How Obesity Impacts Pregnancy

Pregnancy definitely places unique demands on your body, and if you’re already dealing with obesity, those demands — and the risks they confer — are elevated. 

Understanding how obesity affects you and your developing baby during pregnancy (and beyond) can play a key motivating role in helping you take steps to protect yourself and your baby.

At Desert Star Institute for Family Planning in Phoenix, Arizona, DeShawn Taylor, MD, MSc, FACOG, and our team help moms-to-be navigate their unique risks, including obesity and its potential complications. 

In this post, we explain how obesity affects pregnancy and increases certain risks for you and your baby.

Obesity and maternal health

For moms-to-be, obesity affects how your body regulates blood sugar, blood pressure, and inflammation, all of which can increase the likelihood of complications during pregnancy. 

At the same time, obesity takes a toll on your metabolism, making it harder to regulate your weight while increasing the risk of those weight-related complications.

One of the more common obesity-related pregnancy complications is gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that only occurs during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes makes it more likely that your baby will be unusually large, increasing the likelihood you’ll need a cesarean delivery.

Women with obesity also have a higher risk of developing gestational hypertension, as well as its more serious form, called preeclampsia. 

Both conditions involve higher risks for your health and safety, but preeclampsia is much more serious, sometimes leading to kidney or liver problems, seizures, heart attack, or stroke, along with problems that affect the placenta.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is also more common in people with obesity, including pregnant women. OSA causes brief interruptions in breathing during sleep, increasing daytime fatigue as well as elevating your risks of hypertension, preeclampsia, and heart-related problems.

Finally, obesity can interfere with labor, making it more intense or prolonging labor time. It can also prolong recovery time after delivery, especially if it contributes to complications or wound-healing delays.

Potential effects on the developing baby

Maternal obesity can also affect fetal development and pregnancy outcomes. Specifically, research shows obesity is associated with higher risks of miscarriage, stillbirth, and preterm birth compared with pregnancies in women who aren’t obese.

As noted above, babies born to mothers with obesity are more likely to be larger than average, a condition known as macrosomia. A larger birth weight increases the risk of delivery complications and birth injuries. 

Obesity can also interfere with ultrasound exams, making it harder to use diagnostic imaging to evaluate your developing baby and spot potential issues early. That may explain, at least in part, why maternal obesity is also associated with a higher risk of birth defects, including neural tube defects and congenital heart abnormalities. 

The effects of maternal obesity don’t end with birth, either. Obesity and gestational diabetes make it more likely your child will go on to develop diabetes or other metabolic problems later in life.

Supporting a healthy pregnancy

You don’t need to be at a specific weight to enjoy a healthy pregnancy, but being aware of the risks you and your baby face and taking steps to reduce those risks is essential. 

Losing weight before pregnancy and following a healthy eating plan combined with regular exercise during pregnancy are important for your health and your baby’s health and development.

If you're pregnant or planning to become pregnant and have concerns about your weight, we can help you enjoy the healthiest pregnancy possible. To learn more, request an appointment online or by phone with us at Desert Star Family Planning in Phoenix, Arizona, today.