Maintaining a healthy weight before conceiving is important to ensure your own health and that of your unborn baby. Both you and your baby can be put at risk if you are either overweight or underweight.
The risk of complications, such as hypertension and diabetes that can affect the unborn baby, increases in women with a higher BMI. Underweight mothers are more prone to a reduction in the amount of amniotic liquid and newborns are more likely to be underweight if their mother is.
Obese and underweight women are more likely to be re-admitted to hospital with problems after birth than women with a normal BMI.
Talk to your GP or nutritionist to ensure you reach a healthy weight before getting pregnant and make sure you get started on the right track towards a healthy pregnancy.
