Table of contents:
- Being overweight during pregnancy, what are the effects?
- What should be the normal weight during pregnancy?
- How can I keep a healthy pregnancy even though I am overweight?
Having a pregnancy that is healthy, safe, and without any disturbances is the hope of all pregnant women. Of course, this must be supported by a good environment and maternal health status. Various things can affect the health of pregnant women and cause pregnancy problems. One of them is the excess weight of pregnant women. So what are the impacts that can be caused if a pregnant woman is overweight? How do you keep your pregnancy healthy? Should pregnant women lose weight?
Being overweight during pregnancy, what are the effects?
Overweight or being overweight is defined as the nutritional status whose body mass index reaches 25.1-27 kg / m2. Meanwhile, it is said that someone is obese if they have a body mass index of more than 27 kg / m2. This body mass index can be used when the mother is not pregnant, if the mother has entered the pregnancy period, the calculation is no longer accurate.
Having the ideal weight before pregnancy is the best thing to prevent complications and problems that can arise during pregnancy. body weight greatly determines a person's nutritional status, while nutritional status affects health status, this also applies to pregnant women. An abnormal nutritional status will cause several health problems to the mother and the fetus that is being conceived.
Disorders that can occur if you are overweight during pregnancy are:
- Gestational diabetes. Obese pregnant women are more likely to develop diabetes during pregnancy than mothers who have normal nutritional status and weight
- Preeclampsia, which is high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the mother's urine.
- Slows down birth
- Increase the chances of having a cesarean delivery
- Infections, especially urinary tract infections
- Problems at birth
- Miscarriage
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What should be the normal weight during pregnancy?
Losing weight while pregnant is a very risky thing. This carries the risk of causing various complications and disorders. Even pregnant women who are overweight, still have to gain weight. According to the Institute of Medicine, a pregnant woman's weight should increase, but it must be adjusted to the nutritional status she has, such as:
- The pregnant mother underweight or less weight, it is recommended that the body weight increase by 12-18 kg.
- Pregnant women with ideal body weight, should increase body weight around 11-15 kg.
- Pregnant women who are overweight and have a body mass index between 25-27 kg / m2, at least have to increase his body weight about 6-11 kg.
- Meanwhile, obese mothers with a body mass index of more than 27 kg / m2 about 4-9 kg
So don't think about losing weight during pregnancy. The most important thing is how to maintain a healthy pregnancy even though the mother is overweight.
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How can I keep a healthy pregnancy even though I am overweight?
The most important thing that can prevent a pregnant woman who is overweight from experiencing various pregnancy disorders is to have a healthy lifestyle, eat regularly, choose healthy foods, and do regular exercise.
Have a healthy diet. Planning, choosing, and arranging the food to eat is the best way to adopt a healthy life. If you feel hungry a lot, it's better to schedule your meals more frequently. For example, in a day you can divide your meal time into 6 meals. But still with the same calorie needs in a day, only the division of time and portion of food is different. If necessary, discuss your diet plan with a dietitian.
Regular exercise. Some mothers who are pregnant are afraid to do sports because they think that exercise is bad for the baby they are carrying. In fact, regular exercise can help maintain the health of the mother and the growing fetus. You can do moderate but regular exercise, such as Santa walking, swimming, gardening, yoga, or even jogging. While sports that should be avoided during pregnancy are cycling, or other activities that cause excessive fatigue.
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