BMI, Pregnancy & Birth

Should your birth options be limited due to your Body Mass Index (BMI)?

Let’s go waaaaay back!

The dude who came up with calculation for BMI was called Lambert, Adolphe Jacques Quetelet …. and you may be thinking that he was the big D of a medical setting… but in reality, Lams Ads Jacs Quets (such a mouth full!!) was a MATHEMATICIAN!

So noooooo background in science and no medical experience AT ALL. Stay with us… this is important info!

The main aim of BMI was never to assess an individual’s health (after all, Quets knew NOTHING about health)

What the F was it for then?

BMI was invented in the 1830s in order to assess obesity on a population level, so that the Government would know where to allocate funds and resources.

On top of that, BMI was invented ONLY taking white men into consideration and ignoring muscle mass. Totes awks!

Whilst you may be told that a high BMI may affect your birth options, and each trust will have their own individual policies surrounding this topic, a high or low BMI should NOT limit your birth options. Like EVER.

Strictly speaking, under the eye of the law this would be considered discrimination!

Your health care professional’s job is to support you with relevant and evidence based evidence and to support your choices.

They have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to support your birth.

This includes having a water birth, having access to home birth and midwife led units and everything else a person with a “normal” BMI can have!

If you need help exploring your rights, give New Birth Club a shout. We would LOVE to help you have the birth of your dreams!

You can also download our Birth Rights 101 workshop for only £4.99 and become an expert on your rights in pregnancy and birth!