Tis the season to overeat. Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, and an endless parade of parties that feature food, food and more food. For some this may feel like nirvana, but for anyone who is currently trying to get pregnant, the holidays and their unending stream of cookies, cakes and pie may be more like a sugar coated, landmine studded, battlefield.
Multiple studies indicate that obesity, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher has a detrimental affect on a woman's ability to conceive and can also complicate the pregnancies of women who do go on to get pregnant. So is fat the biggest infertility issue? Examiner.com turned to Dr. Serena Chen, Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Saint Barnabas Medical Center for her opinion
Examiner: What do women who are having trouble conceiving need to know about obesity and body mass index?
Chen: There is an interesting debate among physicians today concerning the treatment of obese women and infertilty. Should we treat people who are severly overweight or should we require them to lose weight before they conceive? According to an article published in the prestigious journal of Human Reproduction, obese women are much more likely to suffer from infertility than women who are normal weight. We also know that obese women are less responsive to fertility medications - for the same dose, obese women produce less eggs than normal weight women.
Examiner: How does obesity affect pregnancy?
Chen: Once pregnant, obese women have much higher rates of miscarriage, their babies have higher rates of birth defects, and there are higher rates of neonatal death as well as maternal death. All other factors being equal, obese patients and their babies are much more likely to die sometime during pregnancy, delivery and post-partum than their normal weight counterparts.
Examiner: Not great news for anyone who is planning on overindulging this holiday season.
Chen: Let's be practical. Acknowledge the risks. Putting your head in the sand is not helping anyone so sit down with your doctor and have a serious talk with her or him about your weight. Remember - you do not have to be model thin to be healthier. There are significant, measurable improvements seen with just ten pounds of weight loss. And don't forget to walk, move, and exercise in any way that works for you.
Examiner: But is it safe to lose weight while trying to conceive?
Chen: Healthy weight loss while trying to conceive is ok. Just make sure you discuss the plan with your doctor and get the help and support you need. And remember, weight loss can dramatically improve your chances of success regardless of the infertility treatment you are currently pursuing. The good news is that this is a part of your health and fertility plan that you can really do something about.
Examiner: Sounds like a potential game plan for success to us. And that's sweeter than any holiday cake could possibly be. Thank you for your time today Dr. Chen.
Chen: Thank you and happy holidays!.
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