Fertility and Weight-loss Surgery

If you are planning a family, you probably want to do everything you can to boost your chances of having a healthy baby. Obesity can cause several health problems in pregnancy, so it’s a good idea to act now if you need to lose weight.

The benefits of losing weight before becoming pregnant include:

• Better fertility
• Decreased risk of miscarriage or stillbirth
• Decreased risk of premature labour
• Decreased risk of the mother developing preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, blood clots, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure
• Decreased risk of having a significantly larger baby than average (over 4kg, which can create health risks for the mother during delivery and for the baby after delivery)

Obesity and Infertility

Many overweight people struggle with infertility. They are also less likely to respond positively to fertility treatment. Obesity can contribute to hormone imbalances that impair ovulation, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS.

Losing weight is important for the fertility of both men and women. Achieving a healthy weight at least three months before trying for a baby can improve the chances of a healthy conception and pregnancy.

Obesity and Pregnancy

Obesity and pregnancy can be a dangerous mix. Obese women have an increased risk of experiencing complications such as miscarriage, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and stillbirth. For these reasons, it is a good idea to get your weight into a healthy range before you conceive.

Babies born to mothers who are themselves in a healthy weight range are less likely to develop obesity themselves as children and adults.

If you are struggling with your weight and want to start a family, talk to the Heidelberg Weight Loss Surgery team today.

Written by Dr Kiron Bhatia

Dr Kiron Bhatia is a highly experienced General and Specialist Upper Gastrointestinal (UGI) and Bariatric Surgeon. Dr Bhatia specialises in minimally invasive, laparoscopic and Da Vinci robotic surgery dealing with General Surgery, Endoscopy, Cholecystectomy, Hernia, Reflux, Oesophago-gastric cancer and Weight Loss Surgery.

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