Here are some of the most common pregnancy risks associated with obesity. Talk to your doctor or midwife if you have any questions about the risks to you and your baby caused by obesity.
1. You may have difficulty conceiving. Excess body fat can increase your risk of infertility and irregular menstruation. This can make it much harder to conceive and, if you do conceive successfully, your practitioner may have difficulty accurately dating your pregnancy because there may be large amounts of fat covering your uterus.
2. You're more likely to miscarry. If you are obese, your risk of miscarriage-- pregnancy loss before 20 weeks-- increases dramatically. Miscarriage is not only upsetting; it can also be harmful to your own health and may cause complications such as hemorrhage and infection.
3. You're more prone to gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a major pregnancy risk associated with obesity. This form of diabetes occurs during pregnancy and can cause significant complications for both the mother and the baby. Overweight women are much more prone to gestational diabetes than women who begin their pregnancies at a normal weight.
4. You're more likely to develop pre-eclampsia. Obese pregnant women are more likely to get pre-eclampsia, also known as pregnancy-induced hypertension or toxemia. This condition can seriously harm the health of the mother or her unborn baby and can rarely result in maternal or fetal death.
5. Your baby may get too big. Babies of obese women are more likely to have macrosoma-- in other words, they grow too large in the womb and it leads to other pregnancy risks and labor complications. Obese mothers with babies who have macrosoma are more likely to have tearing and painful labor.
6. You're more likely to need a C-section. Obese pregnant women are more likely to have slow, prolonged labors. If you are under the care of a conventional obstetrician, odds are high that he or she will perform a cesarean section because of this. This can cause serious breathing problems in the baby and increases your risk of blood loss, infection and other complications.
7. Your baby is more prone to birth defects. Obese mothers are more likely to have babies with neural tube defects such as spina bifada. These can range in their severity from life-threatening to relatively mild, but it's still important to do everything you can to minimize your baby's risk. Be sure to take folic acid supplements prior to conception to minimize your baby's risk of neural tube defects, especially if you are obese.
8. You're more likely to get an infection after delivery. Many women develop infections in their wombs after delivery, and obese women are especially prone. If you have had a C-section, it's especially likely that you'll develop a postpartum infection. These can cause permanent scarring in your uterus and may even become life-threatening.
Fortunately, weight loss before pregnancy and healthy lifestyle choices during pregnancy can minimize the risks to you and your baby. Talk to your obstetrician or midwife for more advice about pregnancy risks from obesity.