Will My Weight Affect my Pregnancy or Baby?
Weight has always been a problem to everyone, but more of a worry to most women who are fat, especially when pregnancy comes knocking. In this article, I will answer that question of “will my weight affect pregnancy or baby”.
How weight and height affect Pregnancy
We use weight and height to calculate the Body Mass Index(BMI). BMI is a measure of weight gain or obesity. This is how it works:
Divide your weight (in kg) by the square of the height (in metres). For example: I weigh 80kg, and my height is 1.85m. so I will first multiply 1.85 x 1.85, This will give me 3.4225.
So I will then divide: 80รท3.4225 = 23.4. So BMI is 23.4 which is normal weight.
The standard is this:
18.5 to 24.9 = normal weight
25 to 29.9 = Overweight
30 and above = Obesity
So with this, you can calculate your BMI now to know your stand especially if pregnancy is knocking. Even if you are becoming pregnant any time soon, you still need to start weight reduction lifestyle as soon as possible to help stabilize your weight .
I’m sure you have know that height has a role to play in obesity. It is not just what you weight. If you weigh high and at the same time tall, you may not be obese. The height will cancel things out. So always be concerned with BMI, and not just weight
Normal weight gain you should aim for in Pregnancy
The truth is that you must surely add weight in pregnancy. And that is as a result of the increased hormones of pregnancy – progesterone and oestrogen which cause weight gain.
In view of the above, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have recommnded some guidelines in adding weight when pregnant.
According to them, If you are of normal BMI before Pregnancy (that is, your BMI is between 18.5 to 24.9) your total weight gain in Pregnancy should be between 16.8 kg to 24.5kg. If you are overweight before becoming pregnant the the amount of weight you are expected to add is between 14. 1 to 22.7kg. Obesity between 11.3 to 19.1kg. Anything higher than this is not healthy
This means that constant checking of weight is very important in Pregnancy. And then also watch your diet.
Effects of Obesity/Overweight on Pregnancy
How do I even start. In fact everything is wrong with obesity.
- It can cause ischaemic heart diseases, hypertension, atherosclerosis,
- It can cause diabetes mellitus
- Obesity can lead to dyslipideamia
- Noisy snoring sleep that sometimes causes cessation of breathing( what we call obstructive sleep apnea)
- The baby to become obese, or overweight as the case may be.
- Increased birth weight
- The baby can developed glucose intolerance or diabetes mellitus
- Etc.
Eating Habits you must cultivate to so that your weight won’t affect your Pregnancy/baby
These eating habits are in accordance to the recommendation from Royal college of Obstetricians and Gynaecologist (RCOG)
- Maintain your normal intake. Do not because you have a baby in your womb, eat for two. It is not advised.
- Eat a lot of foods containing fibre – oat, grains, vegetables, pasta, bread, beans, fruits etc.
- Base your meals on starchy foods such as rice, pasta, whole grain, bread, etc…
- Avoid intake of fried foods, sugary drinks, confectioneries high in added sugar an fat.
- Eat at least 5 portion of a variety of food and vegetables each day.
- Dieting in Pregnancy is highly disallowed, but weight control in Pregnancy is highly advocated. This maybe achieved through exercise. Read: What Kind of Exercise should a Pregnant woman do?
- Eat dairy foods for calcium but choose low-fat varieties such as skimmed milk or low-fat yogurt.
- Watch the portion size of your meals and snacks and note how often you eat.
- Always eat breakfast.
- Limit your caffeine intake to 200 milligrams (mg) per day, for example two mugs of instant coffee. Be aware that other drinks such as tea and energy drinks also contain caffeine.
It is quite understandable that these changes are not easy to apply, but with discipline, consistency, and love for your unborn baby, you can achieve that. God’s grace! *kisses*
I hope the question has been answered: Will my weight affect my pregnancy, will my weight affect my baby. But if you have further questions, which I’m sure you do, kindly use the comment button. below