Atqia BilkisHave you gotten a baby bump?
Are you wondering about losing weight while pregnant?
Well well, first things first, losing weight while pregnant is unhealthy for both you and your unborn child, especially in the later stages.
You wouldn’t want your unborn child to be deprived of essential nutrients that are necessary for their growth and development.
Naturally, throughout pregnancy, your weight growth will generally be constant due to increases in amniotic fluid, blood volume, and the developing fetus.
Even women who are obese still put on weight during pregnancy.
The best approach to a good pregnancy is to maximize your health before pregnancy which includes achieving a healthy weight.
Even if you could not manage your weight beforehand, fortunately, there is evidence that points out that certain women with BMI above 30 have potential benefits for losing weight during pregnancy.
But, there are secure techniques you can utilize to lower unhealthy body fat and prevent potential weight-related issues
This article explores the debate of whether or not pregnant women should lose weight and how they can do so.
Is it safe for you to attempt weight loss while pregnant?
Doctors typically don’t advise pregnant women to reduce their weight.
Instead, they advise pregnant women to concentrate on getting adequate nutrition and exercise to maintain the health of both themselves and their unborn child.
Truly speaking, pregnant women who were of a healthy weight at the time of conception shouldn’t lose weight.
What transpires, though, if you were overweight prior to becoming pregnant?
If you are obese that is if you have a body mass index of 30.0 or greater when pregnant, you have a higher chance of developing the following health problems including miscarriage and premature birth:
Preeclampsia
This is a severe form of gestational hypertension that often develops right after childbirth or in the second part of pregnancy.
Your liver and kidneys could fail as a result of it, and in rare instances, it could also result in
- Seizures
- Stroke
- Heart attack
Other risks include issues with the placenta and fetal development.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
When you have sleep apnea, you stop breathing for a brief moment while you’re asleep.
Sleep apnea can exacerbate other health issues that include:
- Preeclampsia
- High blood pressure
- Lung and heart issues
- Exhaustion during pregnancy can all be exacerbated by sleep apnea.
Gestational hypertension
This type of elevated blood pressure starts in the second trimester of your pregnancy.
Serious issues including poor fetal growth and stillbirth can result from it.
Gestational diabetes
Your chance of giving birth to a very big baby could rise if your blood sugar (glucose) levels are high during pregnancy.
Also, it could raise your chances of needing a C-section (cesarean birth).
Not to mention, you are more likely to develop diabetes mellitus in the future if you have gestational diabetes, and so will your children unfortunately.
Blood clots
During pregnancy, obese women are twice as likely to suffer a potentially fatal blood clot in the lung.
Having a sedentary lifestyle exacerbates the risk of blood clots which are potentially dangerous to your baby as blood clots can form inside the placenta that cuts off blood flow which will harm your baby.
When can your doctor advise you about weight loss while pregnant?
First of all, weight management is a safer alternative than any form of significant weight loss for the majority of pregnant women.
Although having a lower BMI while pregnant has certain advantages, not all pregnant women should lose weight.
Exercise and calorie restriction are two typical weight-loss strategies.
While pregnant, it’s important to exercise and monitor your calorie intake, but going overboard can be harmful to your unborn child.
This is why many medical professionals advise against losing weight during pregnancy unless you have a BMI that is abnormally high.
You should talk to your doctor about your concerns.
The utmost safest decisions for you and your unborn child will be decided in collaboration with your doctor.
You can also sit down with your doctor after your child is delivered and develop a healthy weight reduction plan.
- Drink a minimum of ten 8-ounce glasses of water daily to stay hydrated.
- Instead of simple carbohydrates like white bread, white rice, and white pasta, choose complex carbohydrates like beans, fruits, and whole grains.
6 Safe Weight-Management Strategies While Pregnant
While it’s virtually never a good idea to concentrate on reducing weight while pregnant, you should still strive to maintain your health and adopt a healthy lifestyle.
A healthcare professional could advise you to acquire less weight during pregnancy than women who start off at a healthy weight, depending on your weight and general health.
In some circumstances, a doctor would advise you to maintain your weight rather than add just a tiny bit of weight.
Here are 6 ways you can manage your weight while pregnant:
1. Pay attention to a nutrient-rich diet
While the majority of pregnant women will need to consume more calories, you can concentrate on eating full, nutrient-dense meals if your goal is to either maintain your weight or not gain too much weight.
You can do that by simply avoiding:
- Added artificial sweeteners to food
- Foods and beverages with sugar or corn syrup
- Processed foods
- Junk food, including cookies, ice cream, cake, chips, and candy. (You can occasionally cheat, but don’t make it a habit)
- Consume salt and sugar in moderate amounts
- Margarine, butter, gravy, sauces, mayonnaise, and salad dressings are examples of unhealthy fats
Some foods you ought to be consuming:
- Fresh produce and fruits
- Whole grain-based bread and cereals
- Dairy products and milk
- Foods high in folate include beans, spinach, and strawberries
- “Good” unsaturated fats include peanut oil, canola oil, and olive oil
A diet high in protein and vegetables will facilitate weight growth or maintenance throughout pregnancy and make it simpler for you to lose weight after giving birth.
So, focus on wholesome foods and pack half of your plate with non-starchy veggies, 1/4 with protein, and 1/4 with nutrient-dense carbs like sweet potato, quinoa, etc.
