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Pregnancy and obesity: Know the risks

Could obesity affect my ability to get pregnant? How might obesity affect my pregnancy? Content What's considered obese? Could having a high BMI affect my ability to get pregnant? How might a high BMI affect my pregnancy? How could obesity affect my baby? How much weight should I gain during pregnancy? Will I need specialized care during pregnancy? What steps can I take to promote a healthy pregnancy?

How might a high BMI affect my pregnancy?

Having a high BMI during pregnancy increases the risk of various pregnancy complications, including:

  • The risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and recurrent miscarriage
  • Gestational diabetes
  • A pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, most often the liver and kidneys (preeclampsia)
  • Cardiac dysfunction
  • Sleep apnea
  • The need for a C-section and the risk of C-section complications, such as wound infections

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