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Home › Articles › Beauty and Fashion during Pregnancy › Weight and Wardrobe

Weight and Wardrobe

Managing A Plus-sized Pregnancy

By Kelly Burgess

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Dr. Bernstein says that, while she certainly doesn't want every overweight woman to be scared she's going to have a horribly complicated pregnancy, she prefers that her patients fall into the 65 percent bracket, rather than the 35 percent. Therefore, she takes a proactive approach.

"The best way to deal with these conditions is to avoid them in the first place," says Dr. Bernstein. "Ideally, if a heavy woman is planning to get pregnant, she would be screened in advance for any early signs of diabetes and hypertension. That way, if they are already present, I'll treat that immediately, and she'll have a much better outcome."

Eating for Two
Dr. Bernstein also sends all her overweight patients to nutritionists such as Netty Levine and Marlene Clark, the co-authors of her book. The idea is not to put them on a "diet," because that's not a good idea no matter how heavy an expectant mother is, but to help them make the best food choices for their body and baby.

Levine says there is no "one size fits all" eating plan for a woman who is pregnant and already struggling with weight issues. The important thing is to balance nutritional needs based on the individual and eat as healthfully as possible. Also, regardless of size, a pregnant woman should not lose weight. Any weight loss should be brought to the attention of her doctor. However, depending on the woman's pre-pregnancy BMI (body mass index), she is encouraged to aim for a weight gain of no more than 15 to 25 pounds.


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