Do not go for any fad diets during pregnancy as it has tight calorie requirements that will cut down good nutrition and vitamin source for your unborn child.
It’s also better to eat frequent, small meals because eating a full meal can make you feel ill, like getting acid reflux.
So, eat three moderately sized major meals and two to three smaller meals each day.
2. Include movements in your day
Exercising while pregnant is safe as long as your pregnancy is generally healthy. 3
Living an active lifestyle can help a woman heal more rapidly after giving birth and shed pounds more quickly.
Not to mention, moderate exercise will reduce birth defects and even relieve some pregnancy-related aches and discomfort.
If you’ve never worked out before, start off slowly, but for the majority of expectant women, adding moderate-intensity workouts is acceptable such as:
- Walking
- Swimming
- Gardening
- Stationary biking
- Yoga
- Pilates
These are the safest workouts for pregnant women (both modified for pregnancy).
Start by exercising for only five to ten minutes every day.
Next week, add five additional minutes.
The ultimate objective is to maintain daily activity for 30 to 45 minutes.
Avoid overworking out as vigorous activity during pregnancy will harm your unborn child.
If you encounter any of the following, refrain from exercising:
- Uterine bleeding
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Chest ache
- Muscle tremor
- Leaks of amniotic fluid
- Have a medical issue such as high blood pressure, placenta previa, impending miscarriage, or incompetent cervical os
A decent rule of thumb is that you should be able to talk freely while exercising without breathing too hard.
Be aware of your body and take rest or stop working out when you have aches.
3. Speak with a licensed dietitian
You will need to work closely with a healthcare provider to ensure that you are getting the nutrition and calories you need, both for yourself and your growing baby if it is determined that maintaining your weight and not gaining is important for the health of your pregnancy and for a healthy delivery.
Again, although doctors don’t often advise losing weight, when they do, you can be confident they’ll work closely with you providing an individualized plan to make sure the weight management is carried out safely.
4. Be aware of how much weight you need to gain
You have a developing child inside of you so it is expected for you to gain weight.
But, while some weight increase is to be expected, it’s important to understand how much weight growth is good.
Based on your pre-pregnancy weight, the CDC offers recommendations for weight gain during pregnancy that you can use:
- If you’re overweight (BMI of 30 or more), add between 11 and 20 pounds.
- If your BMI is between 25 and 29.9, gain between 15 and 25 pounds.
- If you’re at a healthy weight (BMI of 18.5 to 24.9), you should add between 25 and 35 pounds.
Depending on your pre-pregnancy BMI, you should get a certain amount of weight throughout pregnancy.
Knowing your threshold for pregnancy weight increase is important before deciding to reduce your weight while pregnant.
You can determine how much weight you can acquire by using the chart below:
| PREGNANCY WEIGHT CATEGORY | BODY MASS INDEX | RECOMMENDED RANGE OF TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN |
| Underweight | Less than 18.5 | 28-40lb (13-18kg) |
| Normal | 18.5-24.9 | 25-35lb (11-15kg) |
| Overweight | 25-29.9 | 15-25lb (6.8-11kg) |
| Obese | 30 and above | 11-20lb (5-9kg) |
Source: ACOG and the Institute of Medicine
5. Keep a journal
A smart approach to make sure you’re receiving enough nutrients and water each day is to keep an online meal journal.
You can assess if your diet is excessively high in salt or sugar or whether it is deficient in a certain essential nutrient.
Maintaining a journal can help you keep tabs on your moods and hunger levels.
A journal is also the ideal tool for organizing your training schedule and developing a regimen that works for you.
It’s best if you can establish a habit as soon as possible.
Many websites also offer a community forum where you can interact with others who share your objectives.
You can also exchange workout plans, cooking advice, and other pointers for maintaining your new healthy way of life.
6. Accept your body changes
Gaining weight during pregnancy is natural and is beneficial to the health of your unborn child.
Make sure that your weight gain stays within the parameters established by your doctor.
Try to avoid using crash diets or other harmful quick fixes to reduce weight while pregnant since they will affect your unborn child.
Enjoy the process of becoming a mother.
Love yourself and keep in mind that you can return to your amazing self after giving birth, once you have settled in with the baby, definitely with some work and a lot of willpower.
Six weeks after a normal delivery and 12 weeks after a cesarean section, you can begin exercising, particularly abdominal exercises.
After giving birth, you can walk whenever you can.
So, respect your body and accept the changes during pregnancy as it can be changed gradually and there is no need to put pressure on your body and stress yourself out.
Managing your stress is another factor in managing your weight changes as stress has been linked to the visceral disposition of fat.
Takeaway
Many people find that managing their weight is safer than engaging in dramatic weight reduction.
During pregnancy, it’s crucial to exercise moderately and monitor your type of calorie consumption.
However, going overboard will potentially be harmful to your baby.
This is why, unless you’re substantially overweight, the majority of doctors do not advise losing weight while pregnant.
More crucial than the weight on the scale is giving your baby the minerals and nourishment they require.
The best choice for you and your unborn child can be guided by your doctor.
After your child is born, you can always go back to your weight-loss plan but make sure to consult with your doctor.
Resources
https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pregnancy-weight-gain.htm#weight
Womensframe
Indrani Guha
Add comment