Plan your pregnancy in the RIGHT way!

Body weight has a huge impact on fertility. Underweight, overweight, and obesity can have an impact on your chances of getting pregnant. Women with a low BMI and those with a high BMI may suffer from sporadic ovulation and irregular menstrual cycles. Not being able to maintain a normal weight may also be linked to thyroid problems, diabetes, or other metabolic disorders.

In order to get pregnant, you need to ovulate or release an egg from the ovary so it can be fertilized by a man’s sperm. Then your body needs to be able to support a developing baby in the womb.

Impact of Weight on Chances of Conception

 The ideal BMI for getting pregnant is between 18.5 and 24.9. If you have a high BMI, bring it down to the recommended range if you are trying to get pregnant shortly.

Overweight and obese women can make it difficult for women to get pregnant. Just like polycystic ovary condition, or PCOS, excessive weight is quite possibly the most well-known reason behind infertility. This is because fat cells lead to the production of extra estrogen resulting in hormonal imbalance. This can fool your body and result in irregular periods. Excessive weight may bring down your odds of getting pregnant.

According to studies, women with a higher BMI don't respond as well to fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization. Being overweight is also related to pregnancy-related complications. While the exact reasons are not known, PCOS and insulin resistance may play a role.

High BMI may be associated with several complications such as:

●     Blood clots

●     Premature birth of baby

●     Baby with a high birth weight

●     Obesity

●     Gestational diabetes

●     Long labor time

●     Emergency delivery through cesarean section

●     Heavy bleeding after birth

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Being underweight can also get in the way of getting pregnant. Being underweight can cause your body to stop making estrogen. This can cause irregular menstrual cycles. You may stop ovulating and getting your period. This is especially true if you are losing weight because you are not eating enough or because you are exercising too much, which may be signs of an eating disorder like anorexia nervosa.

Get Medical Review 

If you are unable to get pregnant and have a problem concerning your body weight, get a medical review. If you are trying to conceive, and you find it difficult to lose or gain weight or achieve your healthy weight, seek a medical review. Their consultation, dietary, and lifestyle changes can make a difference.

For those who have low weight and any disorder that pertains to food consumption, they should consult with a doctor. They should meet with a dietician about attaining the weight that has to be gained.

Managing Weight

If you have a high BMI, bringing it down, by a few points, can help make your pregnancy journey healthy. Let’s take a look at some tried and tested lifestyle changes and dietary changes that can help manage weight if you are looking to conceive soon:

1. Get in touch with a nutritionist or dietician to get a personalized weight management plan.
2. Stick to the plan and try making little changes to your diet and lifestyle under the customized plan.
3. Be conscious of your eating choices. Remember weight loss is about healthy eating choices and not depriving your body of nutrition. Do not starve yourself.
4. Exercise regularly and keep track of your progress. Walk, jog, or swim to stay active.
5. Reward yourself on every achievement, even the smallest one.
6. Make sure to have a healthy breakfast. Do not skip your breakfast.
7. Seek support and comfort in your family and friends. Turn to them if you feel overwhelmed at any point in time.