Table 3 Illustrative quotes for themes

Routine weighing was a positive experience

During pregnancy, I was just, I just think it was, it’s, it’s good to monitor it (weight) so… they can check if there’s any underlying health issues during your pregnancy as you’re excessively gaining weight or not….. I think it is helpful and I didn’t have a problem with being weighed during pregnancy at all.

I’ve found it quite good just like each appointment I’m getting weighed each time so I’m like it’s in my mind set I’m just thinking about it a wee bit more whereas before, the first one I wasn’t thinking about it at all I was just like, oh I’m pregnant it’ll be the only time I have an excuse not to be worrying about my weight to be honest.

It was a case of going to my ante-natal appointments, getting my blood pressure checked, getting my urine checked and getting my weight done so it was just another part of you know the monitoring really I suppose.

Yes I was interested – I was interested to see basically because I would be expecting it to increase as the baby grew, which, which it has you know. It is pretty much I feel as if it’s all baby weight really on me. So yeah it was always interesting to see how much that has gone up by.

I suppose it just sort of made you realise that you were being weighed and that um I suppose you do try to be healthy, as healthy as you can, and eat healthily and not eat as much sort of junk food or whatever.

I have been watching very closely and thinking my goodness right listen I need to do a little bit more walking here or I need to not eat so many lollies cause I’m craving ice lollies you know so….

Routine weighing could be part of antenatal care

I mean it was good to kind of know what you were putting on so it would be something that I think should be involved like every pregnancy like…at every appointment…‘cos some people kind of think aye you’re eating for two.

I think… yeah, I do think they should at least mention it (weight), particularly if it’s going to change like you know ……if you actually go and read about it, and it says all about healthy weight gain, and I think that the book they give you, the NHS books they give you at booking in, you know it says about how important it is but it’s not mentioned so you know it’s really, if it is that important, then they should be mentioning it a lot more…

Yeah unless you’re told at your booking scan that you’re going to be weighed at the start and end of your pregnancy but that information isn’t provided at your booking scan you’re just asked for your height and then you’re weighed, but I don’t see the point of them weighing you at the start of your pregnancy because if it’s nothing to report on at the end, I don’t see why you would weigh someone at the start…you need a series of data over time.

It is something that definitely you can’t just ignore because by the end of your pregnancy you know you could end up putting on a serious amount of weight which could lead to health problems with the baby, in pregnancy and afterwards you know so it is something that needs to be you know I feel monitored.

I think they should, if they’ve (health professionals) no objection, I don’t see why not. I think anything that can be measured throughout your pregnancy and monitored is excellent you know, every time you go you have an appointment, a medical appointment with your midwife or your consultant or whatever, you always get your blood pressure and urine.

Its always done at the first appointment so I don’t see why you wouldn’t have a few milestones throughout your pregnancy that you should be weighed as well…you know you’ve various points over time and the pregnancy where weight can be monitored I think it would be helpful.

I think it’s a good idea (measuring weight in pregnancy) and think that if it can be continued it should be continued, but again I’m mindful of the pressures I suppose of healthcare staff and it’s probably another thing on their lists to add to, and I think the appointments are very… you know there’s a lot to be done in the appointments you know and there’s a lot to be done and to have a queue of people outside to come and be weighed…but it literally I mean weighing someone takes 2 s…

It hasn’t been an issue (being weighed), I think to be honest…It’s sort of like they’re (health professionals) just sort of ticking all the boxes and trying to get done what they have to get done and then, you know. it’s not really, no it (weighing women) wouldn’t be a huge priority of theirs I don’t think.

Women would like some information about weight during pregnancy

No Google gave me that (information on weight gain in pregnancy)…Just sort of checking out you know online of what was you know for each wee check-ups ….what was too much, what wasn’t enough, you know just to make sure that everything was fine and it was a healthy, healthy weight that you were putting on and not too much too soon you know. Plus obviously pregnancy books and things like that do you know you would sort of check those to make sure that you weren’t you know, putting on too much.

Um I suppose I…I suppose a wee bit of information would’ve been yeah would’ve been nice to have a wee bit of information I suppose, I’m from a health professional background myself so I’ve a wee bit of knowledge anyway you know so I suppose that helps but maybe somebody who wouldn’t have that knowledge it might be, might be helpful for them

I suppose like I was under thirties (BMI at booking) but you know you they sort of said you know you’re at risk of maybe gestational diabetes and I was thinking well maybe mine (BMI) normally about 24…Aha and you know I’m thinking okay… it was quite confusing to work out whether I was at risk because I put so much weight on in the first trimester or whether they felt that that was my pre-pregnancy weight and that’s what I had been carrying normally?

Yeah unless you’re told at your booking scan that you’re going to be weighed at the start and end of your pregnancy but that information isn’t provided at your booking scan you’re just asked for your height and then you’re weighed, but I don’t see the point of them weighing you at the start of your pregnancy because if it’s nothing to report on at the end, I don’t see why you would weigh someone at the start…you need a series of data over time.