Page 28 - April Issue

getting ready | your body

levels up to look after your new conception as being shaped like Along with both of these is a

little one – so this means having a pear.” Figures show that if you greater chance of a luteal phase

a balanced diet.” Do not place are trying to get pregnant and defect (LPD). “Being overweight

pressure on yourself to shift the you are officially overweight then or obese also increases your

baby weight immediately. Do it you are reducing your chances risk of developing polycystic

in a motivating environment and of conceiving a baby by nearly ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a

with a support group. 10 percent. Worse still, Dr John complex condition where there

Realities of Obesity indicates that if you are officially is a hormone imbalance that can
classed as obese then you are shut down ovulation,” she says.

However if you truly are tipping reducing your chances by nearly This prevents ovulation, causing

the scales and trying desperately 20 percent. infertility and symptoms include

to get pregnant, Dr Betty John, Fertility Issues irregular or missed periods,
Consultant Gynaecologist infertility, excess hair, acne and

in Zulekha Hospital, Sharjah Obesity is associated with insulin resistance which can make

explains that the soaring levels of irregular or infrequent menstrual them more prone to diabetes.

obesity in the modern world are cycles, anovulation, PCOS, “Obesity doesn’t cause PCOS

expected to trigger a major new increased risk of infertility, but it exacerbates it,” she says.

infertility crisis among women. and less success with fertility “If you are overweight, you can

“Waist circumference is also used treatments, says Dr John and enhance your fertility and your

to help identify whether someone in addition to these problems, chances of having a healthy baby

is overweight or not,” she says, obesity also increases the risks by losing weight,” she asserts.

“Body fat distribution was of miscarriages, high blood More importantly, improve their

found to have a greater impact pressure and diabetes during fitness, their chances of getting

with women with a high waist- the pregnancy. The two most pregnant radically improve.

hip ratio had greater trouble common problems, she adds, Advice
conceiving -- so being shaped are excess oestrogen and

like an apple is not as good for polycystic ovaries (PCOS). It is not as simple as telling obese

women they ‘just’ need to lose

weight to increase their fertility,

says Dr John and the tragedy,

Tips for women who are overweight of course, is that this is easy
and want to get pregnant advise to dispense – but very
hard to do in real life. “Obesity
If you do feel that weight is affecting your fertility and Infertility are issues that
then you must speak to a doctor immediately. people do not choose to suffer
Before you start the hard slog of a diet, ask from and no one wants to be

yourself why you’re eating and the types of food obese and losing weight can be
you are craving. More often than not, women eat really hard to accomplish,” she
for emotional reasons rather than because they says, emphasising that a more
are physically hungry. If you suddenly find yourself holistic approach to obesity
craving something this is an emotional hunger – and reproductive health can
not physical. help increase the chances of
conception in obese women.
If you only eat when you are physically hungry
and stopped when you were satisfied then your

mother, baby & child April 2011 body would reach it’s optimum size and weight.

Ultimately, if you do decide to strive to lose CREDITS:
weight, focus on the goal of pregnancy - you will Emily Cheyne
find this a far more positive way to approach the Owner and founder of Know How Group:
challenge than dieting in order to meet with other a UAE based health and wellbeing company
people’s approval. www.know-how-group.com
050-3732684

CREDIT: EMILY CHEYNE Dr Betty John
Consultant Gynaecologist
Zulekha Hospital, Sharjah, 600 52 4442
www.zulekhahospital.com

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