Comment from Dean Piazza : Your Online Personal Trainer
This is a good article for all women who plan on having children in the future. Everybody wants their newborn child to be healthy but in order for this to happen and to give your child a head start in life you have to be responsible and before you fall pregnant be in good shape and a healthy weight.
Otherwise as you will read below the consequenses could be devastating :
By next year one in five pregnant women could be obese, according to experts. We look at the dangers to you and your baby, and what you can do to reduce them.
Pregnant women often say they are eating for two, but too many extra pounds can be dangerous for mum and her baby. Here, we take a look at some of the risks and how to ensure a healthy, happy life for you and your child.
The health risks for you
If you’re obese during pregnancy you’re at risk of several serious health complications.
You are more likely to have a premature or low-weight child, to die in pregnancy or after birth, and five-times more at risk of developing pre-eclampsia.
Janet Fyle, from the Royal College of Midwives, says: “Obesity is becoming increasingly prominent in society as a whole and as a result midwives are having to become aware of potential problems, such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and complicated births, that obesity brings into pregnancy.”
Pre-eclampsia causes high blood pressure, fluid retention and swelling during pregnancy. In serious cases, it can also restrict bloodflow to your placenta.
Obese mums-to-be are also more likely to develop gestational diabetes. This can cause your baby to grow larger, which can increase your chances of needing a caesarean.
Women who are obese during pregnancy also have an increased risk of experiencing other problems during delivery, including a slow, prolonged labour and problems recovering afterwards.
Risks for your baby
The birth can be made more difficult by a condition called macrosoma, where the baby puts on too much weight during development, making it difficult for it to enter and exit the birth canal.
Babies born to obese mothers also have more of a risk of suffering neural tube defects like spina bifida.
They are often picked up by ultrasounds in the early stages of pregnancy but the scans have trouble penetrating extra layers of fat so they aren’t always picked up in heavier women.
Scientists at King’s College in London found obese women had higher rates of premature births .
The risks associated with premature and low-weight births include brain damage, difficulty with breathing, learning problems and greater susceptibility to infection.
Babies of obese mothers are also more likely to suffer from obesity themselves.
How to tell if you’re at risk
If you began your pregnancy with a body mass index (BMI) of between 25 and 29.9, you are considered overweight. You’re classed as obese if your BMI is 30 or over.
You are also at particularly high risk if you are a first-time mum.
What can you do?
If you are overweight or obese there are things you can do to reduce the health risks for you and your baby.
Jane Norman, professor of maternal and foetal health at the University of Edinburgh, advises: “Women can help reduce risks by taking folic acid prior to pregnancy, by not gaining too much weight during pregnancy, by having regular antenatal checks so any problems can be identified early, and by having blood-thinning agents for a short while after they have their baby.”
Lose weight before pregnancy
If you plan to get pregnant in the near future, consider losing weight beforehand.
Even if you’re obese, you should never try to lose weight during pregnancy without speaking to your doctor as weight loss or changes in diet can prevent your baby from getting the calories and nutrients they need to grow.
Alison Merry, pregnancy exercise expert and director of BloomingFit.com, says: “Pregnancy is not a time to diet. The main focus should be on eating foods which will deliver healthy nutrients and energy to both mother and baby.
“So to ensure a constant flow of energy, reduce sugar cravings and boost metabolism, eat smaller amounts every four hours, cut down on processed food, sugar and white flour, and fill up on fresh fruit and vegetables.”
Watch your weight gain
“Eating for two is no longer an option,” agrees Janet Fyle.
“Mums-to-be need to be made aware of the need to eat healthily both during pregnancy and after.”
Ask your midwife or GP for advice to ensure you don’t pile on the pounds but keep you and your baby well-fed.
Staying fit
“Cardio exercise not only improves circulation and builds a stronger and more efficient heart and lungs for the mother, it also improves nutrient-rich oxygen flow to the placenta from where the growing baby receives all its oxygen and nutrients,” explains Alison Merry.
In addition, it prepares your body for the birth, increasing your chances of an “easy” labour by strengthening your muscles, improving your stamina and helping to increase your blood circulation.
It also helps you to shed those extra pounds and get your old body back after the birth.
Start with low-impact exercise such as walking or swimming. And never begin a new regime without first talking to your doctor or midwife.
I felt so guilty my weight might be why Ellen was born early
Sarah Dixon, 33, from Bolton, weighed 18-and-a-half stone when she got pregnant with Ellen, now three, and feels her weight contributed to her daughter’s dangerously early arrival at just 24 weeks.
We’d been trying to have a baby for over five years when I got pregnant with Ellen. I’d undergone tests and doctors suspected PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome).
I was advised to lose weight so they could explore my womb and fallopian tubes through keyhole surgery. It was while I was doing this that I missed
my period.
The midwife mentioned my weight at my first appointment – I weighed 18-and-a-half stone – and I took her advice about healthy eating and exercise. I tried to eat better, joined aqua aerobics and walked to work.
During those first weeks I also lost 8lb due to severe morning sickness.
When I was 22 weeks pregnant I had a bleed so went straight to hospital. Once there, doctors discovered, to my horror, I was 2.5cm dilated. By the next morning I was being rushed to theatre to have a stitch to try and keep my cervix closed and the baby in.
After a couple of days I was allowed home only to bleed once again and be readmitted. I was kept in and the following week a scan revealed my waters had gone.
The consultant warned if I went into early labour they couldn’t stop it, and although we tried to remain positive, deep down I was convinced we’d lost our baby.
That evening I was in pain and bleeding heavily. I felt two contractions and Ellen was born weighing a tiny 1lb 3oz.
The guilt I felt was immense. When I was six weeks gone, doctors told me I had an incompetent cervix – which means it will open under pressure or excess weight. And although no one will say Ellen’s early arrival was because of my weight, I can’t help thinking that it played a major part.
In fact, I felt guilty about everything, from not stopping smoking soon enough (I stopped at 10 weeks) to walking to work along a main road.
At first, things were touch and go. But after the third day, on which Ellen nearly died, things took a turn for the better and we dared to believe she might pull through.
With every infection she beat, her prognosis got better and she finally came home on oxygen at five months old. Four months on, she could breathe independently.
Now three, Ellen is generally a healthy little girl although she does have chronic lung disease, which means that a cold could very easily turn into a chest infection.
Fortunately though, as she gets bigger, the risks will reduce as her lungs get bigger and the damaged parts are used less.
We’re desperate to give her a little brother or sister but I want to lose weight before we start trying. I’ve managed to lose 6 kilos already and am aiming to get down from a size 24 to a 16.
It’s not easy but I’m determined to do it. I really want another child and to be here to see Ellen grow up.
