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Feb04

Pregnancy, or the desire to become pregnant, often inspires women to take better care of them — quitting smoking, caffeine for example, or eating more nutritiously. But now many women face an increasingly common problem: obesity, which affects 36 percent of women of childbearing age. In addition to hindering conception, obesity — defined as a body mass index above 30 — is linked to a host of difficulties during pregnancy, labor and delivery. These range from gestational diabetes, hypertension and pre-eclampsia to miscarriage, premature birth, emergency cesarean delivery and stillbirth.

The infants of obese women are more likely to have congenital defects, and they are at greater risk of dying at or soon after birth. Babies who survive are more likely to develop hypertension and obesity as adults. To be sure, most babies born to overweight and obese women are healthy. Yet a recently published analysis of 38 studies found that even modest increases in a woman’s pre-pregnancy weight raised the risks of fetal death, stillbirth and infant death.

Many clinics and doctors’ avoid taking obese patients for pregnancy because that may reduce their pregnancy success results. It is time for doctors to take a call and they must take more positive steps to treat obese women who are pregnant or want to become pregnant. Obesity is commonly viewed as a personal failing that can be prevented or reversed through motivation and willpower.

But the facts suggest otherwise. Many obese women who manage to lose weight are usually highly motivated and use a commercial diet plan. But many obese females fail even though they are very anxious to get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy. This is the new reality, and obstetricians have to be aware of that and know how to treat patients with weight issues.

Obese patients should not be viewed differently from other patient populations that require additional care or who have increased risks of adverse medical outcomes. Obese patients should be cared for in a nonjudgmental manner, and it is unethical for doctors to refuse care within the scope of their expertise solely because the patient is obese. Obstetricians should discuss the medical risks associated with obesity with their patients and avoid blaming the patient for her increased weight.

Any doctor who feels unable to provide effective care for an obese patient should seek a consultation or refer the woman to another fertility specialist.

Being obese during pregnancy can have a major impact on your health and your baby’s health. Most women who are very overweight have a successful pregnancy but if you have a BMI over 30, extra problems for you may include:  

    Miscarriage and stillbirth

    Gestational diabetes

   High blood pressure and pre-eclampsia

   Blood clots inside a blood vessel (thrombosis)

   Infection (urine and post-caesarean wound infections)

   Hemorrhage after the birth

   Problems with breastfeeding

   Having a baby with an abnormally high birth weight

You are also more likely to need:

Induction and instrumental (ventouse or forceps) delivery Caesarean section

Most babies of overweight and obese women are born healthy. But overweight and obesity during pregnancy can cause health problems for your baby. These include:

   Birth defects, including neural tube defects (NTDs). NTDs are birth defects of    the brain and spine.

   Preterm birth

   Injury, like shoulder dystocia, during birth because the baby is large

   Death after birth

   Being obese during childhood

Nonetheless, obese women who want to have a baby should not abandon all efforts to lose weight. Obstetricians who lack expertise in weight management can refer patients to dietitians who specialize in treating weight problems without relying on gimmicks or crash diets, which have their own health risks. Weight loss is best attempted before a pregnancy. Last year, the college’s committee on obstetric practice advised obstetricians to “provide education about possible complications and encourage obese patients to undertake a weight-reduction program, including diet, exercise, and behavior modification, before attempting pregnancy.” An obese woman who becomes pregnant should aim to gain less weight than would a normal-weight woman. The Institute of Medicine suggests a pregnancy weight gain of 15 to 25 pounds for overweight women and 11 to 20 pounds for obese women.

Doctors at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists noted that obesity produces physiological changes that can affect pregnancy, starting with irregular ovulation that can result in infertility. It is also harder to obtain reliable images on a sonogram when the woman is obese. This can delay detection of fetal or pregnancy abnormalities that require careful monitoring or medical intervention.

It is very important to remember that most plus-size women have completely normal pregnancies and normal babies. A lot of fuss about maternal size is made at times. This only magnifies the risks and scares women. The odds are, plus-size women are going to have healthy pregnancies and that you’re most likely to have a perfectly healthy pregnancy, nothing wrong with the baby, and a wonderful delivery. Your weight truly doesn’t have to be that big of a deal — and it is possible to have a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby. However it is always better to get the pregnancy monitored with OB-GYN and follow the medications and treatment properly for the best interest of mother and the baby.

Obesity during pregnancy can increase the risk of complications for you and your baby. To ease your anxiety, work closely with your health care provider. He or she can help you avoid excessive weight gain, manage any medical conditions, and monitor your baby’s growth and development.

Obese women who want to get pregnant must get a preconception checkup from there OB-GYN. This is a medical checkup you get before pregnancy. The doctor can help you with ways to eat healthy and exercise. This can help you lose weight before you get pregnant.

It is the dream of every women to become mother and enjoy parenthood. The Rupal Hospital for Women offer a one-stop diagnostic and treatment service for infertile couples. Our Obstetricians and Gynecologists specialists at Surat provide all necessary information and guidance to plus-size women to lose weight before pregnancy, limit weight gain during pregnancy, and lose baby weight quickly after pregnancy. Counseling is given to pregnant or would be pregnant females about appropriate caloric intake and exercise. The use of our cutting edge technology coupled with our personal commitment to our patients has resulted in excellent success rates and high levels of patient satisfaction.

You can contact today for any information and guidance on how to conceive with overweight or any plus size pregnant females can contact at Rupal Hospital for Women and Know today about your options for having a baby using IVF & assisted reproductive technology. You can contact our fertility and IVF specialist at http://www.rupalhospital.com or http://rupalhospital.wordpress.com



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