There are hundreds of studies published every year on the effect of weight on pregnancy complications and outcome. All point to the fact that gaining too much weight can cause a series of pregnancy complications that may increase the risk of death during pregnancy and/or childbirth. Moreover, gaining too much weight during pregnancy is now thought to have long-term side effects for baby. Basically, if mom gains too much weight, baby will grow up weighing too much and possibly suffer from weight-related health concerns well into adulthood. With such a focus on weight gain during pregnancy, what is the optimal means of controlling weight gain? According to researchers from Queen Mary in London – the best choice is to eat right.

Sometimes the Answers are Simpler Than We Think
Eating Right During PregnancyIf someone wants to loese weight they need to eat right and move more. It seems that this answer is not just reserved for the overweight or obese anymore. Pregnant women who want to control weight gain during pregnancy are given generally the same advice. 

Weight gain during pregnancy should be limited to natural weight gain. Extra blood and fluid increases overall body weight. The placenta and uterus also increase body weight and then there is the fetus which can weight more than nine pounds by term. These are the things that should contribute to pregnancy weight gain – not overeating or poor food choices. 

If weight gain is controlled during pregnancy, researchers find fewer instances of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes or hypertension, according to the University of London study

This report is a compilation of information collected from more than 40 other studies on the topic of pregnancy. The total pool of information was pulled from over 7,000 women. Large-scale studies are extremely important because the outcomes are more widely trusted. There were three means of controlling weight gain used in the report – exercise, diet and a combination of both. In all three cases weight gain was controlled, but women eating a controlled diet did not develop preeclampsia or gestational diabetes as often.Hypertension and premature delivery rates were also reduced.

Researchers thought it extremely important to note that none of the infants born during the study were affected by the diet, exercise or combination. Average birth weights remained the same. 

Source: S. Thangaratinam, E. Rogozinska, K. Jolly, S. Glinkowski, T .Rosebloom, J.W. Tomlinson, R. Kunz, B.W. Mol, A. Coomarasamy, K.S. Khan. BMJ. 16 May, 2012.

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