Steps to a Healthy Plus-Size Pregnancy

Does weight affect pregnancy or fertility? A question that wondered the minds of many obese or over-weight women around the world, without a clear answer to be found yet.

Women who gained weight only after their first pregnancy share the same worries: overweight pregnant mums are most likely to get gestational diabetes, need medical intervention during labour, and could probably put the baby at risk.

A research done by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found out the obese and overweight women are prone to higher risks of experiencing miscarriage, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, sleep apnea, and hypertension. With al, it is advised that doctors counsel overweight women on dropping a couple of pounds before trying to conceive.

All these warnings explain why obese women worry about getting pregnant. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that healthy plus-size pregnancies are not possible, and that overweight women can’t per se give birth to healthy babies.

OB-GYN Cornelia van der Ziel, a clinical instructor in obstetrics at Harvard Medical School said the fuss around plus-size pregnancies is only scaring overweight women from getting pregnant, and magnifying the risks. As she explained that most overweight women have normal and healthy pregnancies and babies, and plus-size pregnancies are more common than we know.

And as for plus-size women who’re already pregnant, there’s nothing much that can be done aside from eating healthier and exercising more. Luckily, it’s common for pregnant overweight women to actually lose weight during pregnancy. Doctors believe it’s a combination of three factors: eating healthy, exercise, and morning sickness.

Furthermore, while the odds might seem against plus-size pregnancies, the reality is plus-size women are most likely to have healthy pregnancies and babies.

As for the greater risks of some pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes, you can rest assure that although they can be annoying and uncomfortable, they’re still manageable.