Overweight and Pregnancy

Did you know that being overweight during pregnancy could cause problems for the woman and her baby?

Being overweight makes it more likely that a woman will get diabetes before or during pregnancy. The more overweight she is before she gets pregnant, the greater her risk of having problems during her pregnancy. She could have high blood pressure, have trouble delivering the baby without surgery, or have a baby who is born dead. She and her baby are likely to stay in the hospital longer. Extra weight causes hormone imbalances. When hormones are out of balance, girls and women can have irregular periods, heavy bleeding, acne, and other skin changes.

Having both irregular periods and high amounts of male hormones (like testosterone), in the blood is called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS causes acne and extra hair on the face, neck and chest and belly. PCOS can also make it harder to get pregnant.

The more overweight a woman is before she gets pregnant, the greater her risk of having problems during her pregnancy. These problems include high blood pressure, stillbirth, c-section, longer hospital stays when she has her baby, and GDM.