The condition of a woman who becomes pregnant is very important and affects her health, well-being and the condition of the fetus during pregnancy. For this reason, it is worth preparing for pregnancy in terms of a healthy, balanced diet, rich in factors supporting the development of the child in the mother’s womb, but not only. It is also worth taking care of stabilizing the weight long before pregnancy, because the kilograms added during pregnancy are not only a cosmetic defect, but can affect the development and health of the fetus and the born child.
Pregnancy is a state in which a woman naturally begins to accumulate fat. It is a physiological process that prepares the mother for the period of breastfeeding, as well as the physical effort associated with childbirth. At this time, there is no room for reducing diets, caloric restrictions and losing weight, because it can threaten the life of the child. You should take care of the correct body weight in advance, because any deviations from the norm, such as overweight, obesity or malnutrition, may increase the risk of miscarriage and developmental defects in the child or weight problems in born children.
Obesity and overweight
Abnormal, excessive body weight in a pregnant woman may increase the risk of disorders, not only during pregnancy. Children of obese mothers who are born healthy and of normal weight have an increased risk of type II diabetes and coronary heart disease in old age. Women who are overweight are more likely to develop diseases that affect the fetus during pregnancy. The risk of developing hypertension, gestational diabetes and toxaemia increases, which translates directly into the condition of the fetus. An increase in disorders such as spina bifida, macrosomia, shoulder dystocia, weight disorders and other birth defects is observed in the children of obese mothers.
Underweight
An abnormal body weight that is too low in the mother can also have a negative impact on the fetus, as well as eating disorders in a healthy child at the time of birth in the future. The risk in children of mothers who are too thin is the occurrence of low birth weight of the child (less than 2,5 kg) and an increase in the occurrence of developmental disorders.
What is normal weight gain during pregnancy?
The slimmer a woman is, the more weight she will gain during pregnancy.
- Slim women – 12-18 kg
- Women with a normal body weight – 11 – 16 kg
- Overweight women – 7 – 11 kg
- Obese women – 6 kg
+/- 2 kilograms.
When planning to become pregnant, it is worth taking care not only of proper nutrition of the body and a diet rich in vitamins and minerals. You should also look at your body weight and try to regulate your weight in a safe way, because any deviations may not only be a nuisance due to the unsightly appearance, but above all the health of the child. It should be remembered that it is worth using rational nutrition, which will allow you to naturally maintain the correct weight and avoid the yo-yo effect.