Starting a family or adding a new member to your family is a wonderful experience. However for many couples, it can be a difficult journey both physically and emotionally.

Weight is an important consideration for either partner while trying to conceive. Being overweight can have wide-ranging detrimental effects on fertility and cause complication during pregnancy and childbirth. The physiological effects of obesity can be detrimental to natural conception, IVF success rates, pregnancy and childbirth.  Whilst the mechanisms are varied – as a woman’s BMI increases, so too does the risk of unsuccessful pregnancy or pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, diabetes or premature birth.

Reaching a healthy weight will give you the best chance to achieve your dream of starting, or continuing your family. A recent study published in Australian Doctor found losing just a small amount of weight can improve the chances of overweight women conceiving by almost fivefold. These women who lost more than 5% of their body weight were 4.75 times more likely to have a baby in the following four years, either through IVF or spontaneously, compared with women who didn’t achieve the weight loss. In fact, more than one quarter of the women spontaneously conceived within 3-6 months.

Being obese during pregnancy increases the risk of various pregnancy complications, including:

• Gestational diabetes. Women who are obese are more likely to have diabetes that develops during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) than are women who have a normal weight.
• Preeclampsia. Women who are obese are at increased risk of developing high blood pressure and protein in the urine after 20 weeks of pregnancy (preeclampsia).
• Infection. Women who are obese during pregnancy are at increased risk of urinary tract infections. Obesity also increases the risk of postpartum infection, whether the baby is delivered vaginally or by C-section.
• Thrombosis. Women who are obese during pregnancy are at increased risk of a serious condition in which a blood clot forms inside a blood vessel (thrombosis).
• Obstructive sleep apnoea. Women who are obese during pregnancy might be at increased risk of a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts (obstructive sleep apnoea). Pregnancy might also worsen existing obstructive sleep apnoea.
• Overdue pregnancy. Obesity increases the risk that pregnancy will continue beyond the expected due date.
• Labour problems.  Labour induction is more common in women who are obese. Obesity can also interfere with the use of certain types of pain medication, such as an epidural block.
• Caesarean section.  Obesity during pregnancy increases the likelihood of elective and emergency C-sections. Obesity also increases the risk of C-section complications, such as delayed healing and wound infections. Women who are obese are also less likely to have a successful vaginal delivery after a C-section (VBAC).
• Pregnancy loss. Obesity increases the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.

We know that weight loss of up to 1kg^ per week in women can be achieved through our program. Losses of 1kg per week can add up to 16kg to 20kg within a meaningful time frame. Some people can achieve faster rates – but it’s best to be realistic about what can be achieved and how long it takes. The key is to maintain an energy reduced but balanced diet, control hunger and be active. Importantly those changes should remain as healthy lifetime habits. In addition to weight loss and improved fitness there are a number of important health improvements:

• Blood pressure will fall significantly
• Cholesterol levels fall
• Blood glucose also falls as insulin sensitivity improves
• Reproductive hormones can normalise

All these health improvements can contribute to becoming pregnant and remaining at a healthy weight during pregnancy and after childbirth.

We’d love to help you, or your partner reach a healthy weight to give you the best chance to achieve your dream of starting, or continuing your family. All of our programs are tailored to your individual needs, so wherever you are on your journey to parenthood, the advice we give is carefully tailored to you and your pregnancy. If you are pregnant or are trying to conceive, you can be assured that our medical, dietetic and exercise advice is always in the best interest of you and your baby.