As seen on The Doctors recently, the ideal weight for a woman to gain during pregnancy is 25-35 pounds. The weight is distributed as such:
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Post pregnancy, after the baby is born, losing the weight gained should be relatively easy with a good diet and exercise program. Recently, in Us Magazine, Kendra Wilkenson talked about how she lost 40 pounds after her baby was born. She lost the weight by going to the gym 4 times a week for at least 30 minutes and curbing food temptations.
The dangers of not losing that weight are markedly worse if you are planning on having another child. By not shedding post-baby weight, there could be difficulty in getting pregnant again and when pregnancy is achieved, that extra weight could be a key factor in complications that may harm mother and fetus.
- Soft Tissue Dystocia - Extra tissue and fat around the birthing canal could make it difficult for the baby to deliver.
- Shoulder Dystocia - The baby's shoulders get stuck due to extra tissue and fat around birthing canal and only the head can get out.
- Diabetes - Commonly linked to obesity, diabetes could cause an over-fed, and larger baby, thus leading to a difficult delivery. The baby can be born with nerve damage due to pressure on the shoulder during delivery.
- Hypertension - Also commonly linked to obesity, hypertension is high blood pressure. During pregnancy, blood vessels can narrow and there could be less blood flow to baby causing growth problems. The mother could experience seizures, herniation of the brain and vision problems.
The importance of losing post-baby weight and maintaining the weight you gain during pregnancy is crucial to you and your child's health.
