The best guide to pregnancy and weight gain in pregnancy
You may be planning to become pregnant and worry about weight gain during pregnancy. Having a healthy pregnancy is one of the most important concerns of any mother. Before you become pregnant, you need to be aware of the risks of overweight and try to lose weight. Being overweight during pregnancy can cause serious harm to you or your baby. In this article, we will tell you about the side effects of overweight for a mother and baby, the overweight allowed during pregnancy, and the care needed to have a healthy pregnancy.
What is overweight?
Being overweight means having extra fat in your body. To determine whether or not you are overweight, a measurement is made based on your height and weight, or so-called body mass index (BMI).
You can use this formula to calculate BMI:
2 ^ Height (in meters) / Weight (in kg) = BMI
That is, weight in kilograms, divided by height in meters to power. For example, for a person weighing 5kg and a height of 1.5, the body mass index will be calculated as follows:
.23 / 3 = 2 ^ (1/67) / 65 = BMI
The following table shows the body weight status based on BMI:
| Classification | BMI ( kilogram/m 2 ) |
| Underweight | <18.5 |
| Normal weight | 18.5-24.9 |
| Overweight | 25-29.9 |
| Obesity Class 1 | 30-34.9 |
| Obesity Class 2 | 35-39.9 |
| Extreme Obesity Class 3 | >40 |
Does being overweight prevent you from getting pregnant?
Overweight prevents ovulation and this can damage your fertility. Even in women whose ovulation is regular, elevated BMI can make them pregnant later. Obesity may also affect the outcome of IVF, as the higher your BMI, the greater the likelihood of a failed IVF.
Overweight Complications in Pregnancy
How does being overweight affect your pregnancy?
Being overweight during pregnancy is more likely to cause many complications, including:
1. The possibility of miscarriage, stillbirth, and recurrence of abortion
3. Preeclampsia, a complication of which is symptoms of hypertension during pregnancy and injury to other organs, usually the kidneys
4. Cardiac dysfunction
5. Sleep apnea
6. Hard natural delivery
7. The need for cesarean section and its possible complications, such as womb infection
How does being overweight affect your baby?
Overweight in pregnancy can cause many problems for the fetus, including:
1. Much larger than average (macrosomia or fetal enlargement) and having too much normal fat, which can increase metabolic syndrome and find overweight in childhood.
2. being overweight in pregnancy makes it difficult to diagnose congenital diseases by ultrasound.
How many pounds can you gain during pregnancy?
Depending on how much weight you need to gain during pregnancy, both your weight and your BMI before pregnancy, as well as your health and your fetus will be important. Ask your doctor about how much weight you can allow and maintain and manage it during pregnancy.
To get started, consider these general guidelines for obesity and weight gain during pregnancy:
1. Single baby: If you are overweight and have a single baby, the ideal weight is between 1 and 2 kg.
2. Polycarbonate: If you are overweight and have a twin pregnancy, the ideal weight to add is between 1 and 2 kg.
Women who are overweight should be underweight or lose weight during pregnancy. This will reduce the chance of having a very high birth weight baby during pregnancy. The overweight fetus in pregnancy is called the fetal macrosomia. Losing weight during pregnancy or gaining weight slightly also reduces the risk of preterm labor. Preterm delivery causes the fetus to not reach its normal weight.
Your doctor can encourage you to avoid overweight as much as you can, instead of specifying the amount you are allowed to gain weight.
Do you need special care during pregnancy?
If you are overweight, your doctor will carefully monitor your pregnancy. He may advise you to do the following:
1. Early Gestational Diabetes Test
For women who are at a moderate risk of gestational diabetes, a screening test called a glucose challenge test, is performed between weeks 2 and 4 of pregnancy. If you are overweight, your doctor may recommend performing a screening test sooner. If your test results are normal, the screening test will probably be repeated between weeks 1 and 2 of your pregnancy. If the results are abnormal, you should try again. Your doctor may also recommend that you check and monitor your blood sugar.
2. Changes in fetal ultrasound
Standard fetal ultrasound is usually performed between 1 and 2 weeks of gestation to assess the baby’s anatomy. Ultrasound waves do not easily penetrate abdominal adipose tissue, which is why overweight in pregnancy affects the quality of the ultrasound, so you may need to see an expert ultrasound specialist or use an ultrasound machine with more equipment and tests.
3. Screening for “sleep apnea”
Sleep apnea is one of the sleep disorders that causes breathing to stop repeatedly during sleep. Women with this complication during pregnancy are at risk for pre-eclampsia and other complications. Most likely because of being overweight, you will be screened at your first visit. If you are diagnosed with “sleep apnea”, your doctor may ask you to see a sleep specialist for possible treatment.
What do you need to do to have a healthy pregnancy?
You can limit the effects of overweight in pregnancy and thereby guarantee the health of you and your baby.
1. Get an appointment from a doctor
Talk to your doctor if you are overweight and want to get pregnant. She may prescribe the vitamins you need before fertility, or send you to a health and obesity specialist or obesity specialist to reach your proper weight before pregnancy.
2. Be constantly monitored
Prenatal visits help your doctor monitor the health of you and your baby. Talk to your doctor about problems and medications you take, such as diabetes, hypertension and sleep apnea, and how to fix them.
3. Eat a healthy diet
To get a healthy diet, see a doctor or nutritionist and avoid overweight. Remember, during pregnancy, you need more folic acid, calcium, iron, and other nutrients. Daily intake of vitamin C before fertilization can offset vitamin deficiency. Depending on your health, consult your doctor if you need to take certain medications or nutrients, for example, if you have diabetes.
4. Exercise and be active
Talk to your doctor about exercise in pregnancy, such as walking, swimming, and light aerobics.
5. Avoid dangerous products
If you smoke, ask your doctor to help you quit. You should never drink alcohol or drugs. Get permission from your doctor before starting any treatment and dietary supplements.
Overweight in pregnancy increases the likelihood of problems for you and your baby. Talk to your doctor about reducing your anxiety. He or she can monitor your medical condition, your baby’s health, and growth and help you not lose weight.
