12 Reasons Why You Should Monitor Your Pregnancy Weight Gain

Women in general dont like being told to watch their weight. It feels as if they are calling you fat already. But when I was pregnant I wish I had someone giving me some information about the risks of putting on too much weight during pregnancy.

I remember going to the GP and wondering if she was going to give out because of my weight gain. See, for me this was expected, because in Spain, weight gain during pregnancy is monitored very closely. A healthy weight gain during pregnancy is about 10K or 1 stone and a half. If the weight gain goes over that, your obs wont hesitate to warn you.

When I was pregnant I did put on about 3 stone! And I wonder if that’s one of the reasons I needed an induction and an emergency C-section.

So you wonder what are the reasons why a GP has the right to advise you to loose weight during pregnancy when no one else can?

1. Obese women who become pregnant have an increased risk of suffering a range of health risks, including pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure) and gestational diabetes
2. Obese women are more likely to require medical intervention, such as induction or a Caesarean section.
3. Obese women also tend to have larger babies and these babies are more likely to have health problems such as low blood sugar and jaundice.
4. Babies from obese women tend to suffer from obesity later in life.
5. Obese women who gained weight between pregnancies significantly increased their risk of having a larger baby.
6. The incidence of congenital malformations, including neural tube defects (NTDs), are higher in obese women compared with normal women
7. Obese women undergoing caesarean section must be given routine antibiotic prophylaxis and thromboprophylaxis.
8. Reports suggest that obese women have an increased risk of early miscarriage both after spontaneous conception and infertility treatment
9. Obesity is associated with polycystic ovary syndrome and irregular menses. Obesity also makes sonography technically more challenging
10. Obese women planning a pregnancy are more likely to conceive if they lose weight
11. Women with moderate to severe obesity are not suitable for a homebirth
12. Obese women are less likely to intend, initiate and continue breastfeeding.

Do you think there should be more information and advice from GPs on the risks of pregnancy weight gain or you think it is none of their business?

Sources: Irishhealth.com and “Obesity and Pregnancy” from the Royal College of Physicians Ireland

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