Pregnancy and obesity-The risks involved

Don’t let obesity or weight gain ruin your joy of motherhood. Seek help from obesity expert when pregnant and enjoy motherhood.

Weight is a very significant component in human life because there is the recommended weight considered to be healthy. If ones weight is not within the break even line then such individual has a medical problem and should seek medical attention immediately. Our mothers when pregnant will always add some weight due to the unborn baby growing inside their wombs. This is what I will call necessary weight gain because there is a baby involve, in fact the additional weight should be that of the unborn baby but if this goes beyond the recommended higher limit then there is a problem. This is the problem we want to discuss to give some insight on how to cope and respond when you find yourself in similar situation as a woman. Dear reader I do not intend to address women only but it is equally important for men to be equipped with this information to give a helping hand in the family if faced with the problem of weight gain during pregnancy.

Therefore being over-weight or obese during pregnancy may have health complications to the mother and to the unborn baby’s development in the womb and even on delivery and after delivery. Because of the magnitude involved it is important that we get to know the health complications arising out of weight gain and how to positively respond to them during and after pregnancy. For a start it is important that you are aware of what may be considered to be obese

What’s considered obese?

First of all what is obesity? It is a condition where the body accumulates too much fat that the body does not need. This is normally determined by a formula based on ones height and weight also known as body mass index (BMI). Below is a guide on what is considered normal or a pointer to obese.

Body Mass Index                     Weight status

a)    Below 18.5                     Underweight

b)   18.5 – 24.9                     Normal

c)    25 – 29.9                        Overweight

d)   30 – 39.9                        Obese

e)    40 and above                  Extreme obesity

Could obesity affect my ability to get pregnant?

This condition can harm a woman’s fertility by preventing normal ovulation thereby necessitating the use of vitro fertilization (IVF) to complete the process. IVF is a common practice in which the sperm fertilizes the egg outside the body and doctors implant it into the woman’s uterus in hopes of a successful pregnancy. Answering the question being obese can affect pregnancy and as a woman’s BMI rises, so does the risk of unsuccessful IVF.

Effects of obesity during pregnancy

It is only healthy that pregnant women watch out their weight closely as possible to avoid being obese because obesity increases pregnancy complications risk greatly. Some of these risks may include:

• Gestational diabetes – obese women stand great chance of suffering from diabetes that develops in the course of pregnancy which is commonly known as gestational diabetes than those with normal weight.
• Preeclampsia – obese women has increased risk of developing high blood pressure and protein in the urine after 20 weeks of pregnancy (preeclampsia).
• Infection – obese women has increased risk of urinary tract infections. Obesity also increases the risk of postpartum infection, whether the baby is delivered normally or by C-section.
• Thrombosis – obese women has increased risk of a serious condition in which a blood clot forms inside a blood vessel (thrombosis).
• Overdue pregnancy – obesity increases the risk of prolonged pregnancy wand goes beyond the expected due date.
• Labor problems – labor induction is more common with obese women. This may also inhibit the use of certain types of pain medication like an epidural block.
• C-section – obesity during pregnancy increases the likelihood of elective and emergency C-sections. It also increases the risk of C-section complications like delayed healing and wound infections. Women who are obese are also less likely to have a successful vaginal delivery after a C-section (VBAC).
• Pregnancy loss – obesity increases the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.

Effects of obesity to the unborn child

There are various health complications to the unborn baby when the mother is suffering from obesity, these may include:

• Macrosomia – obese women has high potential of bringing forth babies who are who are obese are at increased risk of delivering an infant who is considerably larger than average (Macrosomia) and has more body fat than normal. Studies have established that as birth weight increases, so does the risk of childhood obesity.
• Chronic conditions – being obese during pregnancy might subject your baby to the danger of developing heart disease or diabetes as they grow up into being adult.

The recommended weight gain during pregnancy

This is not possible expressly as each individual would gain differently depending on their health BMI, pre-pregnancy weight, their health and that of their unborn children. It is therefore important that pregnant mothers consult regularly with their health care provider to give direction on what’s best in each case and also to consistently monitor their weight though out the pregnancy period. You may want to consider the following general guidelines for pregnancy weight gain and obesity:

• Single pregnancy – if you’re obese and carrying one baby, the recommended weight gain should be about 11-20 pounds that is approximately 5 to 9 kilograms.
• Multiple pregnancies – if you’re obese and carrying twins or multiples, the recommended weight gain should be about 25-42 pounds which is approximately 11-19 kilograms.

In conclusion obesity is a medical condition and being obese during pregnancy may increase the risk of health complications for both of you (the mother and the baby). To reduce your nervousness, you will need to work very closely with your health care provider who will help you avoid excessive weight gain, manage any medical conditions, and monitor your baby’s growth and development. Talking of health care provider it is necessary that you seek for the experts and not just anybody for that matter. It is your life and that of the unborn child we are talking about here and that is why doctor Dalal Akoury founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center to help you get the assurance of good health even when you are obese. Under the care of Doctor Akoury your condition will be turn around into great joy by administering treatment while focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) ensuring total reinstatement of normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE.

Pregnancy and obesity-The risks involved