Being pregnant and obese: A qualitative study of the experiences of pregnancy and birth of women who are obese

Abstract

Objectives

This study explored the views and experiences of maternity care of postnatal women identified as being obese.

Design

A qualitative methodology was adopted using individual semi-structured interviews. Data was analysed using a framework approach.

Setting

Two National Health Service Hospitals- a large tertiary unit in England, and a district general hospital in Scotland.

Participants

8 women with a body mass index of greater than 35 who had recently had a baby.

Findings

The overall interpretation ‘Being pregnant and obese; Obese women's experiences of pregnancy and birth’ was underpinned by three key emergent themes: embodiment of obesity; being pregnant and overweight, and resource intensive maternity care. These findings are encapsulated in a conceptual framework that was formed to demonstrate the trajectory from the embodiment of obesity to becoming pregnant as an obese woman, experiencing the maternity regime that is currently in place for the care of obese women and then finally returning to being an obese woman.

Key conclusions

Women who are obese have an intrinsic fear of pregnancy and birth, have a desire for normal birth and ‘obese pregnancy’ presents a window of opportunity for both short and long-term lifestyle change.

Implications for practice

Currently one-fifth of women in the UK are obese. There is increasing evidence of the detrimental effects obesity has on intrapartum outcomes and a lack of research on how to minimise the associated risks of obesity through non-medicalised interventions and how to support women who are obese to maximise their experience of birth. Addressing the intrapartum management through non-medicalised interventions is of paramount importance to maximise the experience of birth and reduce the associated morbidities.