Just found out I’m 17 weeks pregnant! HELP!

[immela]

Just found out I’m 17 weeks pregnant. Had absolutely no idea and was at the gynaecologist seeking fertility treatment when I had an ultrasound and got the shock of my life.

It’s my first pregnancy and I have no idea what to do or expect. I’m currently overseas with husbands family for a month in South Asia where I can’t seek the normal treatment I would in Australia. It is not the most hygienic place, the food is different, water is not safe and I’m very worried about what will happen to baby. I’ve already gotten quite sick while I’m here with stomach issues.

I have BMI of 40 so I am categorised as Obese. I carry most of my weight in my stomach. Doctor did some tests and said they were okay and not to be too concerned, just to try not to gain too much weight. But it’s hard because I’m fairly sedentary while here due to the situation. I didn’t eat healthy, exercise or take prenatals the last few months but I don’t drink or smoke so that’s been the only positive thing I’ve done.

I’ve been researching plus size pregnancy but I haven’t found heaps of information. I guess I’m most concerned being far away from home and not being able to access the resources and healthy food I would there.

Is there any advice you can offer me as to how to proceed from here until I get back home and can see a doctor there? My anxiety is causing me to worry about this a lot and I desperately want baby to be safe and healthy I’m going to have a 20 week scan before I leave but I’m stressing out waiting for it!

Thanks

 

[butterscoth]

@immela Breathe. It’s going to be okay, more than likely so.

Start taking prenatals asap. While the country you may be in now isn’t what you deem optimal, many families have had children there so there’s no need to be alarmed about the environment. Just keep yourself hydrated and eat cooked foods. I’m in Canada nowadays but spent my first two decades of life in Southeast Asia. You’ll be fine. You can eat ‘healthy’ anywhere you are.

 

[immela]

@butterscoth Thank you so much

 

[7caldwell]

@immela I knew I was pregnant at 3 weeks and I was still pretty sedentary and ate unhealthy in my first trimester The fact that you already don’t drink or smoke is great, you don’t have to worry about that part at all!

Start taking your prenatals now and see if there’s any way to get access to different water (bottled water/seltzer or boil before drinking maybe?) and mention any medications you’ve been taking to your doctor in case any of them have potential adverse effects. If you use any skincare with retinol, stop using that now. From what you mentioned, it doesn’t sound like you’ve done anything that would cause obvious harm to the baby, so congratulations!

There aren’t a ton of plus size pregnancy books (the ones I bought when we started trying are both pretty old) but Sara Wickham recently wrote one that should have up to date info! I haven’t read her book but I follow her on Instagram. PlusSizeBirth.com also has a lot of good info, including a pdf e-book.

 

[immela]

@7caldwell Thank you so much

 

[yolis43]

@immela I did IVF so I had a very intentional pregnancy. I was almost completely sedentary the first 2 months due to hyperemesis and although I’m puking constantly, I’m still gaining weight.

I’m 16w now and I’ve not had a SINGLE thing in all of my scans or bloodwork to indicate a problem with me or with baby. I also had an early gestational diabetes test that I passed, despite surviving on toast and ginger ale.

All that to say - you got this! I knew about my pregnancy, didnt adjust my diet or activity level and everything is going GREAT!

Start prenatals and enjoy your pregnancy

 

[immela]

@yolis43 Thanks for sharing your experience

 

[yolis43]

@immela you got this

 

[kevinkret86]

@immela Everyone is saying prenatals...yes, do that. If you can't find one you like, make sure you're getting 5mg of folic acid. Even if you find a prenatal you like, you'll almost certainly need to take additional folic acid to get to 5mg.

Other than that... congrats! Try to enjoy it. Babies will take what they need, don't worry that you haven't been eating right.

 

[immela]

@kevinkret86 Thank you so much

 

[sean91]

@immela I just had my baby but had a bmi of 39 during pregnancy. Besides taking a prenatal, there isn’t much to do in early pregnancy. The biggest concern raised due to my bmi were associated risks, specifically pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes. If you would like to ease your mind regarding those, monitor your blood pressure and eat regularly focusing on including protein and carbs at each meal and snack while limiting processed sugars. However my experience was in America where care tends to be more focused on risk and intervention. Congratulations!!

 

[immela]

@sean91 Thanks for sharing your experience

 

[immela]

Thank you so much

 

[phunnyfilosophy]

@immela From 8 weeks to 14 weeks I barely moved was exhausted all the time and dealing with nausea. I wouldn’t worry too much about being sedentary in the first trimester, just try to get moving as much as you can now. It’s likely that what you were equating to stomach issues you’ve experienced have just been pregnancy related, but as you didn’t know, just assumed it was something you’ve ate. Your 20 week anatomy ultrasound should calm your mind that you haven’t done anything truly wrong. Until then, just try to remain hydrated, try to eat healthier, move as much as possible even walking, get appointments set up for when you return home and try not to worry too much.