Weight Gain Between Pregnancies Not Healthy

Women are often not happy about the weight that they gain after having a baby. New research published in the Lancet shows that mothers need to watch their weight gain between pregnancies. This is because even modest changes in weight at this time, can increase problems for both the mother and baby. To perform their study the researchers evaluated over 150,000 women who delivered a baby and then a second one, some time thereafter. They assessed how smoothly a woman?s second pregnancy and delivery went, given the amount of weight that the mother had gained between her first and second pregnancy. Excess body weight can be measured by calculating one?s body-mass index or BMI. This index incorporates both the weight and height of a person. Those whose BMI is between 25 to 30 are deemed to be overweight, and those whose BMI is greater than 30 are classified as obese. The results of the study showed that those who gained 3 or more BMI units had much higher complication rates, when compared to those whose BMI changed less. For a frame of reference, a 20 lbs weight gain would translate into a 3-unit rise in BMI, if a woman was 5 foot 5 inches and weighed 130 pounds following her first pregnancy. Those whose BMI increased by 3 or more units were nearly twice as likely to develop diabetes or high blood pressure, which at times was life-threatening. They were 32% more likely to have a c-section, and were over 60% more likely to have a stillbirth. Overall the study shows that excessive weight gain between pregnancies raises the risk to both the mother and baby?s health.