Being overweight can interfere with your ability to sustain a healthy pregnancy. The health risks for you and your baby increase as excess pounds are added. For example, you may experience high blood pressure, diabetes and complications with delivery. Your baby faces higher risks of premature birth and birth defects as well.
Risks
Fat or overweight women face higher risks of preeclampsia and eclampsia, gestational hypertension and gestational diabetes. Preclampsia is a condition marked by high blood pressure and protein in the urine. Eclampsia is a more serious form of the condition and can put you at risk for seizures and coma. Regular doctor visits and lab work can keep your risk of these problems low, the March of Dimes reports.
Gestational hypertension is a significant rise in blood pressure during pregnancy. It usually goes away soon after birth. Gestational diabetes is a rise in blood glucose levels that can affect your health and the baby's health. Though it usually goes away after birth, the March of Dimes notes that more than half of the women who develop gestational diabetes develop Type 2 diabetes later in life.
Childbirth Concerns
Being overweight can make a traditional vaginal delivery more difficult, so your odds of needing a cesarean delivery automatically increases. Because a C-section is major surgery, being overweight will make your recovery harder and could mean more days in the hospital following your delivery. If you are a healthy weight, you'll have an easier time breathing and maintaining your airways, especially in the operating room.
Signs of Trouble
Eclampsia's symptoms include headaches, vision problems, rapid weight gain, swelling in your hands and feet and pain in the upper abdomen. If you experience any of these or other serious problems, tell your doctor or seek medical attention immediately, particularly if it involves pain in your abdomen or vaginal bleeding.
Prevention/Solution
There are specific steps you can take before you get pregnant to reduce your weight and prepare your body for pregnancy. Get into the habit of eating low-fat, high-fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Reduce stress as much as possible because stress can contribute to unhealthy eating habits such as overeating. Exercising for 30 minutes a day can help you lose weight, reduce stress and get your muscles and cardiovascular system ready for the challenges of pregnancy and caring for a baby.
Getting Pregnant
Obesity can not only affect your ability to maintain a healthy pregnancy to term, it can reduce your odds of getting pregnant in the first place, according to a story published Feb. 22, 2005 in the "Washington Post." Researchers found that obesity can lead to many hormonal changes in a woman's body that affect your ability to conceive a child. Researchers also found that obese women who tried in vitro fertilization had a more difficult time that women of a health weight. By reducing your weight through healthy means, you can boost your chances of conceiving and carrying a healthy baby to term.
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