MAGAZINE

if lucky and willing, there comes a time (or even several) when us, ladies, deal – according to nature’s general rule – with one of...

if lucky and willing, there comes a time (or even several) when us, ladies, deal – according to nature’s general rule – with one of the most amazing experiences in a woman’s existence: PREGNANCY.

There are infinite consequences and changes that come along with every transformation a woman’s body and mind are going through during each day of pregnancy for nine, sometimes ‘long’ beautiful months.

Overweight is a sort of delicate issue which adds itself to pregnancy and follows us as a constant scary shadow – just like it does either when we are carrying a baby or not. But as always, if we apply our self control, care and of course if we inform ourselves through research in order to learn what defines a general state of health for a mother to be (considering our health history, age, body mass index, etc), there shouldn’t be any reasons to worry about.

Body Mess Index (BMI)* - can be used to indicate if you are overweight, obese, underweight or normal. It will, however, overestimate fatness in women who are muscular or athletic.

If some of us can ignore a surplus of kgs which might contradict nowadays’ definition of ‘beauty’, we should never ignore its dangerous impact on our health – as it is well known that overweight can harm our bodies, inside and out.

There are constant examples of women who perceive weight issues in different manners, sometimes controlling it through their own standards, wills or activities and sometimes reaching for professional advice, medical interventions, etc.

Pregnancy is definitely not the time to go on a weight-loss diet: Restricting your food intake is potentially hazardous to you and your developing baby. Yet many plus-size women do lose weight during pregnancy without dieting. Either way, it is very important to eat healthy and controlled when carrying a baby.

Many of us come up with the funny excuse ‘two in one’ and nothing stops us when our appetite tells us to open the fridge and empty it. Ignoring the consequences that might follow our temptations can easily turn into an immediate disease.

According to the latest studies it is said that pregnant women who gained more than the recommended weight were 50 percent more likely to develop gestational diabetes.

 When eating, the digestive system breaks most of your food down into a type of sugar called glucose. The glucose enters your bloodstream and then — with the help of insulin, a hormone made by your pancreas — provides fuel for the cells of your body. Like the type 1 and type 2 diabetes you can get when you're not pregnant, gestational diabetes causes the glucose to stay in your blood instead of moving into your cells and getting converted to energy. But during pregnancy, your hormones make it tougher for your body to use insulin, so your pancreas needs to produce more of it. But when a woman's pancreas can't keep up with the insulin demand and her blood glucose levels get too high, the result is gestational diabetes. For most women with gestational diabetes, the main worry is that too much glucose will end up in the baby's blood. When that happens, your baby's pancreas needs to produce more insulin to process the extra glucose. All this excess blood sugar and insulin can cause your baby to make more fat and put on extra weight, particularly in the upper body.

In such situations, the only way to keep the blood sugar levels under control is through diet and exercise. Most women with gestational diabetes don't remain diabetic once the baby is born. Once you've had it, though, you're at higher risk for getting it again during a future pregnancy and for becoming diabetic later in life. When affected by this type of diabetes, the most important thing to do is to let doctors monitor your body which ensures the safe happy arrival of your baby.

Some overweight ladies who are willing to have a baby sometimes come up with the question if it is better to have the baby before losing weight and diet after the baby is born. It is not a decision anyone else can make for them but most likely doctors would recommend to lose some of the extra weight first, then start trying for the baby in the months to come.

It is very important to remember that even though you may be at higher risk for something when overweight, it doesn't mean you are at a high risk. It also doesn't mean that you are not entitled to have a baby.

Excess weight does not contribute to miscarriage but in some cases it leads to hormone imbalance. One of the primary obstacles for overweight women is ovulation and a most common problem for infertility can be an excess of estrogen.(Fat cells produce estrogen. The problem is that if you get too much estrogen ,your body reacts as if it is on birth control.) But there are treatments available that help to minimize any such problems. All you have to do is find the right doctor who is willing to help you get pregnant.

Prenatal care is very important. You can help make sure that you and your baby will be as healthy as possible. Some say exercising during pregnancy makes labor and delivery easier. Walking and swimming are great choices. If you haven’t exercised before pregnancy, start slowly. Don't overdo exercise. Listen to your body, eat a balanced diet and talk to your doctor about how much weight you should gain as it is different for everyone. Good-luck, mother to be!