$Unique_ID{BRK01026}
$Pretitle{Pregnancy and Childbirth}
$Title{Obesity and Pregnancy}
$Subject{pregnancy obesity diabetes}
$Volume{K-26}
$Log{
Figure 1*0003401.scf
Figure 2*0003402.scf
Figure 3*0003403.scf
Figure 4*0009501.scf
Figure 5*0009601.scf}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Obesity and Pregnancy


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QUESTION:  I was obese (ok I was fat!) when I became pregnant, but my
physician is driving me crazy with her insistence that I keep watching what I
eat, and keep my weight increase from getting out of sight.  Is all this
attention required?  I have been overweight most of my life, and probably will
continue to weigh a bit more than average after the baby, so where is the
sense of all this fuss now?

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ANSWER:  Obesity is always a health hazard, pregnant or not.  About 15 percent
to 25 percent of all women age 20 to 29 are obese, a percentage that jumps to
20 percent to 40 percent at ages 30 to 39.  If those extra pounds are
generally a reason for attention, they are even more so to the pregnant woman.
Some 37 complications of pregnancy have been reported as related to obesity, a
cause for great concern.  During the pregnancy, extra weight may cause
hypertension and problems with blood sugar (called gestational diabetes).
Heavy women give birth to larger babies, that can cause difficult labor and
require the use of instruments (forceps) to aid delivery, which in turn
increases the chances of injury to the baby.  Cesarean sections are required
more frequently in heavier women, and that can lead to complications stemming
from excessive blood loss and infection, not to mention unwanted problems with
anesthesia.  The eye opener is that both baby deaths as well as death of the
mother result more frequently when the mother is overweight.  It may not be
possible to lose weight during pregnancy, but a carefully planned diet can
provide all the nutrition necessary for both you and the baby.  However if
you do maintain your weight, you get a unquestionable reward of the chance of
losing up to 20 pounds after the pregnancy is over, which is a great boost
towards achieving your ideal weight, if ever you wish to try to make it.
ÿ
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
