Bad outcomes for low BMI/underweight moms?

[teddi]

** Calculate your BMI by clicking the link below **

http://www.webmd.com/content/tools/1/calc_bmi.htm

-Underweight for the purpose of this poll will mean a BMI under 20.

- If you had a BMI under 20 at ANY point in your pregnancy (so yes, go ahead and use your lowest weight that you can remember) you are an "underweight mom". IF your BMI was under 20 immediately POST PARTUM (ie the weight difference after baby was out would put you under 20) you ARE underweight.

**IMPORTANT**

- Please reply to this thread and write out your lowest BMI.
- If you answer with a "yes" of any kind, write out what your complications were.

Complications include but are not limited to:
- The need for TPN treatment. The need for very frequent ( more than once a week) IV fluids or diagnosed vitamin deficiencies. Liver complications, gallbladder complications, any gastro-intestinal complications, heart complications, nuerological problems, low birth weight baby, SGA baby, IUGR, pre-term DELIVERY, pre-term labor, induced labor for maternal complications (IE bad nutritional state), pre-E, HELLP, bleeding problems at delivery, ANEMIA, NICU admission for baby (UNLESS the baby had issues related ONLY to genetic problems)

- if you lost the baby after the first trimester (and there was no genetic reasons for the loss) or if you were forced to terminate on Drs advice (what I mean is essentially there were complications that necessitated the termination) please check those options. & of course I understand If you wish to remain anonymous and just vote.
If you're confused follow my example.

[teddi]

Preg#1

lowest BMI = 17.0

Maternal Complications= Gallbladder removed, Cholecystitis, anemia, poor weight gain.

Baby Complications= none.

Preg#2 *twin gestation

lowest BMI= 19.5

Maternal Complications= pre-E, pancreatitis, non labor emergency c-section (early delivery), anemia, SGA babies, SVT post partum, poor weight gain.

[AndreaMMS]

According to the link you posted, My normal BMI is 19.47. I was back at that 4 days after delivery.

My lowest pregnancy BMI was 17.64. My highest was 22.3

Complications/treatments- severe weight loss, several in-patient hospitalizations, home IV's for a month, zofran pump for two months.
Baby was small at full term- 5 pounds, 7 ounces.

Long term/severe complications for mom & baby- none (thank God).

[Mikey&Bree'sMama(src)]

I would participate in this poll, but because I gained weight on purpose before I got pregnant, I never got to or below a BMI of 20. I wanted to point out that there may be other women for whom this is also true--if I hadn't gained the weight, I WOULD have had an underweight BMI.

According to this calculator, I started my pregnancy at an OVERWEIGHT BMI of 26.14 (weight 177 lbs height 5'9") and at my lowest point my BMI was a NORMAL 22.0 (weight 145 lbs). If I hadn't gained the weight beforehand, my lowest BMI *would* have been 20.67.

The "funny" part about this is that because I started the pregnancy overweight, the MW I started with thought I could stand to lose a few pounds

[justme]

My lowest BMI was 20.67, but I lost A LOT of weight FAST and my doctors report says "severe dehydration with anorexia"

Complications: Dizzyness/fainting, baby died at 6 1/2 weeks gestation

[deb]

i started out with a bmi of 19.2 pre-pregnancy.

got down to 17.4 then up to 20.8 (yay!)

then we lost our baby. but the doc doesn't think it was hg related, and i guess we'll never know. she was the right size and weight for her age.

i do know that i was very fatigued and frail (and skinny!!) but i don't think i had any other complications going on. weighing more beforehand would definitely have helped though. i lost a lot of muscle too, not having too much fat in the first place.

and, for the record, my current bmi is 18. argh. not happy. *sigh* MUST GAIN WEIGHT!

[teddi]

Andrea- did you know that since the baby was less than 5 lbs 8 oz- your baby was technically "low birth weight". Just by 1 ounce, but I thought I'd mention that (as she was probably coded that way somewhere in her med records).

Thanks guys for the feedback so far!

[HelenA]

Lowest BMI =17.72

I was very anemic at the end and am still on iron tablets now 3 months PP.

