How does your weight affect your pregnancy?

Most pregnant women have healthy babies-and that includes women who are obese. But being very heavy does increase the chance of problems.

Babies born to mothers who are obese have a higher risk of:

• Birth defects, such as a heart defect or neural tube defects.
• Being too large. This can cause problems during labor and delivery.

Mothers who are obese have a higher risk of:

• Problems during pregnancy, such as high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, or preeclampsia.
• Cesarean (or C-section) birth and a higher risk of problems from it.
• Miscarriage or stillbirth.

If you're not pregnant already, being obese can make it hard to get pregnant.

These are scary problems, and it's common to worry about your and your baby's health. But being obese doesn't mean that you will have these problems. You can do a lot to improve your chances of having a healthy pregnancy.

Work with your doctor to get the care you need. Go to all your doctor visits, and follow your doctor's advice about what to do and what to avoid during pregnancy.

Should you try to lose weight during pregnancy?

No. Pregnancy is not the time to lose weight. Your baby needs you to eat a well-rounded diet. Don't cut out food groups or go on any type of weight-loss diet.

How much weight should you gain during pregnancy?

Experts recommend that obese women gain between 11 and 20 pounds.¹ Your doctor will work with you to set a weight goal that's right for you. In some cases, a doctor may recommend that a woman not gain any weight.

Although pregnant women often joke that they're "eating for two," you don't need to eat twice as much food. In general, pregnant women need to eat about 300 extra calories a day. You can get this in a sandwich or in an apple and a cup of yogurt.

How much can you eat during pregnancy?

How much you can eat depends on:

• How much you weigh when you get pregnant.
• Your body mass index (BMI).
• How much you exercise.

Like any pregnant woman, you need to eat a variety of foods from all the food groups. You especially need to make sure to get enough calcium and folic acid.

You may want to work with a dietitian to help you plan healthy meals to get the right amount of calories for you.

How will your prenatal care change if you're obese?

You will have the same number of doctor visits as a woman of average weight, unless you start to have problems. Then you would see your doctor more often. But you'll have the same type of tests to look for problems and make sure your baby is healthy.

What can you do to have a healthy pregnancy?