BMI and Pregnancy/Childbirth: Risk Reduction or Fat Shaming?

Abstract

This is a commentary on Ward and McPhail’s (2019) article “Fat Shame and Blame in Reproductive Care: Implications for Ethical Health Care Interactions.” Here I discuss my own experiences as a midwife who has worked with higher-BMI patients. In order to provide patients of every weight with respectful, dignified maternity care, providers need to examine their own biases. It is important to understand that high-BMI patients already know that they are fat and that fat is a risk factor in pregnancy and childbirth. Patient education about risks is necessary, but it can be done in a respectful way that avoids shaming and promotes positive patient–provider interactions.

Keywords:

• Maternity care
• high BMI
• fat shaming
• patient–provider interactions
• risk factors
• pregnancy
• childbirth

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.