Pregnancy with Obesity..know the facts !!
- Dr. Qurat ul Ain Abbas (FCPS, MRCOG1 UK)
- Jun 20, 2020
- 4 min read
Worried About Having Pregnancy With Obesity????
Read out to understand the risks and how to deal with them !
Being pregnant with a high BMI puts you and your coming baby at certain health risks and possible complications , which can be managed better if you consult your healthcare provider well in time , ideally before conception , when you are planning a pregnancy.
Who is considered obese?
As a general rule , any person having a BMI 30 or more , is considered Obese. Having a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered to what is called being Overweight .
What is BMI?
BMI is a measurement of a person's weight with respect to his/her height . It can be calculated by dividing your weight ( in kilograms ) by your height (in metres squared).
If you find it difficult to calculate it by yourself , no worries !! there are several predesigned BMI Calculators available online , that you can use and get it !
Now lets dive into the topic a little deeper , A question commonly asked by women is :
Could Obesity affect my chances of getting pregnant??
The answer is unfortunately YES
With obesity , your body's internal hormonal environment is a bit altered and your ovaries may not function optimally . This can lead to defective ovulation ( egg formation ) or even no ovulation at all naturally and sometimes you are only left with the option of conception with medical treatment . Infertility related to obesity is most commonly attributed to Polycystic ovarian syndrome.( PCOS)
If you like to read more about PCOs ,visit my blogpost here :
How can obesity harm my pregnancy?
There are a number of complications , that you have increased chances of encountering with a high BMI during pregnancy .
DURING Pregnancy :
Raised Blood pressure ( with/without damage to other organ systems, a term named Preeclamps2) Thrombosis - havind blood clots in legs /lungs .This can be a life-threatening condition.
Gestational Diabetes .
Urinary tract infections
Sleep apnea
Gall bladder disease
Mental health problems
Related to Delivery:
Dysfunctional Labour
Shoulder dystocia , CPD , birth asphyxia
Instrumental delivery
Increased chances of cesarean section
Anesthesia- related complications
After Birth:
Postpartum hemorrhage that implies increased blood loss following delivery
Thrombophlebitis meaning inflammation of your veins with/without blood clot formation
Wound infections
Is My Baby Also at Risk??
There are a number of Birth defects , that the baby is at increased risk of developing like
Neural Tube Defects
Cardiovascular system anomalies
cleft lip / palate
hydrocephalus
anorectal malformation
Other than these , baby is at risk of being
larger than average for gestation
miscarriages / stillbirth
later on develop childhood obesity / asthma
I know the discussion may have got you a little more worried....
but as i previously mentioned , there are only a bit increased chances for these. You may not necessarily develop all of these . For your reassurance , majority of the obese women are observed to have absolutely normal pregnancy and healthy outcomes ! also to mention , with certain precautionery measures which i am about to mention , u can combat the adversities and minimise the risks !
What Can I Do to Reduce the Risk of Complications?
For a better understanding , i am dividing this part into two sections , hope this will be covered in detail .
Before Conception:
When you are planning to get pregnant , visit your healthcare provider so that she can make sure you enter the pregnancy with minimum possible risks . This visit should include calculation of your BMI , review of any pre-existing medical disorders and referral accordingly to the specialists. Your doctor will prescribe you folic acid at this stage to decrease chances of fetal birth defects.
You are going to get a detailed discussion about weight reduction strategies including
Physical workout ( walk / yoga / gym )
Diet and lifestyle modification
You will have to work on you dietary habits and switch to a more healthy/balanced diet. You can consult a registered dietician for this purpose. For quick reference, you can visit these links for information about healthy diet : http://www.eatingwell.com/ https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-lose-weight-as-fast-as-possible#section1
bariatic surgery ( if applicable ) e.g gastric bypass / gastric banding
During Pregnancy:
Once you get pregnant ,
ensure early visit to your healthcare provider ( ideally specialist-led care )
regular antenatal appointments
high dose folic acid intake
visit to dietician to get a suitable diet plan
moderate exercise ( 30 minutes atleast 3 times a week ) Here's a quick link to my favourite physical workout expert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52uvwCi03y
Now here's a very common question regarding weight gain in pregnancy, i-e
How will i get to know how much weight i should gain in pregnancy ?
Well, it depends on your pre-pregnancy weight .
To simplify it for you , if your pre-pregnancy BMI is more than 30 , the recommended weight gain for you would be in the range of 5 to 9 kg .
Planning a future pregnancy:
After birth of your baby , you will receive advice / a scheduled appointment for discussion regarding ideal birth spacing . If your BMI is above 30 , you will need to reduce weight in between pregnancies. This will help reduce risks to you and your baby and most importantly , increase your chances of coneption naturally ( e.g if you previously conceived with treatment ! )
So concluding the session , pregnancy with obesity can be worrisome, but with a little extra care and precautions, the possibility of complications can be markedly reduced .
Please ensure your feedback for improvement . If you have further queries on the topic, feel free to write down to me in the comment section below .
For more information regarding your health problems , keep visiting my facebook page : https://web.facebook.com/Dr-Quratulain-Gynecologist-103339791379106
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