As an ObGyn working at MetroSouth Medical Center, I get a tremendous amount of satisfaction bringing a new baby into the world and seeing a happy mother and child.  What’s challenging about my job is helping a young, obese woman get pregnant or counseling an overweight patient on the importance of eating right and monitoring their health during pregnancy.

About 40 to 50 percent of the pregnant women I see struggle with obesity.  Technically, a woman is obese when her weight is 30 percent over what is normal for her age and body structure. 

One of the many risks obese women have during their childbearing years is infertility. This is caused by stored fat, which changes the levels of the sex hormones the body produces and makes it more difficult to get pregnant.

Also, if she does conceive, being obese and pregnant puts a woman in a hazardous health condition. Obese moms-to-be can encounter numerous complications during their pregnancy. High blood pressure, miscarriage and diabetes are the most serious problems. They also become candidates for cesarean section delivery. As for the babies, still births, birth defects and other complications are more common.

My advice to women who are overweight and want to have a baby is to engage in a cardiovascular activity three to five times a week.  A balanced diet with six to eight fruits and vegetables every day is essential. I followed this diet myself and recently was able to lose 60 pounds! It can be done!  In addition, I recommend getting a physical to test blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure levels.