Big, Beautiful, and Pregnant: Expert Advice and Comforting Wisdom for the Expecting Plus-Size Woman

by Cornelia van der Ziel MD, Jacqueline Tourville

Almost half of all pregnant women are overweight in the U.S. today, but there are few places they can turn for reliable information and helpful advice on the special set of challenges they'll face during the nine-month adventure that lies ahead. In Big, Beautiful and Pregnant, Cornelia van der Ziel, a highly sought-after obstetrician who specializes in plus-size pregnancies, and Jacqueline Tourville, a plus-size mom who's lived the experience, offer a warm, witty, medically-sound guide for overweight women who want the skinny on what to expect from pregnancy and childbirth. They answer all the questions pregnant moms may have, including: Is my pregnancy doomed to be difficult because I'm overweight? How can I find a sympathetic doctor? Am I destined for a c-section because of my extra pounds? Are there special medical risks to my unborn child? Where can I find maternity clothes in extra-large sizes? A unique combination of impeccable medical advice, fun, and down-to-earth charm, Big, Beautiful and Pregnant provides plus-size pregnant women with information, inspiration, a sense of sisterhood, and reassurance that they can have a healthy and happy pregnancy.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 23, 2006

Reviews

[Elizabeth Abney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that this book reinforced the idea that yes, as an overweight women you are more prone to certain pregnancy complications, but that does not mean that you are doomed to them. Other than that reassuring message and some in depth into on gestational diabetes, there wasn’t mush info in this book that cannot be found in other, more comprehensive, pregnancy books. The ubiquitous use of ‘sister’ to refer to other overweight expecting mothers really set my teeth on edge, but the reference section at the end looks like it may prove quite valuable.

From my personal collection.

[Wench · Rating 2 out of 5]

Things I liked about this book:

*Yes, I do think there needs to be a good, research-based book for us fat folk who are having babies. Being pregnant and having kids is a different experience for everyone, but being fat and having kids is a different experience from being thin and having kids.

*There is some supportive language in there, and it makes it clear that being overweight or obese is not in and of itself a barrier to getting pregnant and having babies.

*While it mentions some risks of being fat and pregnant, it does not go so far as to say you WILL have one or more of these terrible things happen, which many doctors (incorrectly) will. In fact it does say in multiple places that simply being overweight does not guarantee any of the bad shit will happen.

*There is some information about dv/ipv, what it looks like, and ways to look for help.

*There are pictures and instructions for some low-impact, easy exercises that can be done at home with zero special equipment.

Things I did not like:

*"Sister". Look I am not your sister. Also hi, you can call me fat, it's okay, I'm fat. So be clear, this is definitely not a book written by FA folks or even HAES folks. It was also written by people who have no idea that not every person who gets pregnant is a woman. GREAT.

*There is an entire huge chapter on "prenatal nutrition" that is a diet, complete with "craving this? TRY THIS HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVE" and "saturated fat is bad for you!" There is also plenty of talk about how you really shouldn't gain much weight during pregnancy. It's better than a lot of books, in that it doesn't so much explicitly say you should lose weight during pregnancy - which even some doctors recommend if you're fat and pregnant, and that is SO DANGEROUS I CAN'T EVEN - but it's definitely like "don't overeat and make sure to exercise, fatty, you don't want to gain too much more".

*It also subtly makes the assumption that many of the people who are reading this book are binge eaters and that's why they're fat. Can fat folk have eating disorders? Absolutely. Are fat folk fat because we're all binge eaters (or need to avoid "portion distortion", their actual term)? NOT EVEN CLOSE

*The chapter on finding a care provider literally starts with an admonition to get over any horrible experiences you've had in the past with doctors, and how there's "no excuse" now to not go. "Whatever might hamper your ability to feel completely at ease with members of the medical community is no longer acceptable now that you are pregnant." ACTUAL QUOTE, FOLKS. I mean, yes, prenatal care is vitally important, but get over it? Uhhhhhh. Also can we talk about how many OBs, midwives, and other doctors are fat-shamers extraordinaire and demonstrably provide shittier care to fat folk? No? Huh. There is about two pages on what to do if you feel like you're not getting appropriate care, but that's it.

*This really isn't talking to people who are obese, it's talking to people considered overweight by BMI. Yes, it uses the BMI, unapologetically.

*Did you know that gestational diabetes and "high blood sugar" is the only reason a baby might be more than 10 pounds at birth? I mean, in other parts of the book, it talks about how bigger people tend to have bigger babies, no big deal, but then we get to the chapter - ENTIRE CHAPTER - on gestational diabetes and we get this. *sigh*

*The chapter on doing nice things for yourself and celebrating your pregnancy is the shortest one in the book.

*DIRECT QUOTE from the postpartum chapter: "As much as the diet industry wants you to believe otherwise, eating a healthy, balanced diet, and regularly exercising is the perfect recipe for permanently shedding excess pounds." Hi, I have DECADES OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH on the phone, they say you're full of shit?

*There's not actually a terrible lot of good, in-depth information on week-by-week embryonic and fetal development. THAT'S THE FUN SHIT, PEOPLE, PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE CLUMP OF CELLS MIGHT BE DOING RIGHT NOW.

