Fertility and Pregnancy Concerns Related to Weight - Obesity

There is a growing concern in the world today as obesity takes over.

We are seeing more and more health problems due to obesity and a big concern and a critical one is Fertility and Pregnancies.

There have been reports that people who are obese may have fertility problems, one example is that men who are overweight or obese, may have a low sperm count.

Women who are overweight or obese have greater health concerns especially when they are pregnant.

Overweight women who are trying to get pregnant have even greater concerns than women who are not overweight. Once getting pregnant there is the health of the mother and the unborn child to consider as they are both at risk during the pregnancy. The following are some of the risk, they may suffer.

1. infrequent menstrual cycles leading to increase risk of infertility

2. increased or higher incident of miscarriages.

3. greater risk of high blood pressure which can further lead to heart problems for the mother or lead to fetal distress

4. greater incident of the mother developing diabetes during pregnancy

5. greater incident of having high birth weight infants

6. increase of high birth weight infants, leads to increase risk of Cesarean section.

7. increase risk of having birth defects

Another huge concern today is the health risk involved in having IVF treatments when obese.

The BBC News reported - "The British Fertility Society is recommending women with a body mass index of 36 and over should not be allowed access to fertility treatment."

However the NHS (National Health Service) guidelines say "overweight women should be advised of potential health risk but don't ban the treatment".

The health risk, for obese women during fertility surgery, is the concern that when extracting the egg, due to the excess fat, this excess fat may push the ovaries up higher, therefore making it harder for the needle to reach the ovaries to extract the eggs. As well, during the surgery the needle is guided by using a scan. It may be difficult to get a clear image of the ovaries as having to scan through excess fat which impedes the scan.

Couples, who want to start a family, and are overweight or obese, or couples who have children but wish to have more, but have become overweight or obese, should look at improving their health and weight frist, before trying to conceive. To help avoid disappointment and frustration while trying to get pregnant, it is better to combat your weight and the best way is to look at a lifestyle change rather than a diet.

A lifestyle change will not only help you but your family in the future.

One change could be, understanding your body and its needs to be healthy. Understanding what foods cause you to gain weight and which ones help you to lose weight. You will also benefit from understanding portion size, which foods you need more of and which you need less, and when to feed your body. This will help you in the long term rather than a quick fix.

Be healthy, not only for yourself, but for your family. Your children will want to have healthy happy parent and enjoy a full lifetime with them.

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