Is it more painful/difficult to give birth if you are overweight?

Question

Is it more painful/difficult to give birth when you are overweight? For example because you're generally less fit, less flexible, doesn't the fat get in the way when you need to stretch so much during birth?

Answer 1

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Daily Women's Health Policy

Pregnancy & Childbirth | Overweight, Obese Women Experience Longer Labor Times, Study Says
[Nov 09, 2004]
Women who are overweight or obese before becoming pregnant on average are in labor longer than women of normal pre-pregnancy weight, according to a study published in the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Reuters Health reports (Norton, Reuters Health, 11/5). Researchers at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development studied the pregnancy and birth records of 612 North Carolina women between 1995 and 2002, IBS/TheMilwaukeeChannel.com reports (IBS/TheMilwaukeeChannel.com, 11/1). The researchers tracked how long it took each woman -- all of whom were at least 16 years old and giving birth for the first time -- to progress from four centimeters to 10 centimeters of cervical dilation during labor. Researchers also determined each woman's pre-pregnancy body mass index, an indirect measure of body fat, WebMD/CBSNews.com reports. For women of normal pre-pregnancy weight, labor lasted an average of 6.2 hours, compared with 7.5 hours for overweight women and almost eight hours for obese women (WebMD/CBSNews.com, 10/29). The reason for the slower progression of labor in overweight or obese women is unknown, but the researchers speculated that excess fat might hinder the widening of the birth canal, according to Reuters Health (Reuters Health, 11/5).

Additional Risks
Nearly 50% of women of childbearing age are considered overweight or obese, WebMD/CBSNews.com reports (WebMD/CBSNews.com, 10/29). Obese women and women who gain excessive weight during pregnancy face additional increased risks during pregnancy, including diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia, blood clots and complications during labor and are more likely to have fetuses with neural tube defects, experience birth trauma and miscarry late in pregnancy. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences recommends that women with a normal pre-pregnancy weight gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy; underweight women gain 28 to 40 pounds; overweight women gain 15 to 25 pounds; and women who are obese prior to becoming pregnant gain a minimum of 15 pounds during pregnancy (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 6/29). Obese women are twice as likely as normal-weight women to have a caesarean-section delivery. According to researchers, c-sections sometimes are performed because of longer labor times, according to WebMD/CBSNews.com (WebMD/CBSNews.com, 10/29). Women who gain excess weight during pregnancy also face an increased risk of c-section, according to a study published last month. Women who gain more than 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy are 40% more likely to undergo a c-section delivery than women who gain no more than 25 to 35 pounds, regardless of the birthweight of the infant (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 10/8).

Answer 2

Might be more difficult to move due to the extra weight of the baby, especially if you have the epidural. The muscles used during child birth aren't exactly muscles you can lift weights with to strengthen. The only thing you need to "stretch" is the vaginal canal, and to spread your legs... The only thing where I can see weight being a problem is if the person is majorly obese and can run into complications with their heart because they're not used to that much strain.

Answer 3

I was overweight when I gave birth and I only pushed for 1/2 hour and she was my first baby. I'm sure it is easier if you are fit but I didn't think it was that bad but maybe that's because I took the epidural and everything from my waist down was numb. LOL.

Answer 4

I really don't think it matters how much you weigh, it just hurts like hell anyway..lol.. No seriously, I really don't think it matters. The pain is the same for every woman. And no fat doesn't get in the way at all. It's all muscle that does the work, and every woman's body is ready to take the challenge, no matter how big or small she may be. That's just the way God made us. Good Luck.. Amanda

Answer 5

I put on 120 lbs with my pregnancy. I was 250 at delivery! I had a horrible labor. The biggest problem was getting the epidural. My back was so fat they couldn't get the needle to go where they needed it. It took 12 times! My advice is to stay fit and active.

Answer 6

No, weight does not complicate birth. My friend was 370 and she gave birth just fine. I was there for it all :) so no worries.

However, getting out and walking later in preg seems to help with shortening the labor/delivery process.

Good luck!!

Answer 7

i would think that it depended on the kind of birth i mean regular or c-section.... i just and a c-section and i am about 50 over weight and i was fine if it had not been for the "drugs" they give you i would have been wakjing around the same night.....

Answer 8

i highly doubt it. inflexible or not, ur GOING to move when the pain dictates, lol. the fat may cause a few minor complications, but it wont hurt you, no.

Answer 9

NO....it's the same...just a bit more work on flexing to the comforatbale position.

Answer 10

i think it would be easier (as long as you are not obese) that is why they call chubby hips "birthing hips" yeah!