BEWARE OF OBESITY IN PREGNANT WOMEN

Hermina's friend,

It is necessary to know and be aware of the risks and dangers of obesity in pregnant women. Due to the fact that the condition of pregnancy often causes significant weight gain due to uncontrolled nutritional intake and reduced body movement during pregnancy.

Examination and consultation before pregnancy is highly recommended for pregnant women who are obese. Mothers will be advised to undergo a weight loss program in the form of diet, exercise and lifestyle modification before planning a pregnancy. As much as possible, have a normal weight with BMI (Body Mass Index) before pregnancy.

Measure the pregnant woman's weight and height at the initial prenatal visit. This is to obtain an accurate BMI calculation so that pregnant women can find out recommendations for weight gain and recommended nutritional intake during their pregnancy

There are several factors that cause obesity during pregnancy, including:
1. Excessive eating portions with an unbalanced diet. Especially if the daily intake of pregnant women contains too much glucose and carbohydrates without being interspersed with good fruits, vegetables and fats.
2. Less activity of pregnant women and reduced exercise activities due to pregnancy conditions
3. Stress on pregnancy which Triggers the behavior of excessive eating

Danger of Obesity in Pregnancy
If left untreated, there are many risks from obesity during pregnancy which will interfere with health, including:

• Difficult or prolonged labour
• Gestational diabetes (diabetes that occurs in pregnant women during pregnancy until delivery)
• Postpartum bleeding
• Heart and kidney disorders
• Sleep apnea (disturbed and intermittent breathing during sleep)
• Caesarean delivery
• Blood clotting
• Preeclampsia (raised high blood pressure)
• Miscarriage or the baby is born lifeless

How to Overcome Obesity During Pregnancy
There are many ways to deal with obesity in pregnant women that can be avoided in early pregnancy, including:

1. Maintain calorie intake

Eat regularly 3 times a day. Keeping your body ideal during pregnancy doesn't mean you have to go on a diet, but it doesn't mean that you can put various kinds of food into your body. a pregnant woman needs adequate nutrition to meet the daily needs of the fetus she is carrying. So to prevent obesity in pregnant women by eating regularly 3 times a day, namely morning, afternoon and evening. However, what needs to be remembered is the quality of nutrition that must always be considered.

Balancing nutritional intake and diet. Pay attention to the composition of meals and snacks. Replace some menus that are rich in flour, oil and fat with fruits or vegetables.

2. Routinely check yourself at the obstetrician

There are many benefits to routine pregnancy consultations, including:

• Help Prevent Complications

Because the physical condition is quite prone to complications, pregnant women must carry out routine checks. Complications that are susceptible to experiencing are hypertension and gestational diabetes. By doing an examination, the mother can find out how likely it is to experience these complications.

• Know Fetal Development

In addition to knowing the mother's health, routinely checking with the obstetrician is also useful to find out the condition of the growth and development of the fetus.

• Starting from which parts of the body have appeared, to the possibilities of disease in the fetus.

Help Mothers Prepare for Birth
In addition to providing information related to the health of mothers and prospective babies, routinely checking with a doctor can also add insight about childbirth and mother's readiness ahead of the D-day.

3. Start doing physical activity

Do light exercise that can be done at home and is safe for pregnancy, such as yoga, walking, pregnancy exercise, and swimming. Things that need to be emphasized, discuss it first with your obstetrician before deciding to exercise.

The goal is that exercise does not harm the mother and fetus in the womb. Because it is possible that pregnant women have certain conditions so that they are not allowed to do certain types of exercise during pregnancy.

4. Keep your mind positive

Cultivate gratitude and pleasant thoughts. Do small activities that are fun and can make the atmosphere relaxed and calm.

What is the ideal weight gain during pregnancy?
Pay attention to the body mass index of Friends of Hermina before getting pregnant. According to WHO, the body mass index for Asian women is divided into four.

Underweight if <18.5 , Normal if 18.5-22.9, overweight if 23-24.9 and obese if > 25.

The way to calculate your body mass index is to calculate your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared. The ideal weight gain during pregnancy is as follows;

If Hermina's Friends experience excess weight gain during pregnancy, immediately consult the Obgsyn Doctor so that it can be detected further and make plans to address the right lifestyle to avoid pregnancy complications.

Healthy Greetings.