Obesity in pregnancy: Do you think pregnancy is a great opportunity to celebrate on ice creams, chocolate and anything you like? think again There are at least 10 reasons why obesity is dangerous for you and the fetus. So what is the desired weight and how can you reach it?
Obesity in pregnancy is considered an epidemic of the current millennium: nearly a third of women of reproductive age (20-39) are defined as suffering from the problem.
Obesity makes it difficult to get pregnant and increases the risk of pregnancy complications. like what? Premature birth, gestational diabetes and miscarriages.
Achieving a normal weight is usually done by changing dietary habits, increasing physical activity and behavioural changes.
“The most fun thing about being pregnant is that I finally got permission to eat,” Maya tells me, “Now I have to eat for myself as well, but mainly for the fetus. A mother’s soul, I won’t starve there.”
“And in general,” adds Maya, “since I was 3 years old, I constantly have to make sure that I don’t gain too much weight. All my life I have been dealing with comments like ‘Maya, why are you taking another cake?’ I have a monitor to check the fetal heart rate and whether there are contractions . She commented that the fetus was a little sleepy, and what did she ask me to do? Go eat chocolate ! Wow, what a gallop I made to the cafeteria.”
No wonder Maya gained 30 kilograms during pregnancy, when she still has a whole month left until she gives birth…
Maya is no exception. Obesity in pregnancy is considered the new epidemic of the current millennium. Our eating habits have changed from end to end.
In his book “Eating Animals”, Jonathan Safran-Poyer tells about the culinary message of his grandmother, a Holocaust survivor: “Grandma taught us that eating animals that are bigger than us is good for us, eating animals that are smaller than us is good for us, fish (which are actually not real animals) is fine For us, eating tuna (which is not really a fish) is not bad for us, and then come fruits and vegetables, cakes, cookies and soda.
“In addition, grandma claimed that there is no food that is bad for us, fats are healthy for the body in any form, the fatter the child (especially if it is a boy) the better, and lunch is not just one meal, and it should, if possible, be eaten at 11:00 , 12:30 and three in the afternoon.”
Today it is clear that from a health point of view the grandmother’s recommendations are not so appropriate. Our generation is characterized by a huge rate of Obesity in pregnancy. Close to a third of women of reproductive age (20-39) are defined as suffering from Obesity in pregnancy and another quarter of women in this age group are overweight. This has an effect on pregnancy and childbirth.
The dangers of obesity in pregnancy
Overweight and Obesity in pregnancy have been associated with an increased risk of at least 10 pregnancy and birth complications:
1. Infertility and poor fertility . The reason: hormonal irregularity.
2. Abortions . The reason: metabolic syndrome and damage to blood vessels.
3. Premature birth . The reason: metabolic syndrome and damage to blood vessels.
4. Hypertensive disorders and preeclampsia . The reason: insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome.
5. Gestational and pre-gestational diabetes . The reason: insulin resistance.
6. Disorders related to hypercoagulability, embolisms . The reason: Obesity in pregnancy, vascular disorders, stasis, poor mobilization.
7. Overgrowth of the fetus (macrosomia). The reason: overweight of the mother and gestational diabetes.
8. Cesarean sections . The reason: excess weight of the fetus and prolonged stages of labor.
9. Complications of anesthesia . The reason: a lot of fat, difficulty in intubation, difficulty in balancing the respiratory pressure.
10. Infections in the surgical wound . The reason: the high fat creates a humid and warm environment and a decrease in blood flow (vascular problems).
So how much should you gain during pregnancy?
| BMI before pregnancy | BMI status | A welcome addition |
| Under 18.5 | underweight | 12.5-18 kilograms |
| 24.9-18.5 | Normal weight | 11.5-16 kilograms |
| 29.9-25 | overweight | 11.5-7 kilograms |
| Greater than 30 | Obesity | 5-9 kilograms |
BMI calculator is very important
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How do you save?
Achieving a normal weight is usually done by changing dietary habits, increasing physical activity and behavioural changes. In recent years, the use of weight loss drugs has gained increasing popularity – they are completely prohibited during pregnancy.
The optimal management of women suffering from obesity should include personal weight reduction counselling by a nutritionist and tests to rule out the complications of obesity in pregnancy.
During pregnancy , weight gain should be controlled , food intake should be adjusted to the minimum necessary for the normal development of the fetus, screening tests should be performed to identify pregnancy complications , and the growth curves of the child should be followed by ultrasound.
If operating on a pregnant woman with obesity, emphasis should be placed on consultation with anaesthetists, giving Claxan as long as the mother is immobile, and of course emphasis should be placed on mobility as early as possible.
After giving birth, it is recommended to have a long-term follow-up to prevent worsening of obesity.
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