**********

So to sum up, I would not actually call this a supportive or fat-positive book. For someone who has never come across FA or HAES, sure. It's way better than a lot of books or websites out there. But if you are familiar with those concepts - as well as with much of the actual research on obesity and pregnancy - this book is intensely frustrating, and not nearly as supportive as it could be. Basically, what I learned from this book is that there is still a need for good, non-shaming, non-weight-focused pregnancy information and support out there. Well-Rounded Mama is AMAZING, but I would love, LOVE to see some quality books on the subject as well.

[Melissa Storm · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems that almost every other pregnancy guide out there is judgmental, and indeed some of them (I'm looking at you, What to Expect when You're Expecting) caused me to break out in tears. Big, Beautiful, and Pregnant is a comprehensive, NONjudgmental guide that openly discusses the risks of carrying extra weight before also carrying a baby. It includes helpful FAQs and stories that will make you feel like you're not alone, and it never once says or suggests, "Overweight? Well, you should have thought about that BEFORE getting pregnant, you unworthy cow!"

I love this book so much, I've even made sure to tell my OB to be sure and recommend it to other plus-size patients.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an overweight woman contemplating pregnancy, this book was one of the main sources of comfort and encouragement that allowed me to confidently follow my dream of becoming a mother. This book gives clear, encouraging information on how to have a healthy pregnancy while at a higher weight. It doesn't sugar-coat the experience, but it does make it clear that many, many women have had healthy pregnancies while at a higher weight than may be ideal. I've seen this to be true in my community, but the overwhelming amount of negativity about this subject is hard to resist. This book gave me to the strength to do just that. I'm currently halfway through my pregnancy and all is well with me and with our baby. I'm careful about my weight gain (they gave me guidelines, which all other pregnancy guides neglected, with the exception of _YOU Having a Baby_), follow the exercise suggestions they gave (using the handy chart they provide is really helpful!), and knew from the information they provided that my belly fat did not have to be any kind of barrier to examinations and gathering information about my child. So when, at 10 weeks, they couldn't find my baby's heartbeat with the doppler, I knew that they could just do an ultrasound. That's exactly what they did. We not only heard the healthy heartbeat, but I got to see my little one, too! I cannot recommend this book highly enough for women who want to get pregnant (or who already are), but aren't sure their weight is healthy enough to have a healthy pregnancy.

[Ashton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book - it comforted me about some issues I have being overweight and expecting at the same time. It had some good basic information, and while I would trust my doctor over what is said in this book, I liked a lot of things about it.

One criticism I have about it is the loose application of the phrase "plus size" to include anyone over a BMI of 30 - when, uh, that includes a TON of people that aren't "plus size" in the terms we use it every day. I understand the choice, I mean, what other choices do you have? "Big girls" "fat women" "larger women." It's a nicer phrase than many alternatives, easy to write, and so forth, but, it started bothering me partway through and didn't stop bothering me.

[Jessica Hollo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wish there was a 3.5 stars for this?
Yes, I agree with some that it really contains a lot of information that can be found in other pregnancy books. Yes, the use of "sister" was more than a little off.
BUT, it is also true that most pregnancy books gloss over the fact that so many women these days begin this journey overweight! They only stop to consider this in the risks section, which is likely to leave us feeling left out and a bit frightened.
So for that I say, I appreciate this book. Had a lot of good advice that I needed to be reminded of. It was relatively upbeat, making me feel a bit more like it wasn't doomed to fail, but more like I was in control, it would take work, but it would be okay.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, concise text that is remarkably reassuring for those of us blessed with "child bearing hips" or have been described as "from good peasant stock." In this culture, that means obscenely obese. The nutritional information alone is reassuring. Written by a plus-size mom and a size-friendly doctor, this book won't address all of your questions but it's a great reminder that our bodies can do this. In fact, in some ways, our bodies can do this better than some of our super-petite sisters. Those child-bearing hips cling to our genetics for a reason.

[Katie Frooman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was looking for more real scientific and/or practical information about being overweight and pregnant. Most of this book is a pep talk about how great you are and how beautiful you are and how you'll be a great mom and if your doctor makes you feel shitty for being fat then you should find a new doctor. I wanted a book about fat pregnancy, not a pep talk in a book. I got pregnant, I know I look good and I'm a big girl that can work it. Waste of money!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this book which actually takes the viewpoint of plus size women that are pregnant, something you don't find in most pregnancy books. The description of the actual labor was helpful, as well as the nutritional/exercise sections and what to to expect each trimester.

[Jessi Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be extremely informative and helpful, being a plus sized woman. When I did a search for any other books dealing with plus sized pregnancies, there are very few quality books. I will definitely reread this book when I get pregnant.

[RMTISME · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible. It basically admonishes one for being overweight and that all the bad stuff happens because one is fat. BMI is talked about incessantly and lowering it is the only way to have a good pregnancy.

[Shanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books serves as a comfort to women who tend to worry during pregnancy. It is a factual look at pregnancy, yet it is positive and encouraging. Though most of the information could be found in any pregnancy book, it is nice to have a book that caters to such a specific niche.

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

We're NOT pregnant, but don't plan on waiting til I'm down to 130 before having children. Just getting some info. =D

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as an aspiring midwife and found it fantastic. Both basic information and plus-sized specific information.