Satisfaction

Those of you who have been reading for a while may recall that I was harangued at practically every visit with my Ob about my weight gain during my pregnancy.  I found this very upsetting since I've always been naturally thin, because my overall weight gain was around 31 lbs (depending on when you measured), and because I always try really hard to do what I'm supposed to do and be a good patient. 

The haranguing happened for a couple of reasons:

1. The practice gets up EVERYONEs a$$ about their weight gain.  This has been confirmed by several friends of mine who have gone there as well.  Practically all of us were and ARE thin even after giving birth, and practically all of us were really upset by the constant haranguing.

2. They intentionally calibrate their scale at 3.5lbs heavier than you really are.  I know this is intentional because I brought this up with one of the NPs, and her response was, "I know."

3. I didn't know with any degree of certainty what my pre-pregnancy weight was.  If I had to guess, I'd say it was 125 or 126 lbs.  However when I told the nurse I didn't know, she wrote down that I was 122 lbs because she assumed that I must have gained 5-10 lbs during the first 15 weeks, when I had in fact gained 2-3 lbs.  I didn't bother to correct her because I didn't anticipate that they would be so far up my ass over this, and I didn't realize that they had just recorded my current weight at 131 lbs because of their f*cking miscalibrated scale.  I *did* try to correct the misinformation at subsequent visits, but I am fairly certain my  corrections were interpreted as "making excuses."  Eventually I gave up because I saw a new provider most visits, and it was exhausting having to correct my stats to each one, and being blown off every time with a giant eye-roll and some condescending (not to mention unhelpful) advice.

4. Some months I gained 6 lbs (!).  Apparently that trajectory meant I *might* end up gaining 36 lbs over my pregnancy (the horror).  The lectures I received were typically justified based on my "trajectory."

5. Don't even get me started on the almost lecture I received when I was 39 weeks and had somehow gained something like 5 lbs in a single week.  Fortunately my husband was there so it didn't actually happen.  Interestingly, I noticed that I rarely received lectures at all when he was present.  Perhaps because they felt that they couldn't be as awful to me with someone else present?  I don't know.  If anything like this ever happens to you, I wholeheartedly recommend bringing along someone to be with you at your appointments for this reason. 

So, almost a year after giving birth, I am posting this chart that I created MYSELF to track my weight gain.  I did this because if I was going to ignore the advice I was receiving at every visit (stop eating!) I wanted to make sure that I was still within normal limits.  Week zero is my estimated day of conception.

I have an Ob visit in a few weeks and am 5 lbs below my pre-preggo weight.  And I would really like it to stay there until then just so that I can rub their smug little faces in it.  They'll probably insist on weighing me in my clothes (jeans, sweatshirts, etc.) though, so I doubt I'll get the satisfaction.

That's right, b*tches.  You can go right ahead and bite me.

You can also see how much of the weight gain was fluid (and impacted poo -- yay pregnancy!).  Note the precipitous drop after 40 weeks.  Three to four weeks post-partum I was down to 134 lbs.  During that time you would not believe the amount I peed.  And sweat.  Seriously.  We kept our bedroom at like 55 degrees, and I'd still wake up every 45 minutes soaking in a pool of my own sweat.  It was completely revolting.  Six weeks post-partum I was down to 131 lbs (134.5 according to their scale -- of course), and so on. 

Oh yeah. I'm 5'7".  My BMI today is 18.8.  I suppose if this registered with them, I'd get a lecture on eating disorders and why I need to eat more.

Sometimes a girl just can't win. 

I suppose there is a silver lining of sorts:  The experience gave me a new found appreciation for what people who are overweight or obese go through every. single. time. they see a doctor.  Guys?  You totally have my sympathy.  I would probably stop going to doctors entirely if this happened every time I went.  Doctors need to do a better job of listening and not being dicks.  It really does make a difference.