Morbid Obesity and Pregnancy

A person is considered morbidly obese if he or she weighs more than 20% above ideal body weight, or 100 pounds more than ideal body weight.

Morbid obesity and pregnacy does not go well together, if you are morbidly obese you should think carefully before attempting to fall pregnant. It may be difficult to fall pregnant and the pregnancy will also be difficult. Your body is already straining to cope with the excess body weight, without adding the additional stress of a pregnancy.

The condition of morbid obesity may affect a woman’s reproductive cycle, and prevent her from falling pregnant. If you do manage to fall pregnant while you are morbidly obese, you should seek medical support as well as emotional support as soon as possible. Being pregnant is something special to a woman, and stress should be eliminated as far as possible.

Morbidly Obese Pregnant Women Are More Disease Prone

A morbidly obese pregnant woman is more prone to diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, which could have serious life threatening side effects.  Diabetes in a pregnant morbidly obese woman could lead to preeclampsia, which causes the baby to be born prematurely, or to excessive bleeding. Poor eyesight is also a result of diabetes.

Diabetes in pregnancy can cause a lot of stress to the morbidly obese woman, as the condition elevates the heart rate, glucose level and blood pressure. A baby born to a diabetic mother may be stillborn, or may be either overweight or underweight.

Pregnancy and morbid obesity equals risk to your health. A morbidly obese pregnant woman will need special care to ensure that the baby is carried to full term. Certain clinics are rigged up to take care of the special needs of morbidly obese pregnant woman.  Make sure that a team of obstetricians and other professionals are available to monitor any complications which may arise during pregnancy if you are morbidly obese.