That STAT of the Week from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, NCHS posted at the beginning of the week stated that in 2007-2008, approximately 34% of U.S. adults (32% of men and 36% of women) were obese. It is not news that we have a serious weight and obesity problem in this country.
Aside from the general population, according to the CDC, more than 56% of women of childbearing age are overweight or clinically obese. I want you to know that being obese before and during pregnancy comes with MULTIPLE problems. If you are currently overweight or obese and planning to get pregnant it is IMPERATIVE that you do what you can to lose weight BEFORE you even think about pregnancy. Your health, the possibility of healthy pregnancy, the health of your future infant, and in fact both of your LIVES depend on it.
Unfortunately, there are many women who may believe that they are simply a “little over weight” when in fact their weight has reached the definition of clinically obesity. Clinical obesity is defined by a measurement we call Body Mass Index or BMI. BMI is calculated based on a formula using your height and weight. While your BMI is important to your overall general health it becomes even more crucial when you are thinking about bearing children. The risks of obesity in pregnancy are numerous and I am simply going to give you a quick overview, a very small tip of the iceberg.
First it is important to know that overweight and obese women have a more difficult time even getting pregnant in the first place. Once pregnant, there is then an increase risk of miscarriage. Additionally, obese women are more likely to have an infant with a birth defect of the spine, abdominal wall, and heart. Unfortunately, the more obese you are, the more difficult it can be for your provider to visual some of these birth defects with ultrasound examination.
As pregnancy progresses, overweight and obese women are at increased risk of pregnancy complications including gestational diabetes, pregnancy induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia, all of which are connected to an increased risk for still birth. In some studies obesity has been associated with a 5 fold increase risk of a still birth infant.
Because of the various pregnancy complications, obese women are more likely to need a medical induction before their infants are full term. Induction and prematurity are associated with a HOST of additional problems and complications: from the “simple” extra length of stay in the hospital to the worse and unthinkable increased risk of mortality. Women who are overweight and obese have an increased risk for cesarean birth and then have increased risks for complications related to the surgery.
Do you know if you are obese??? You may think you are simply a bit overweight and in reality you may be clinically obese. If you want to find out check out this calculator and learn what your BMI is.
If you are overweight or obese, get some help with your weight loss NOW. You do not have to do it on your own. There are many community programs out there that want to help all of us optimize our lives. If you are considering a weight loss surgery be sure to understand the implications that this will have on future pregnancies and understand the importance of delaying pregnancy until well after your initial weight loss is accomplished.
This information is not meant to scare you, however if it does scare you into weight loss then I am not unhappy about that. I know that weight loss is not an easy thing. However I hope this information will encourage you to do whatever you can to make it happen BEFORE pregnancy. After you are pregnant it is much too late. I know someone out there needed to hear this message today and I hope it moves you to action.
In Birth and Love,
Nicole
I’m also disappointed to see the BMI relied on so heavily by a CNM. Opinions lik yours, that fat always equals poor health do no service to obese people. Many people are fat because of poor health such as chronic illness and/or medications.
Obese/overweight pregnant women need to have their entire health histories taken into account, not just their weight. I don’t know my BMI, but I’m 5′4″ and weighed about 230 lbls before getting pregnant, which happened on the first cycle we tried. I gained 30 lbls during pregnancy, had no health complications, gave birth at term and did not need to be induced. On the flip side, there are non-obese women who will have complications.
This post reads like a fat-shaming scare tactic. When I got pregnant I was really worried that I would encounter medical professionals like you, who would look at my weight and automatically list me as “high risk” and undermine my ability to have a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby. Fortunately and the unbiased support and care of a midwife.
And this: Do you know if you are obese??? You may think you are simply a bit overweight and in reality you may be clinically obese.
Honey, when a person is fat, they know they are fat. We don’t need to go to a (bogus) BMI calendar to figure it out. What fat people need is not to be shamed by healthcare providers, but to be looked at as complete people and to have their individual needs attended. I really hope you are kinder to any fat patients you have, if not please turn them away to someone who really cares about their health not about the size of their ass.
I enjoy reading your blog generally, but I was a little disappointed that you used the BMI index to help women determine whether their weight is healthy. There has been much debate around the reliability of the BMI index.
Hi Kari,
Thanks for reading and thanks for your comment. Sure there may be debate re: the BMI Index (While I’m not familiar with it I will do some research) but there is debate in everything. I definitely don’t think the BMI is the end all and be all nor is weight. General health status is definitely very important. I do think BMI can be a good baseline/starting point and I hope that the information I provided will help someone think about their personal situation, do more research, and take action if needed.