Table 3 Overarching Themes and Examples from Thematic Analysis

Negative attitudes and unkind/disrespectful treatment

• At almost every visit, I had at least one negative comment or a person who expressed frustration with my weight …

• … speaking to me like I was a complete idiot. He kept saying “we are all VERY VERY worried about you.” In a very demeaning way.

• I don’t want to be chastised like a child.

Evaluative comments about weight

• Doctor constantly telling me I’m too heavy. I need to be doing something about it.

• “How did you let yourself get so big?”

• Doctors always talk negatively about my weight.

• Saying I’m too big and need to lose weight.

High-risk status and negative outcomes …

… despite healthy outcomes

• I was told I’m automatically high risk, that I was almost certain to have [gestational diabetes], that I would need a C-section, and people of my size generally do not have vaginal births like I wanted.

• One doctor told me that … I would probably get preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and that the surgeon may not even want to work with me.

• I was told that I would probably be high risk with hypertension and/or preeclampsia and/or [gestational diabetes] because of my weight.

• Nurses always assumed that with my weight there would be risk or [I would have preeclampsia]. Turns out they were wrong. I was healthy and my son was healthy even though I’m plus size.

• OBGYN acted extremely surprised at my appointments when my blood pressure was normal and I passed all the gestational diabetes tests as if there was no way I could have a complication free pregnancy at my weight.

• There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m having a textbook pregnancy other than the fact that I’m obese.

Inappropriate comments

• “Do you want a vaginal delivery or a donut. Your vagina gains weight, too.”

• One doctor told me I was terrible for getting pregnant at my weight, that I was setting up my baby to fail … I was in tears, and he told me I was being too sensitive”