Pregnancy and Obesity

[Jared82]

Hello!  My wife and I want to begin trying to get pregnant, but she is currently obese and I am concerned about the health risks to her and our future child if she were to get pregnant at her current weight.  She has struggled with excess weight her whole life and is skeptical that she will be able to lose much.  I think at this point she would have to lose about 30 pounds to have a BMI below 30.  I have read that the pregnancy risks are significantly higher for obese women but also that the risk level in general is still small.  Are the health risks minimal enough for us to begin trying to conceive, or does she need to lose the weight before we start?  Thank you for your help.

[rivermama]

Like the other ladies, I would suggest that you guys speak with her OBGYN.  It may be a little more difficult for her to conceive, but then again it may not be.  Every woman is so different.  I would suggest that BOTH of you start a healthy diet and maybe walk for 45 min to an hour every other day. She will be more likely to stick with it if you help her.  The exercise will make her feel better throughout her pregnancy and help her in labor.  Having healthy eating habits will keep her from gaining too much weight in the pregnancy.  I wish you guys the best of luck and congrats to you for taking a part in TTC.  Take care.

[EmsMom07]

My sister in law and her husband are extremely overweight and they conceived their first daughter almost a year ago, and the baby was as healthy as any other baby would be. I wouldn't be too worried about the weight factor as long as she is eating well and drinking plenty of water during pregnancy, before, and after. I know lots of women who have been extremely overweight and they have all carried to full term with a healthy baby, the Dr. might want her to gain fewer pounds during the pregnancy, but that's only in certain cases. Hope this helps and good luck!

[julz034]

Hi there,

First let me say I'm very impressed with you coming on here and asking us questions. It's always an awesome thing to me to see Husband's ACTIVELY involved in the TTC process!!

I would say your best bet is to set up an appointment with her OB/GYN so you two can sit and talk about your worries that you have and get suggestions from her OB. There are risks in pregnancy no matter if you're obese or not. They may be raised slightly since she is obese, but it shouldn't stop you from trying. Her Dr. knows her health history best, her blood pressure, past pap smears, GYN history, risks for certain dieases/conditions based on family history, etc.There is so much to be looked at besides just the fact that she is obese. Everyone has a different experience, and I believe that sure, there are some things that can be answered on this board, however, when it comes to worries and concerns especially when it is medical advice that's needed to be given, it's always best to speak with your Dr. And I think you will feel a lot more confident speaking with your Dr. and hearing it from then telling you that she will be ok, or if she is at risk for things, how high or low the risk is, and what you can do to lower the risk. Sure, some people on here may be medical professionals, which I am almost a nurse, but we cannot give diagnose, or tell you the likelihood of your wide developing anything during pregnancy, or if her pregnancy would be high risk. A lot of it is going to depend on her overall health history.

What an exciting time in the both of your lives!! I hope that all is well when you do speak with her OB/GYN and you get the ok to start trying! Many women are obese and have very normal, healthy pregnancies and babies. I wouldn't be worried, but I would speak to your OB/GYN, and that goes for anyone before they start TTC especially a first baby!! Good luck and congrats!! =)

[jrobertson20]

I would say that she should probably just start eating healthy that way in case you do get pregnant than she is already on a healthy diet.  I would say that it may be harder for her to become pregnant being obese and losing a little weight may increase her odds of conceiving.  This is going to need to be a lifestyle change and not just temporary.  You should also do the healthy eating with her (even if you are not obese yourself) that way it encourages her to eat that way and also lets her know your behind her 100%.  It also, like I said before, needs to be a lifestyle change so that is why you should probably do it as well.  If she gets pregnant before losing weight thats ok she just needs to be screened and monitored and it doesn't mean she can't start a healthy diet while pregnant.  Good luck on you TTC journey.