[aaronsmommy]

pg # 2 lowest BMI 18.0 TPN, elevated liver enzymes, arrythmia from low potassium, subchorionic hematoma (with bleeding until 20 weeks), sepsis, anemia - hemoglobin 6, cholestasis, preterm labor, induced labor at 35 weeks (normal birthweight), 2 1/2 week NICU stay including 4 days on ventilator. Hmm, that's it?

(doesn't count, but pg #1 I only got down to BMI 20.36 but had TPN, fetal demise 18 weeks, DIC and vitamin K deficiency (which probably caused the demise)

[teddi]

DIC meaning ... disseminated intravascula coagulation? Isn't that really bad?

[aaronsmommy]

Yep. I just had a little though. My husband vividly remembers the hospitalist telling him I might die, but I guess I didn't care at that point.

[ChrEliza]

My lowest BMI was 18.6 (and according to everything I read underweight) plus I was a skeleton - it was scary.
Anyway, I voted no adverse outcomes for either b/c I hadn't read it all (sorry) and the end result was fine. But during pregnancy I went in for frequent (about every other day) rehydration and was on zofron (32 mg) and that didn't work until 14 weeks. But everything turned out fine by the end. Baby was 8 lbs.
The pregnancy with my son was similar though I also had vitamin deficiency and was hospitalized overnight to be rehydrated and given vitamins, etc. through IV. He was 7 lbs. 5 oz.

[teddi]

You know I feel really stupid- but I didn't even think about losing the baby!

I know the HER survey found higher incidence of 2nd tri loss.

I will edit to add a new category for that. I feel so bad to our moms who've lost- of course that's a bad outcome! Just a brainfart on my part.

[deb]

no worries teddi. thanks for adding it in though.

[AndreaMMS]

Andrea- did you know that since the baby was less than 5 lbs 8 oz- your baby was technically "low birth weight". Just by 1 ounce, but I thought I'd mention that (as she was probably coded that way somewhere in her med records).

Thanks guys for the feedback so far!

Huh. No one told me that she was technically low birth weight, nor did the doctors seem very concerned about her (very high apgar scores). But it was really obvious that she was a tiny little niblet- when I compared her in the hospital nursery next to other newborns....jeez, it looked like some of those other babies could have eaten her! I've since met people with babies born weeks early who weighed more than Naomi did at birth.

I guess the most shocking thing was that numerous ultrasounds had estimated her birthweight as 6 1/2 pounds! Not quite!

Honestly, though, we're not sure that her small size was due to the HG or genetics- my husband and I aren't tall (I'm 5'5" and he's 5'9") and both my Mom and Uncle were born full term under 6 pounds (my Grandmother had normal pregnancies- no HG).

[RebeccaM]

With pregnancy #1 my lowest BMI was 18.47. I was pretty dehydrated and malnourished, but I never really realized it til the end. Just did Zofran and some IV's the whole time. Looking back, I needed so much more treatment than that.

Baby was 5 lbs. 13 oz. at 41 weeks. She was a tiny little thing, but technically not low birth weight and she was perfectly healthy. I think her small size was more genetic.

[tlm5999]

Pg #1 started at BMI 23 and got down to 18.5
Complications twice weekly IVs Preterm labor at 32wks bedrest Early delivery at 36wk
Baby complications low birth weight 5lbs5oz apnea first night after that was fine.

Pg#2 started BMI 21.5 got down to 18
Complications IVs again Preterm labor again at 29wks but didn't deliver till 38wk that whole time was on bedrest
Baby complication only jaundice

Gained wieght for pre pg
Pg #3 started BMI 23 only got down to 22
m/c at 8wks

Pg #4 started BMI 23 and so far only down to 22
lost a twin at 6wks, other one doing fine
bad HG hasn't hit yet

[teddi]

bump...


anymore low BMI mommies?

[4rivers]

My lowest BMI was 15.66. ( 97 pounds at 5'6".)

My prepregnancy BMI was 18. Currently the kiddo is two weeks behind...

I've been on Zofran pump and continuous IV fluids since week 10.

Now I've gained some weight and my current BMI is 18 again at 31 weeks.

Just want the kiddo to be okay. (Don't we all!)

[teddi]

Tasneem,

please update the poll after you delivery.

A BMI of 15 Yikes! Scary. Glad to hear you are going the positive direction.