Obesity and Pregnancy – Midwives Lelystad

What you need to know about: Obesity and Pregnancy

Being overweight can affect your chances of getting pregnant and can pose additional risks during pregnancy. That's why it's important to live a healthy lifestyle and maintain a healthy weight, especially if you're pregnant. desire to have children have. Midwives Lelystad understands that this can be a sensitive topic and we are here to support you with personal guidance and advice.

What is obesity?

Overweight is determined by the Body Mass Index (BMI)You calculate your BMI by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared.

• BMI between 18.5 and 25: Healthy weight
• BMI between 25 and 30: Overweight
• BMI between 30 and 35: Obesity
• BMI between 35 and 40: Severe obesity
• BMI greater than 40: Morbid obesity

Being overweight and your menstrual cycle

You can be overweight influence hormone balance and lead to a irregular menstruation or the absence of it. Even if your periods are regular, being overweight can make it harder to get pregnant.

How being overweight affects fertility

A higher BMI often means a lower chance of becoming pregnant:

• At a BMI of 35 is the chance of pregnancy 26% bearing than with a BMI between 21 and 29.
• At a BMI of 40 is the chance of pregnancy even 43% bearing.
• Every BMI unit above 29 reduces the chance of pregnancy by an average of 5%.

Causes of obesity

Obesity usually occurs when you consume more calories than you burn. This can be caused by:

• Unhealthy food – Irregular eating, skipping meals or an incorrect composition of nutrients.
• Not enough exercise – Less exercise while maintaining or increasing calorie intake.
• Psychological causes – Tension, stress or emotional eating.

How Obesity Reduces Fertility

Being overweight can affect fertility in several ways:

• Too many sex hormones – More belly fat increases the production of estrogen, which can disrupt the menstrual cycle.
• Disturbed sugar metabolism – Increased insulin production can affect ovulation.
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) – A disruption of the hormonal balance that often goes hand in hand with obesity.

The risks of being overweight during pregnancy

Being overweight during pregnancy increases the risk of:

• Miscarriage – The chance can increase to 75% in overweight women.
• Gestational diabetes - At least 3 times as big risk.
• High birth weight – Can lead to a difficult birth or a cesarean section.
• Preeclampsia – The chance doubles with a BMI increase of 5 points.
• Higher blood pressure – Increases the risk of complications.
• Abnormalities in the child – Such as heart defects or an open back.
• Infant mortality – The risk of death immediately after birth is higher.

What can you do yourself?

Fortunately, there is a lot you can do to increase your chances of a healthy pregnancy!

• Losing weight helps – Even a weight loss from 5-10% can significantly improve your fertility.
• Healthy Weight Gain During Pregnancy – Depending on your BMI before pregnancy:
  • BMI < 19: 12.5 – 18 kg
  • BMI 19-26: 11.5 – 16 kg
  • BMI 26-29: 7 – 11.5 kg
  • BMI > 29: Maximum 6 kg

Midwives Lelystad are ready for you

We understand that it can be difficult to adjust your lifestyle. Midwives Lelystad is happy to help you with nutritional tips, exercise and emotional support. Together we will look at a plan that suits your situation.

Feel free to contact us for an introductory meeting. Together we will ensure a healthy start to your pregnancy!

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Take care of yourself and your little one!

With kind regards,
Midwives Lelystad

Midwives Lelystad
Address: Badweg 21, 8223 PA Lelystad
Telephone: 06 53 65 91 91