Pregnancy and obesity: Know the risks | Dr Rama Sofat Hospital

                    Pregnancy and obesity: | Dr Rama Sofat Hospital

Being obese during pregnancy can have a major impact on your health and your baby's health. Find out about the possible complications, recommendations for weight gain and what you can do to promote a healthy pregnancy as described by Dr Rama Sofat .

What's considered obese?

Obesity is defined as having an excessive amount of body fat. A measurement based on height and weight — called the body mass index (BMI) — is often used to determine if a person is obese.

Could obesity affect ability to get pregnant?

Being obese can harm your fertility by inhibiting normal ovulation. Even in women who regularly ovulate, the greater the BMI, the longer it appears to take to become pregnant. Obesity can also affect the outcome of in vitro fertilization (IVF). As your BMI increases, so does the risk of unsuccessful IVF as described by Dr Rama Sofat.

How might obesity affect pregnancy?

Being obese during pregnancy increases the risk of various pregnancy complications, including:

• The risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and recurrent miscarriage
• Gestational diabetes
• A pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, often the kidneys (preeclampsia)
• Cardiac dysfunction
• Sleep apnea
• A difficult vaginal delivery
• The need for a C-section and the risk of C-section complications, such as wound infections

How could obesity affect baby?

Obesity during pregnancy can cause various health problems for a baby, including:

Being significantly larger than average (fetal macrosomia) and having more body fat than normal, which increases the risk of metabolic syndrome and childhood obesity.

Having birth defects and obesity makes it harder to detect these conditions with ultrasound as described by Dr Rama Sofat.

What steps can I take to promote a healthy pregnancy?

You can limit the impact of obesity on your pregnancy and help ensure your health and your baby's health. For example:

Schedule a preconception appointment. If you're obese and you're considering getting pregnant, talk to your health care provider. He or she might recommend a daily prenatal vitamin and refer you to other health care providers — such as a registered dietitian or an obesity specialist — who can help you reach a healthy weight before pregnancy.

Seek regular prenatal care. Prenatal visits can help your health care provider monitor your health and your baby's health. Tell your health care provider about any medical conditions you have — such as diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea — and discuss what you can do to manage them.

Eat a healthy diet. Work with your health care provider or a registered dietitian to maintain a healthy diet and avoid excessive weight gain. Keep in mind that during pregnancy, you'll need more folic acid, calcium, iron and other essential nutrients. A daily prenatal vitamin can help fill any gaps. 

Be physically active. Consult your health care provider about safe ways to stay physically active during your pregnancy, such as walking, swimming or doing low-impact aerobics.

Avoid risky substances. If you smoke, ask your health care provider to help you quit. Alcohol and illicit drugs are off-limits, too. Get your health care provider's OK before you start or stop taking any medications or supplements.