The Plus-Size Mom In The Delivery Room: Special Concerns

For plus-size moms, the thought of experiencing any problems during delivery comes in mind. They begin to worry about their accommodation in the hospital especially when they get wheeled in to the delivery room. They usually get bothered about this problem because they know for a fact that being a plus-size mom brings has a lot of weight and size related problems. These problems range from simple materials being used to treat the mother up to the actual health dangers that the mother may encounter due to her excess weight.

When in it comes to size and weight, you no longer have to worry about your accommodation or convenience in the hospital. Most of the hospitals today are ready with the appropriate equipment and accommodation needed for the patient and the size of the patient. As for garments, gowns are definitely not a problem. All you need to do is request for a size that would fit you. Hospitals are supposed to have different sizes of gowns for their patients since the patient’s comfort is one of the priorities in a hospital or even in any medical and surgical setting or establishment.

For equipments being used to treat or monitor your health during labor such as the sphygmomanometer set, you can simply request for a large size cuff to be used when taking your blood pressure to avoid over constriction of your veins. This will also ensure that the data taken is accurate. Another possible problem anticipated would be that of monitoring the fetus. Fetal monitors are sometimes said to be affected by the amount of fat tissue on the mother’s body, especially the abdominal region. However, there is no truth to this. The only problem that could possibly worry you is the straps used during fetal monitoring. You can simply request for a longer strap or have the strap extended with the use of gauzes.

Make sure to discuss the accommodation with your doctor before getting admitted to make sure that all equipments to be used for you are appropriate to your size. However, when it comes to plus-size moms, the biggest problem is not really about all these. Instead, it is about the possible complications that could be brought about by the excess weight. You have postpartum hypertension, labored breathing during labor, easy fatigability during labor, and many more. In this case, it is important to have a thorough and regular checkup with your doctor to be able to draw out possible weight-related complications.

These complications will not only endanger the mother but, more importantly, the baby also. In this case, it would be best for the mother to monitor her weight, or have someone do it for her, and do her part in avoiding her weight from increasing during her pregnancy. This will help her ensure a successful and safe delivery process for her and her baby.