You may be wondering what is considered “pregnancy plus size”.
Reality TV shows on networks like TLC cause a feeling of pregnancy in a larger body. So it might be easy to assume that a small percentage of people are plus size during pregnancy, but you would be wrong.
Well, let’s talk about it!
How do we define “plus size”?
Our dictionary says that “plus size” refers to clothing sizes above standard ranges. Spoiler alert: there is a historical reason for this, and This means that the definition has changed over time.
The first use of the term “plus size” was by the famous American fashion brand Lane Bryant in the 1920s.
In the 1980s, many retailers began using the words “plus size” for clothing sizes 14 and up.
Today, the average woman in the United States is considered a size 16-18. Plus size clothing starts at size 18 or 1X for most retailers. This is only for clothing size, though. We must also look at the term as it refers to bodies!
When did plus size become a term for body size?
Back in 1985, the National Institutes of Health began using Body Mass Index (BMI) to define obesity.
Obesity comes from the Latin word obesity, which means “I’ve eaten until I’m fat.” It’s a word that many find offensive, but it’s hard to escape as it’s commonly used in the medical field and in the media.
When we look at it problematic BMI chart, we can see that the classification of obesity starts at 30. People whose height and weight, when entered into the BMI formula, came out at or above 30 were called “obese”. And so it was for a while, and it continues to be a word that health professionals use.
With the rise of blogs and social media in the early 2000s, the decades-long work of fat activists was amplified.
A strong message that followed was that people with larger bodies don’t really like being called “fat”. So people began to routinely use different words to describe their body size: from chubby, fat, and chubby, to plus size.
And that’s how we went from a term that describes clothing size to a term that’s also used to describe body size.
So if you have a BMI of 30 or greater, you are considered to have a plus size pregnancy.
It is important to note that BMI does not accurately measure a person’s level of health or fitness. It does not take into account factors such as muscle mass, body composition, gender or race. In addition, each person’s individual health needs and risks may differ, regardless of their BMI.
Do many people have a plus size pregnancy?
The short answer? Yes.
About 60% of people of reproductive age who can become pregnant have a BMI classification above “normal”. And of that, 39.7% of people have a BMI over 30.
So we’re looking at a pretty significant percentage and that’s why we need to tackle weight bias in maternity care and debunk common assumptions about what bigger bodies are capable of during pregnancy.
Research overwhelmingly shows that plus size people do have healthy pregnancies and babies!
What terms define body size during pregnancy?
The language we use when talking about body size matters. As we shared, most people don’t like the word obese, so you won’t see it below.
Common terms for pregnancy with a BMI over 30:
- plus size pregnancy
- pregnancy big pregnancy
- fat and pregnant
- pregnancy in bigger body/bigger body
- pregnancy in body/bodies of higher weight
- pregnant in size
- pregnant in size
When talking about your body, you can use any term you want – or none of the above!
When addressing someone else’s body, listen to their language when they talk about their own body first. Then ask which language they prefer. And most importantly, be weight neutral whenever possible.
We hope you now have a clear understanding of what is considered “pregnancy plus size”. And remember, people of all sizes should receive compassion and support throughout pregnancy and parenthood!
bibliographical references
Jen McLellan is a certified childbirth educator, published author and founder of Plus Size Birth and host of the Plus Mommy Podcast. For over a decade, she has advocated for plus-sized people, and the National Institutes of Health supports her work. Jen has been featured in major publications including the New York Times, Glamor and the Huffington Post. She helps people navigate the world of pregnancy, shares tips for embracing your body, and laughs through the adventures of parenthood.
