Women struggling with their weight may have been doing so for their entire lives. The world we live in has made it easier to gain and harder to lose, and so many follow bad advice trying to lose weight, only to end up bigger than they were when they started a diet plan. It is much harder to get pregnant when you are overweight or obese, but it does happen. Obesity and pregnancy are not a good mix, so if you find that you are expecting and you are worried about what your extra weight means to your pregnancy, talk to your obstetrician about your concerns. Taking care means a healthier pregnancy.

Obesity is hard on a body, as is pregnancy. As you can imagine, obesity and pregnancy can be a one-two punch on anyone. The last thing that you want to do when you are pregnant is to diet to lose weight, so ask your doctor for tips on dieting to maintain and to avoid gaining more than you should. Those that are obese should gain far less than those that have a healthy body weight while pregnant. Eating well is not only good for your baby, it will help you avoid gaining more weight while you are expecting. 

Besides gaining more weight while pregnant, another big concern with obesity and pregnancy is the possibility of getting gestational diabetes. This is diabetes that is associated with pregnancy. This usually happens in the second half of pregnancy. It can be controlled with diet at times, but most that get this condition will give themselves insulin injections. Your doctor will guide you if this happens to you. Most resolves after giving birth, but some women will end up diabetic for life after this event. 

Babies born to moms with gestational diabetes are usually much larger babies and many have to be born via Cesarean section. Surgical birth is more and more common with rising rates of obesity and pregnancy. Babies can be as big as eight, nine, ten, or even eleven pounds. While some women can safely deliver babies this large, most can not. When you have GD, your doctor will keep an eye on the size of your baby. If you want to try natural first, be sure to let your doctor know that this is what you want to do. However, for some babies, they are simply too large to come through the pelvis and they must be born via C section.

The best way to avoid obesity and pregnancy problems is to lose weight before you have a baby. Even twenty or thirty pounds is helpful. When you are pregnant, concentrate on eating the right foods and getting exercise each and every day, even if it is just a walk through the park or down the street to see friends. Being active is one of the best ways to keep your weight from ballooning and to make sure you are in better shape to handle the rigors of birth. Keep your good habits up after birth if you breastfeed so your baby continues to get the same great nutrition from you and so that you can be around for your baby in the long run.