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Pregnancy Health Article
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Plus Size Women and Pregnancy
from: Maxx Family LifeMost plus sized women who become pregnant experience a healthy pregnancy, but they're at the risk of having a bumpier ride than someone who isn't overweight.
Women who are overweight, or have a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more are at a greater risk of certain pregnancy complications, such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. No knows for sure why weight matters so much, as far as most doctors are concerned it's just one piece of the puzzle.
The truth is, most plus size women go on to have completely uneventful pregnancies and deliver perfect, healthy babies as long as they eat well, exercise and watch their weight during pregnancy. The main problem with being plus sized and pregnant is that you're at a greater for some of the following.
Studies have shown that overweight women have a higher rate of neural tube defects, which are problems with how your baby's brain and spinal cord develop. These studies can't pin point exactly why overweight women are at a higher risk and have a higher rate. Some studies have shown that overweight women have lower blood folate levels than a woman who is of normal weight.
Folate is needed, especially during the early stages of pregnancy, to help avoid neaural tube defects. Therefore, if you're overweight, your doctor may prescribe a prenatal vitamin with 1000 micrograms of folic acid. In fact, if you're overweight and planning to get pregnant, consider taking folic acid before you even conceive.
Gestational diabetes is another complication overweight women have a greater risk of developing. Gestational diabetes is elevated blood-sugar level during pregnancy. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development estimates that women with normal BMI, which is between 19 and 24, have a 2% chance of developing gestational diabetes.
Overweight women have a 6% chance of developing this condition and obese women or women who have a BMI of 30 or more have a 9% chance of being diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Remember, however, if you're diagnosed with this, you can still go on to have a healthy pregnancy with a modified eating plan.
Close to 10% of obese and overweight women develop a condition called gestational hypertension. This is when a woman's blood pressure becomes high with a reading of 140 over 90 or higher after the 20th week of pregnancy but doesn't have any protein in their urine.
Gestational hypertension is usually a small concern but can put you at a higher risk for preeclampsia (which is indicated by high blood pressure and protein in your urine), intrauterine growth restriction, preterm birth, placental abruption and still birth. If you do develop preeclampsia, your weight is probably not that big of a factor. In fact if you're under 35 and overweight, you have less of a chance of developing preeclampsia that a woman over 35 and a healthy weight.
Perhaps the most common complication for overweight women is longer labors and the possible risk of a cesarean section. Nearly 26 - 35% of deliveries are cesarean. You're at a higher risk if you've been diagnosed with preeclampsia or gestational hypertension or have a large baby.
Eating healthy throughout your pregnancy and working with your doctor to manage your weight will help reduce these risks and increase your already high chances of having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
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