Mothers who are overweight during pregnancy are more likely to have babies with the following problems:
Problem
Explanation
Having a very large baby (macrosomia)
Having a baby who is larger and has more body fat than normal. This increases the risk that the baby will be overweight as a child.
Medical Problems
Higher risk that the baby will have heart disease or diabetes as an adult
Higher risk of having a baby born with a birth defect (such as heart defects ). The risk of having a baby with a birth defect is even higher if the mother had diabetes before pregnancy.
Baby born too early
Baby could be delivered early. This is called premature birth. Babies born early could have health problems like breathing or eating problems.
Pre-Pregnancy Advice and Planning a Pregnancy
Planning your pregnancy is a great way to avoid getting GDM while you are pregnant. One way you can get started is to get preconception counseling. This is when you talk to your doctor or nurse about how to get healthy before you get pregnant. Your doctor or nurse will help you to:
- Get to a healthy weight
- Have healthy blood sugar
- Postpone a pregnancy until it is safe and wanted
This preconception counseling can help you and your baby to be healthy.
Preconception counseling - When you talk to your doctor or nurse about getting healthy before you get pregnant, starting at puberty. This kind of counseling increases your chances of having a healthy baby by teaching you how to get to a healthy weight, keep normal blood sugars, and postpone a pregnancy until it’s safe and wanted.