polycystic ovary syndrome (or PCOS), can make it harder for you to conceive.
Once you get pregnant, being overweight increases your risk for high blood
pressure and diabetes (gestational diabetes), as well as the risk for miscarriage,
preterm birth and even some birth defects. You may also have a higher risk of
complications during labor.
Just as it's now recommended to start taking supplemental nutrients such as folic
acid before getting pregnant, talk to your primary care doctor or your ob-gyn
about steps you can take to lose weight. Those steps can include improving your
diet and getting more exercise as part of a multi-prong way to shed pounds well
before you try to conceive. Also work with your healthcare provider to get any
medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, under good control.
Know that your starting weight is now used to determine what you should gain
during pregnancy. The guideline for an average weight gain during pregnancy is
25 to 35 pounds if you're at normal weight.
But if you're overweight, with a body mass index between 25 and 29.9, you
should gain only 15 to 25 pounds. And if you're obese, with a body mass index
of 30 or higher, the recommendation is for a pregnancy weight gain of between
11 to 20 pounds.
It's very hard to get through pregnancy without gaining more weight than you
planned. But if you can start out close to your ideal weight, you'll have fewer
pounds to lose to regain your shape after baby comes.
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