. Even prior to TTC I lost 20lbs working out. Got pregnant and had to do the 2 glucose tests, passed those. They made me get an at home blood pressure monitor because at any appointment it would be elevated due to me having white coat syndrome. I tested it morning and evening every day and it was always in the healthy range. I felt like they never believed me that I felt fine and it was only because I was in their presence it was elevated but can you blame me for being anxious in a doctor setting with a deceased mom and grandma from medical reasons?? I even lost weight the first 4 months and it baffled my OB. I only gained about 12lbs total by the end. I ended up being induced at 40w6d and ended with an csection because he wouldn't fit through my pelvis and his heart rate wasn't coming back up quick enough after contractions. I had zero fertility issues and never have had any of issues associated with being plus size. Even breastfed til he was 13 months with 0 issues. So take that you people who think us plus sizers can't have a normal pregnancy etc.

This is truly one of the most empowering articles I've read during my pregnancy so far. I'm so happy you shared this and is great ammunition for a wonderful pregnancy journey. Thank you so much!

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This is such a great article! I’m currently 29 weeks pregnant. My BMI was about 35 when I got pregnant (endless fertility treatments did NOT help there! Ha ha). I was so worried about gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and all the other things they say plus sized women are going to have. So far I’ve had none of it. I passed my diabetes test with flying colors and my doctor has said he has zero concern about me getting preeclampsia. I barely gained any weight until very recent, but still not a lot. I dropped a little at first even with zero morning sickness. I feel so much better about my body than I ever did before. I wear lots of tight tops because I’ve found they look better on me now than loose ones. I wish more people were supportive like this. Thanks for the wonderful article. Oh, and people made tons of rude comments about my fertility issues and my weight. They were completely unrelated. I have an issue that would have been around my entire life (I was much smaller when younger). People shouldn’t assume things. Fertility trouble didn’t help my weight with all the stress, depression and medication.

Thanks for sharing your story with us. Massive congrats on your pregnancy! I'm sorry for your fertility struggles. I hope you're able to enjoy these last few weeks of pregnancy and continue to love on your body.The world has still not progressed enough to not call out plus-size people for their size. Many are still often subjected to crude jokes and get trolled mercilessly online.

As plus-size pregnant mum Suz Smith recently shared

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