When Pregnancy Goes Past Your Due Date
What is the due date? The date your baby is due—your estimated due date (EDD)—is calculated from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP). The EDD is used as a guide for checking your
Does obesity during pregnancy put me at risk of any health problems?
Obesity during pregnancy puts you at risk of several serious health problems:
- Gestational hypertension—High blood pressure that starts during the second half of pregnancy is called gestational hypertension. It can lead to serious complications.
- Preeclampsia—Preeclampsia is a serious form of gestational hypertension that usually happens in the second half of pregnancy or soon after childbirth. This condition can cause the woman's kidneys and liver to fail. In rare cases, seizures, heart attack, and stroke can happen. Other risks include problems with the placenta and growth problems for the fetus.
- Gestational diabetes—High levels of glucose (blood sugar) during pregnancy increase the risk of having a very large baby. This also increases the chance of cesarean birth. Women who have had gestational diabetes have a higher risk of diabetes mellitus in the future. So do their children.
- Obstructive sleep apnea—Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person stops breathing for short periods during sleep. During pregnancy, sleep apnea can cause fatigue and increase the risk of high blood pressure, preeclampsia, and heart and lung problems.
How can obesity affect a pregnancy?
Obesity increases the risk of the following problems during pregnancy:
- Birth defects—Babies born to women who are obese have an increased risk of having birth defects, such as heart defects and neural tube defects (NTDs)
- Problems with diagnostic tests—Having too much body fat can make it difficult to see certain problems with the fetus’s anatomy on an ultrasound exam. Checking the fetus’s heart rate during labor also may be more difficult if you are obese.
- Macrosomia—In this condition, the fetus is larger than normal. This can increase the risk of injury during birth. For example, the fetus’s shoulder can get stuck after the head is delivered. Macrosomia also increases the risk of cesarean birth. Infants born with too much body fat have a greater chance of being obese later in life.
- Preterm birth—Problems associated with a woman’s obesity, such as preeclampsia, may lead to a medically indicated preterm birth. This means that the baby is delivered early for a medical reason. Preterm babies are not as fully developed as babies who are born after 39 weeks of pregnancy. As a result, preterm babies have an increased risk of short-term and long-term health problems.
- Stillbirth—The higher the woman’s BMI, the greater the risk of stillbirth.
If I am overweight or obese, should I plan to lose weight before getting pregnant?
Losing weight before you get pregnant is the best way to decrease the risk of problems caused by obesity. Losing even a small amount of weight can improve your overall health and pave the way for a healthier pregnancy.
How can I lose weight safely?
To lose weight, you need to use up more calories than you take in. You can do this by getting regular exercise and eating healthy foods. Your obstetrician–gynecologist (ob-gyn) may refer you to a nutritionist to help you plan a healthy diet. Also, the MyPlate website from the U.S. Department of Agriculture has a special section for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Increasing your physical activity is important if you want to lose weight. Aim to be moderately active (for example, biking, brisk walking, and general gardening) for 60 minutes or vigorously active (jogging, swimming laps, or doing heavy yard work) for 30 minutes on most days of the week. You do not have to do this amount all at once. For instance, you can exercise for 20 minutes three times a day.
Are there medications to help me lose weight before getting pregnant?
If you have tried to lose weight through diet changes and exercise and you still have a BMI of 30 or greater or a BMI of at least 27 with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, weight-loss medications may be suggested. These medications should not be taken if you are trying to get pregnant or are already pregnant.
Is there surgery to help me lose weight before getting pregnant?
Bariatric surgery may be an option for people who are very obese or who have major health problems caused by obesity. If you have weight loss surgery, you should delay getting pregnant for 12 to 24 months after surgery, when you will have the most rapid weight loss.
If you have had fertility problems, they may resolve on their own as you rapidly lose the excess weight. It is important to be aware of this because the increase in fertility can lead to an unplanned pregnancy.
Some types of bariatric surgery may affect how the body absorbs medications taken by mouth, including birth control pills. You may need to switch to another form of birth control.
Can I still have a healthy pregnancy if I am obese?
Despite the risks, you can have a healthy pregnancy if you are obese. It takes careful management of your weight, attention to diet and exercise, regular prenatal care to monitor for complications, and special considerations for your labor and delivery.
How do I plan healthy meals during pregnancy?
Finding a balance between eating healthy foods and staying at a healthy weight is important for your health and your fetus’s health. In the second and third trimesters, a pregnant woman needs an average of 300 extra calories a day—about the amount of calories in a glass of skim milk and half of a sandwich. You can get help with planning a healthy diet by talking to a nutrition counselor. Help also can be found at the MyPlate website.
How much should I exercise during pregnancy?
If you have never exercised before, pregnancy is a great time to start. Discuss your exercise plan with your ob-gyn to make sure it is safe. Begin with as little as 5 minutes of exercise a day and add 5 minutes each week. Your goal is to stay active for 30 minutes on most—preferably all—days of the week.
Walking is a good choice if you are new to exercise. Swimming is another good exercise for pregnant women. The water supports your weight so you can avoid injury and muscle strain. It also helps you stay cool. Read Exercise During Pregnancy for more advice.
How will my weight be monitored during pregnancy?
Your weight should be tracked at each prenatal visit. The growth of your fetus also will be checked. If you are gaining less than the recommended guidelines, and if your fetus is growing well, you do not have to increase your weight gain to catch up to the guidelines. If your fetus is not growing well, changes may need to be made to your diet and exercise plan.
How does obesity affect labor and delivery?
Women who are overweight and obese have longer labors than women of normal weight. It can be harder to monitor the fetus during labor. For these reasons, obesity during pregnancy increases the likelihood of having a cesarean birth. If a cesarean birth is needed, the risks of infection, bleeding, and other complications are greater for a woman who is obese than for a woman of normal weight.
How can I manage my weight after my baby is born?
Once you are home with your new baby, stick to your healthy eating and exercise habits to reach a normal weight. Breastfeeding is recommended for the first year of a baby’s life. Not only is breastfeeding the best way to feed your baby, it also may help with postpartum weight loss. Overall, women who breastfeed their babies for at least a few months tend to lose pregnancy weight faster than women who do not breastfeed.
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After going to another clinic in Cheyenne that didn’t treat me as a priority, it was a breath of fresh air stepping into Cheyenne Women’s Clinic. The entire staff was amazing, but Dr. Dozier was exceptional. She was kind, patient & answered any questions I had with great detail. I will never not recommend her. I am so pleased with my experience here.
I feel so lucky to have had the doctors at the Women’s Clinic for all three of my deliveries and GYN care. They provide high quality, compassionate, evidenced based care and Cheyenne is lucky to have such a great group!
I absolutely have loved it here! We just finished having our second kiddo and have worked with the vast majority of doctors here and they are all excellent!
Had an absolute amazing experience with the Cheyenne Woman’s Clinic during my first pregnancy. They did their best to accommodate my labor desires and made me feel as comfortable as can be. My husband appreciated how they took care of me, and now we’re going back with our second pregnancy! Highly recommend.
All of my appointments I’ve attended through the Women’s Clinic have been amazing the nurses and doctors have been lots of help throughout my whole pregnancy with lots of advice and support, I love every person from there they definitely are a welcoming and loving place!
