As much as I hate to say it, I cannot but confess that the relationship between obesity and pregnancy outcome is never a good one. There are so many instances in which obesity has had significant negative impact on the outcome of pregnancy and offspring. Obese women who become pregnant have an increased risk of hypertension; pregnancy related diabetes, urinary infections, caesarean sections and assisted delivery.

In addition, the miscarriage rate is much higher in overweight women in addition to abnormalities like increased incidence of Down’s syndrome in the children born from overweight mothers. Although excess weight is not thought to contribute to the miscarriages of PCOS (which is common in overweight women) it is associated with hormonal imbalance. What you need to take note of here is that for most women, pregnancy is a time when weight comes under scrutiny. It is a well known fact that beginning a pregnancy with excess weight or gaining excessive weight during pregnancy increases the risk of complications.

The reasons are not far-fetched. Excess weight often causes breathlessness, lethargy, increased abdominal pressure, indigestion, heart burn, depression and added physical pressure on knee joints as the pregnancy progresses. If your weight gain is more significant you may develop gestational diabetes or another condition known as pre-eclampsia. Both conditions are serious and you would need to consult a qualified health professional for proper advice. There is also evidence that women who are overweight or obese may carry larger babies and may not carry to full term. They may be more likely to have labour complications requiring intervention involving anaesthesia and/ or caesarean section.