Some Very, Very Big Fish
**ETA**: Okay, apparently I can't call my mom a fibber anymore, and I can call myself uninformed. My friend, Kim's, comments on this post got me googling, and, indeed, studies show that overweight women can gain little to nothing, or even lose weight, during their pregnancies. As my mom (and the other woman mentioned here) are plus-size ladies, I'm thinking they are telling the truth about their minimal weight gains. I'm still completely baffled by this (and would love to know how they did it!), but here's a link to back up the info: New Research on Pregnancy Weight Gain
I just have to share with you the two biggest loads of pregnancy bullshit I have yet heard. When I shared the story of my mom's pregnancy account with my friend, R., a few weeks ago, I felt confident that it was the queen of "mis-remembered" pregnancy weight gain stories. I was a 10-pound baby. My mother claims to this day that she only gained 10 pounds during her entire pregnancy. This coming from the woman who freely admits she snarfed on tootsie pops, bratwurst and sweet tea during her entire pregnancy---this is the woman whom R. claimed would be the first "medical pregnancy miracle" who gained only and exactly the weight of her baby (without suffering some horrible illness or eating disorder, that is.) When you consider that just the uterus alone quadruples in size (especially to hold a 10-pound baby!) and ends up weighing something like 3 pounds, it just seems ridiculous to think any woman could gain merely the weight of her baby and nothing more.
I thought my mother was the only woman delusional enough to think she could tell a yarn like that and people would believe it. But, today, I met a woman who told three HUGE pregnancy whoppers, all back-to-back, hardly stopping to breathe between them. She claimed:
1. She, herself, weighed 16 pounds at birth, and her mother gave birth to her vaginally without any complications.
2. She gained only 8 pounds during her pregnancy with her first daughter, who ended up weighing 10 pounds at birth.
3. With her second daughter, she didn't go into labor until she was 6 week overdue. Her doctor did not induce her, or perform caesarean section. He just let her keep going......to 46 weeks. The baby was born completely healthy and weighing a very normal 8 pounds. The doctor is certain that he did not make a mistake calculating the due date.
The other woman I was sitting with, who also heard these amazing revelations, turned to me wide-eyed in utter shock, searching for a reply. I snorted, and suppressed a grin, turning my head away, leaving her to fend for herself in devising an appropraite response----which turned out to be, "WOW."
Honestly, what more can you say to such heaping loads of hokey bullshit except "WOW."
What's the best pregnancy whopper you've heard lately?
I just have to share with you the two biggest loads of pregnancy bullshit I have yet heard. When I shared the story of my mom's pregnancy account with my friend, R., a few weeks ago, I felt confident that it was the queen of "mis-remembered" pregnancy weight gain stories. I was a 10-pound baby. My mother claims to this day that she only gained 10 pounds during her entire pregnancy. This coming from the woman who freely admits she snarfed on tootsie pops, bratwurst and sweet tea during her entire pregnancy---this is the woman whom R. claimed would be the first "medical pregnancy miracle" who gained only and exactly the weight of her baby (without suffering some horrible illness or eating disorder, that is.) When you consider that just the uterus alone quadruples in size (especially to hold a 10-pound baby!) and ends up weighing something like 3 pounds, it just seems ridiculous to think any woman could gain merely the weight of her baby and nothing more.
I thought my mother was the only woman delusional enough to think she could tell a yarn like that and people would believe it. But, today, I met a woman who told three HUGE pregnancy whoppers, all back-to-back, hardly stopping to breathe between them. She claimed:
1. She, herself, weighed 16 pounds at birth, and her mother gave birth to her vaginally without any complications.
2. She gained only 8 pounds during her pregnancy with her first daughter, who ended up weighing 10 pounds at birth.
3. With her second daughter, she didn't go into labor until she was 6 week overdue. Her doctor did not induce her, or perform caesarean section. He just let her keep going......to 46 weeks. The baby was born completely healthy and weighing a very normal 8 pounds. The doctor is certain that he did not make a mistake calculating the due date.
The other woman I was sitting with, who also heard these amazing revelations, turned to me wide-eyed in utter shock, searching for a reply. I snorted, and suppressed a grin, turning my head away, leaving her to fend for herself in devising an appropraite response----which turned out to be, "WOW."
Honestly, what more can you say to such heaping loads of hokey bullshit except "WOW."
What's the best pregnancy whopper you've heard lately?
posted by deanna at 7:48 PM
7 Comments:
46 weeks? I call bullshit. The chances of a baby surviving until then have to be extremely low. The placenta becomes very old and useless after about 42 weeks (which is considered post-term).
As far as weight gain, I can believe that. I've only officially gained ONE pound from my pre-pregnancy weight. However, I think this is much more common in women who are overweight to begin with.
I've never personally seen extra-large babies born vaginally without complication, but I've heard of it. A fellow nurses' mom (who is a nurse herself) birthed a 12 pound baby the first go-round without a problem. Sixteen pounds seem a bit much.
I, too, have heard that it is fairly common for overweight women to gain very little because the baby grows off of their stores of fat and takes nutrients from the bloodstream. I heard once about an obese woman who actually had a net loss of weight during her pregnancy because of morning sickness and gave birth to a healthy baby. My birthmom started out overweight and has only gained 15 pounds as of her 38 week dr. appt, and Clio is measuring at 8 lbs. The other two stories sound unbelievable to me, though. Or, as the Sicilian in The Princess Bride would say, inconceivable! :)
Yeah, that's some BS... ha!
Though, I must say, I've only gained 15 pounds at 34 1/2 weeks and I'm assuming that Boogie Bean + amniotic fluid + extra blood volume + placenta weigh more than that. Not to mention, I really haven't been eating very well. I'm not overweight to begin with, but not thin either... just average. Hell, half of my posts lately are about food! I really don't think that it always adds up. But sometimes it's just very obviously a load of BS.
I really wish I could think of something that was even close to those whoppers but apparently I have been lucky enough to avoid people like that. WOW.
I ended up losing weight my first 20 weeks with both pregnancies due to morning sickness and had I not gotten addicted to chocolate shakes the last 4 weeks of my pregnancy with Aiden I probably would have only gained around 15 pounds. He he. That's the only reason I can think of that someone would gain so little and still be healthy. Otherwise you NEED to gain weight to have a healthy, full-term baby.
Good luck dealing with people like that! :-)
Those are the best ones I have hear so far... she is so full of shit....
At least about her being 16pounds at birth, and then having her second at 46 weeks... the doc should have his license pulled!!!
Hugs,
Rebel
OMG total bullshit. Does this woman think that people would really believe her? What color is the sky in her world?
I can tell you from a liability standpoint no doctor in the US would allow a woman to go past 42 weeks unless he/she wanted to be part of a whopping big lawsuit. Liability drives a lot of medical decisions today, unfortunately, but the bottom line is that there is NO way a dr would have done that. Even if it were possible, as Kim's comment about the placenta deteriorating is true and that would negate the possibility anyway.
And I'm sure if she had been a 16 lb baby she'd have the newspaper article to back it up!!
Really, what was she thinking? What a compulsive liar this woman is!
Makes your mom's pregnancy story more believable in comparison!
A 46-weeker? Yeah right, like any woman wouldn't be tap dancing on the doctor's desk right at 42 weeks.
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