Patient education: Obesity and pregnancy (The Basics)

How does my weight affect my fertility or pregnancy? — 

Having excess body weight or obesity can make it harder to get pregnant. For people who do get pregnant, it can increase the risk of problems, such as:

●Early pregnancy loss (miscarriage)

●Diabetes

●High blood pressure

●Sleep apnea

●Needing to have a cesarean birth (c-section)

●Problems after birth, such as bleeding, blood clots, or infection

●Postpartum depression

Having obesity during pregnancy also increases the risk of certain problems for the baby. Examples include:

●Certain problems with physical development

●Stillbirth (when a baby dies later in pregnancy, before it is born)

●Premature, or "preterm," birth

●Being larger than normal

●Having overweight or obesity in childhood

If you have excess body weight or obesity, your doctor might recommend losing weight before you start trying to get pregnant. They can talk to you about how to do this in a healthy way. Even if you don't lose weight, there might be other ways to lower your risk of problems.

How much weight should I gain during pregnancy? — 

This depends on how much you weigh before pregnancy. Your doctor or nurse will tell you how much weight gain is right for you. In general, a person who is a healthy weight should gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. A person who has overweight or obesity should gain less weight.

Your weight before pregnancy affects your risk of problems more than how much weight you gain during pregnancy.

Will I need special care during pregnancy or birth? — 

Maybe. Depending on your situation, your doctor might recommend extra care in addition to regular pregnancy care. This might include:

●A test early in pregnancy to check for diabetes

●Making changes to your diet and exercise habits

●Working with a dietitian (nutrition expert)

●Extra ultrasounds and other tests to check your baby's health and growth

●Taking daily low-dose aspirin

●Seeing a sleep specialist

●Talking to an anesthesiologist about pain relief during labor and birth

●Planning to have labor "induced" before your due date

The care you need depends on your weight as well as your overall health. Your doctor, nurse, or midwife will work with you to help you stay as healthy as possible during pregnancy.

More on this topic

Patient education: Health risks of obesity (The Basics)
Patient education: Healthy weight gain during pregnancy (The Basics)
Patient education: How to plan and prepare for a healthy pregnancy (The Basics)
Patient education: Nutrition before and during pregnancy (The Basics)
Patient education: Prenatal care (The Basics)
Patient education: Diet and health (The Basics)

Patient education: Diet and health (Beyond the Basics)