The Significance of weight gain during pregnancy

I wrote my paper on the significance of weight gain during pregnancy. Studies show that there are adverse maternal outcomes when too much or too little weight are gained. There can be an increased risk in maternal Type 2 diabetes, pregnancy related hypertension, obesity after pregnancy, and excess weight can lead to difficulties with breast feeding, among many other issues. There are recommended guidelines on weight gain that should be taught to mothers before they even become pregnant to help prevent any potential issues. Babies who are large at birth tend to have a greater increased risk of obesity later in life and underweight babies tend to have a higher incidence of neonatal death. It is important to remember however that there are many factors that come into play such as genetic issues that cannot necessarily be changed.

Education is key in teaching women of childbearing years proper nutrition and exercise habits. If a woman is obese before pregnancy, this can increase her risks for many potential negative outcomes. With obesity on the rise, this is a huge problem for us to address. It is best if the obesity is addressed before conception and lifestyle changes are made before rather than after she becomes pregnant. We as nurses have a huge role in educating our patients about healthy lifestyles and ways to modify them. We can set good examples by using what we teach ourselves. There are many resources for us to utilize in educating patients if we are willing to seek them out and use them.