If you’re obese and pregnant, you need to know what an OBGYN has to say about weight gain.
Are you obese and wondering if you should gain weight with your pregnancy?
According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, an average size woman is advised to gain 25-35 pounds during pregnancy.
Does this same rule apply if, upon becoming pregnant, a woman is already obese?
Obesity is when a person is at least 20 percent over the ideal weight for her height.
On one hand, it seems that if a woman is obese or even moderately overweight, she shouldn’t have to gain weight during her pregnancy, save for the pounds added from the baby itself, plus placenta and placental fluid.
The Institute of Medicine recommends that obese women gain 11-20 pounds for their pregnancy, says Randy Fink, MD, Director of the Center of Excellence for Obstetrics & Gynecology in Miami, FL.
Dr. Fink explains, “Pregnancy itself demands higher caloric intake, and an increase in certain dietary components.
“Truth be told, in obese women we like to see mom trading her weight for the baby’s weight; that is, she avoids excessive weight gain, and the baby grows normally. But if she is obese, why gain weight at all?”
“Remember, there are many components that lead to pregnancy weight gain. Mom’s blood volume doubles, so ‘fluid weight’ has a lot to do with maternal weight gain.
“Breasts become engorged and may even weigh 5-8 pounds each more than they did to start! The uterus grows to many times its normal size.
“There is a baby inside with a skeleton, blood of its own, and a placenta. So weight gain during pregnancy is not just mom putting on fat.”
One of the most common questions that Dr. Fink gets asked by his expectant patients is if they have gained too many pounds.
He explains, “A pregnant women needs to give herself permission to gain weight. It is okay, and expected. The important point to remember in pregnancy is to avoid excessive weight gain.
“Because of the increased caloric needs, it is easy to get out of control – especially considering there is no maternal instinct toward health eating in pregnancy (ice cream is not a food group!).”
An expectant woman, obese or not, should restrict sugar intake, avoid alcohol, never smoke, and avoid processed foods as much as possible, sticking to a plant-based diet that includes quality protein like grass-fed beef, wild game, wild Alaskan salmon, organic eggs, and nuts.
Creating an environment where the very best of medicine and gentle gynecology are practiced and where patients come first has always been Dr. Fink’s goal.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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