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The Obesity Chart!

Brittany • Thu, Aug 27

Ok, so this might relate to some of you, to others I'm not so sure...For most of my late teen and adult life, I have been considered obese. I am an avid athlete and have lifted weights since my freshman year of high school. My calibrated BMI has always ranged in the athletic zone for women but for some annoying reason I'm considered obese because of (height verses weight)! This little gem however never bothered me until I became pregnant with our first child. I am currently in my 35th week of pregnancy, still constantly getting compliments on looking great, no swelling, you know the drill...not to say there hasn't been the every now and then idiot that says..."you have that long left?" To those women I would like to punch you in the face, that is all! So I attend a group doctors' office, meaning I see multiple doctors throughout my pregnancy as it is a Russian roulette on who will actually deliver my son. I have enjoyed the experience because all of the doctors are great EXCEPT this one female doctor who I had only seen once during the beginning of my second trimester. She was going over the timeline of appointments and said the day of the gestational test, "don't eat a pop tart!" So my brilliant husband says "she eats poptarts!"

The doctor all but jumped down my throat!!! Needless to say I stopped eating pop tarts. So fast forward to my last encounter with this doctor, my last visit, 33 weeks and 5 days. She walks in the room, looks at me and says, "Looking at you, and looking at the chart you have gained too much weight! We technically can't tell you to go on a diet but you should probably stop eating carbs!" I honestly just smiled and nodded my head and tried to keep from busting out in tears! My husband wasn't there for this visit so I was completely alone. Leaving the office I just tried to keep my head up and get to the parking garage without breaking down! This doctor was so harsh and blunt, I just couldn't deal. My weight gain at this point of the pregnancy was 29 pounds. I had talked to every doctor, at every previous appointment and no one had mentioned I was close to some chart line! If anything I brought the weight topic up! Every doctor said "all pregnancies are different you are fine." Needless to say I finally got home and went to the guest bedroom and pretty much collapsed on the floor in tears! How could I have became such a failure at this? I thought every compliment I had heard was out of pitty because I was obviously a whale! My husband called in the middle of my sobbing and of course cussed the doctor nine ways to Sunday and said I was beautiful! All of this to say...it sucked! I felt terrible, like a failure! Well I'm here to tell you if you have been told that, and you are someone that has been of an athletic frame, no chart can define you!!!! Listen to your body, one doctor should not make you feel like a failure, you are not alone, I have been there!