Pregnancy is both a beautiful and challenging phase of your life.
It’s beautiful because of the happiness hidden inside your anticipation of giving birth to a healthy and cuddly baby after nine months.
It’s challenging as your body is in constant flux. You’ll swell, the skin will change, and you’ll gain weight.
Gaining weight is one of the most noteworthy pregnancy changes. After all, your body is changing along with your baby growing inside you. Healthy weight gain of the mummy-to-be is associated with the health and well-being of the growing baby.
But, in several ways, you may be overweight or obese. Being overweight may not impact your pregnancy or baby inside you positively.
How Does Your Obesity Affect Pregnancy Health?
If your pregnancy weight is 30 or more, the healthcare practitioner will monitor your health as well as the health of the baby inside you closely. Your weight will tell you a lot about the complications during your pregnancy. The pregnancy risk factors include:
Gestational Diabetes
Usually, your doctor will take you through a diabetes screening in the 24th and 28th week of your pregnancy. However, if the doctor finds your pregnancy body mass to be 30 or more than that in the first trimester, he or she will take you through gestational diabetic screening immediately. With higher levels of blood sugar or glucose during your pregnancy, there are chances for you to give birth to a baby who is large size.
Hypertension and Preeclampsia
A systolic reading at or above 140 or at or above 90 is considered high blood pressure or hypertension during pregnancy. Preeclampsia is also a serious kind of gestational hypertension. Both these pregnancy health conditions take place during the second stage of pregnancy and there are chances of liver and kidney failure. Along with this, the chances of cardiac problems – stroke or heart attack cannot be denied.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Insomnia is common during pregnancy. However, with obesity, you will be faced with breathing for short periods while you’re sleeping. Such abnormal gaps in breathing while you’re asleep can make you feel tired and increase your chances of pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, preeclampsia, as well as cardiac problems.
How Does Pregnancy Obesity Impact the Baby-to-be and the Newborn Baby?
Being overweight or obese also causes trouble for the developing baby inside you. There is a risk of your baby developing an increased risk of birth defects, for instance, Neural tube defects (NTDs) as well as heart defects.
With your weight, at the time of labour, the baby’s shoulder may be “stuck.” This is something known as “Shoulder dystocia.”
There are chances of you giving birth to a baby who is larger than normal. Besides this, with your weight, you may medically need an emergency C- section. That means you may give birth to your baby on the 39th week or before that. (Preterm babies may develop the risk of long and short-term health problems).
Additionally, a newborn’s weight is based on several factors – genetics or when the expecting parents have pregnancy-induced hypertension, or, preeclampsia, or, gestational diabetes. Having said that, a 2019 study evidenced that babies born via C-section delivery have a chance of becoming overweight due to their gut bacteria which is different from those babies who are born vaginally.
So, Are You Feeling Scared and Worried?
Try not to feel that way. No problem is permanent. If you’re overweight or obese during your pregnancy, there’s a lot that you and your healthcare practitioner can do to deal with it. You can reduce your weight by including healthy habits during your pregnancy regime – like maintaining a healthy diet and staying active.
Getting encouraged to stay fit and healthy can be a little difficult while you’re embracing motherhood, as well as when you hold the newborn in your arms. But, the above-mentioned pregnancy and neonatal problems can keep you aware.
Moreover, with these tips and advice, you can keep yourself healthy and your weight in balance.
After all, a balanced weight can help you sail through your pregnancy complications and deliver a healthy baby.
For more information on maternal and new mommy health follow the blog page of Cordlife India.