Did you know that Malaysia is the fattest country in Southeast Asia? The 2015 National Health and Morbidity survey revealed that 47.7% of the Malaysian population aged 18 and above are overweight or obese.
Being overweight increases the risk of chronic diseases like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes which in turn cause lots of negative health complications. It increases your chance of suffering a heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, liver damage and even eye damage.
So it goes without saying that being pregnant and overweight is not an ideal situation because the complications don’t just affect you, they can affect your baby too. Here’s what you should know if you are pregnant and overweight:
You’re at risk for…
- Venous thromboembolism, a condition where blood clots form in a vein. From there the clots can travel to other organs like the lungs.
- Gestational diabetes, a condition where blood glucose is high during pregnancy. This can occur even if you didn’t suffer from diabetes prior to pregnancy.
- Blood pressure issues like hypertension.
- Heart disease.
- A higher risk of induced labour, postpartum hemorrhage and forceps delivery.
- Slower wound healing after delivery.
Your baby is at risk for…
- Miscarriage, premature birth, foetal abnormalities, stillbirth and death during the first 28 days of life.
- Being overweight at birth.
- Being obese as an adult due to imbalance in gut microorganisms.
Yes, being pregnant means that you are nourishing a new life and therefore need the extra calories. But you don’t actually need to eat for 2 as 300 additional calories are all you need. And you can get those calories from healthy food not pizza or burgers or ice cream.
Most obstetricians nowadays will recommend that you eat a healthy and balanced diet, while staying active and partaking in some mild to moderate exercise. Remember, you’re not just trying to be skinny; being healthy in fact benefits both yourself and your baby.