should an obese pregnant woman try to lose weight or stay the same weight or gain any weight during pregnancy?

Question

at 5'5" I'm 240 lbs, so technically considered obese. My weight is distributed fairly evenly and my diet is pretty healthy and I do excercise.

Answer 1

WELL...technically they tell you not to diet during pregnancy no matter what you weigh. Obesity can cause problems in pregnancy though (including gestational diabetes, etc.). I would suggest better eating habits and exercise just to keep yourself healthy. I'm about 5'9" and I was 213 lbs when I got pregnant. I'm now 5 1/2 months pregnant and 206 lbs. I just don't eat fast food and I do yoga every day. I feel great and I have a much prettier baby tummy now than I would have if I had kept the same habits. Don't worry about weight, just keep focused on how YOU feel. Congratulations!

Answer 2

I'm considered obese and pregnant, but I'm also 5'11" and not 5'5". My pre-pregnancy weight was 217, but my weight is NOT distributed evenly. You shouldn't try to lose weight, but if you do, that's different. I was told that about 20-30 pounds was good for me. I'm 33 weeks and have gained right at 30 pounds. My baby weighs about 5 1/2 pounds right now. My doctor has not mentioned being concerned at all and I've never been considered to be at "high-risk". As long as you do eat healthy and exercise regularly, then you should be fine. I did that until I was about 15 weeks or so. Since then, I've cut back on exercising just because I got lazy. I still try to eat healthy but it's very hard. Especially when I crave certain foods that I know are bad for me. I usually end up just having peanut butter and banana or something else that I know is better for me. Anyway, back to the question at hand. Keep exercising and eating healthy and you will be fine.

Good Luck!!

Answer 3

No OB in their right mind would tell a woman, however overweight, not to gain ANY weight in pregnancy. It is impossible. They would simply tell you to gain from the lower end of the weight gain spectrum. Like maybe keep it at 15-20 lbs instead of 30-40 lbs. You pack on weight in fluid, your breasts add a pound or two each, the baby itself will weight 6-8 lbs, plus the placenta... You can't lose weight in pregnancy either, it would be dangerous. My doctor is always harping on me about not gaining a pound a week at my stage on this pregnancy, even though I'm 33 weeks and weigh 230lbs! (and yes I'm only admitting that because this is the interent LOL) You should talk to your doctor some more, or find a second opinion.

Answer 4

i was 155lb pre-preg - overweight, but not obese. my avg weight gain allowed is 15 to 25lb. this is less than the avg for a normal weight woman bcos i already have extra fat. i assume that for an obese person the weight gain allowed is even less.

i say as long as ur getting good nutrition and the doc is happy with the baby's development, u can stay at the same weight or even lose some. dont go on a diet tho, just make sure u eat enough healthy food. my opinion: even tho ur not supposed to lose weight during pg, if ur obese it can't hurt to lose some of the extra fat while ur pregnant.

Answer 5

Hi. No pregnant woman should ever be aiming to lose weight during pregnancy. If you are overweight though, ideally you will gain less weight (only 10-20 lbs extra total) than a pregnant woman who is average in weight or underweight. Just eat as healthy as you can for your baby and keep up with your exercise (but not with anything too strenuous! no marathons!). Then the weight gain will happen gradually and naturally. Try to keep away from very processed and salty foods - leads to water retention and sometimes LOTS of extra weight gain, which isn't really great for the baby or for you. My cousin gained 50 lbs, and she's just a little toothpick of a gal! Her doctor said it was largely from her love of Mr. Noodles for lunch. It would probably be wise to check with a doctor about what is best for you and your baby as far as weight gain and exercise goes. Good luck to you and your little one!!

Answer 6

You need to focus on your nutrition and the quality of your diet, not on weight gain or loss. You should not TRY to loose weight, stay the same, etc. You should just try and eat a really healthy diet and cut out junk foods.

You can find a little information on nutrition in pregnancy here with sample diet for a healthy pregnancy (based on the Brewer diet for pregnancy.)
http://www.midwiferyservices.org/infoforparents

Many obese women do loose a little, especially at first, simply because they really improve what they are eating. I wouldn't want to see you loose much though. Better to try and loose weight after the baby comes.

Claudine Crews CPM, LM

Answer 7

It will be very hard not to gain weight during a pregnancy no matter what size we are, since it is only natural that we gain weight (baby, water, etc) with a pregnancy. If you are eating healthy and doing exercises just try and keep the weight down to a max of 25 pound weight gain.

Answer 8

Don't try to lose any weight, but keep your weight gain down during pregnancy. Eat healthy foods and continue to exercise. I will offer this piece of advice, however. I always thought my diet was "pretty healthy." However, my cholesterol was high and I was slightly overweight a year after giving birth. I found a website where I can enter the food I eat. There is a database with several foods listed, and any food I eat not listed, I enter in myself. It helps me keep track of what I REALLY eat. I was eating healthy foods for the most part, but on the weekends, I would consume 2500-3000 calories per day. It just helps me keep in mind what foods are truly healthy and what foods may just appear to be healthy. Since doing this, I have lowered my cholesterol and lost weight. The website is sparkpeople.com if anyone is interested.

Answer 9

The best person to answer this question is your doctor, but as a general guideline a pregnant woman should gain 25 - 35 lbs during pregnancy, and it might be a good idea for you to stay closer to the 25 lbs if you're already 240

Answer 10

I am pretty sure that they recommend that an obese woman only gain around 15-20 lbs during pregnancy. It would be a great idea to start some light to moderate exercise though, if your Dr. ok's it. Even in a smaller woman, the benefits of exercise can make a huge difference when you go into labor!!