Obesity during pregnancy puts mom and baby at risk. Studies have shown that obese women have double the chance of giving birth to babies with neural tube defects and that with increasing the amount of folic acid does not aid in fully protecting the baby against this.
Obese women have greater risk of developing risks and complications during pregnancy that normal weight women do not. Many babies from obese mothers spend more time in the neonatal intensive care units than women of normal weight.
It is now being reported that women should be aware of the harms that being obese can be for them and for their unborn child just as much as smoking and alcohol can harm the mom and baby.
Around 2/3 of all American are overweight and one in three are considered obese. This means that they have a body mass index of 30 or greater.
Complications and risk that have been reported with obese pregnancies include:
- Risk of infertility
- Hypertension
- Gestational diabetes
- Blood clots
- Many need to have a cesarean section instead of vaginal delivery
- Prenatal care is more expensive
Before becoming pregnant, if you are obese or overweight, you should lose the weight. Talk with your doctor about ways in which to lose the weight and if all diets fail, there are surgeries available such as gastric banding that can aid in you losing the weight so you can become pregnant without the worries that accompany obesity and pregnancies.
Do not go on a diet while you are pregnant. This can endanger the baby as well as yourself. The baby and you both need nutrients to ensure a healthy pregnancy and delivery.
The most common problem associated with obesity and pregnancy is neural tube defects. There are around 2,500 babies born each year in the United States with this defect. The most common neural tube defect is spina bifida. Spina bifida is the leading cause of childhood paralysis. Many other obese pregnancies do not make it to full term or the mother gives birth to a stillborn baby.
If you are obese, you are doubling your risk of having a child with birth defects and you are endangering your own health. It would be wise to lose the extra weight to ensure the health and well-being of your newborn. Listen to your doctor, eat properly, and remember to exercise even after you have lost the extra weight. Exercise is great for preparing your body for labor and delivery.
