Not many people are aware that being obese and overweight actually decreases a woman's chance of getting pregnant. According to a study conducted by Amsterdam's Academic Medical Center, women who have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and above are less likely to bear children than those whose BMI are 21-29, which is considered the normal BMI levels. In short, the higher your BMI is, the more difficult it will be for you to get pregnant.
More precisely, the statistics show that individuals who have a BMI of over 40 have 43% lesser chance of bearing a child than women who have normal body mass. Moreover, women who have a BMI between 35 and 40 are also 26% less likely to get pregnant using natural methods.
Underlying Reasons
If you and your partner have been trying to conceive for several years without any success, you may want to have your BMI analyzed and your weight checked. The main reason behind this phenomenon is the hormonal imbalance found in women who are overweight or obese. The link is found in Leptin, which is a hormone that controls appetite and the use of energy. This hormone is deficient in people who have high body mass index. Unfortunately, according to some studies, it plays a very important role in increasing women's fertility.
Excess body fat can also affect ovulation, which is crucial in getting pregnant; in fact, it is one of the first stages in child-bearing. If your ovaries are not releasing egg cells because of abnormalities caused by your widening girth, then it would really be quite difficult, if not impossible to conceive the natural way.
Lastly, the human body has a tendency for self-preservation. Thus, if you are still on the heavy side, your body will naturally keep you from getting pregnant in order to protect you, as well as your baby, from complications and dangers brought about by being overweight or obese.
Complications Of Pregnancy During Obesity
As obesity becomes common among Americans, the number of pregnancies among obese women will also rise. Overweight women who are pregnant face potential risks during gestation and other complications during delivery.
Obesity will definitely cause damages during pregnancy and even during conception. Worse, the impacts of this kind of pregnancy will affect your child even when they are older. Babies born to obese moms have twice the risk of having congenital heart problems and obesity as well. A condition known as omphalocele is also prevalent, this is a condition where the organs like the intestines are sticking out of the child's navel.
Diabetes and hypertension are also foremost among the health hazards that an obese pregnant woman can experience. Plus, there is a high possibility of delivery through cesarean section as well as increased likelihood of infection.
Attaining Healthy Weight Before Pregnancy
The health of your new born child will greatly depend on your well-being. And the best expression of love that you can present to your new baby is having a healthy body yourself. In other words, before you embark into the most important experience of your life as a woman, you need to be in tiptop shape.
Attaining healthy weight prior to pregnancy can be a little bit tricky because whatever happens to your body will definitely affect your baby. In short, weight loss methods in this stage should not be all about exercise and reducing the food that you eat. In fact, there are some types of food that you need to eat in abundance; for instance, you need to beef up Omega 3 levels in your body without having to increase too much calories in your body.
If you find it difficult to lose weight prior to your pregnancy, you can opt to use weight loss products that are made from natural ingredients which can help you burn off more calories; supplements like Zylorin can help you get back in shape safely. Visit http://www.zylorin.com/ for more details.
Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere online news magazine http://www.thearticleinsiders.com
