Am I In The Ideal Weight To Get Pregnant? Interesting Facts On Fertility!

Women are delaying their motherhood for various valid reasons like career, education, marriage, financial and mental stability, etc. According to a Study, women as they get older can be underweight or obese due to hormonal imbalances caused by PCOD or thyroid, etc. Hence, is our body weight a potential factor to increase chances to get pregnant? Is there an ideal weight to get pregnant? Many modern women are skeptical about these questions. Also, what should be done to be healthy enough to get pregnant?

Well, for your information there is no such thing as an ideal weight to get pregnant, but being healthy is important. A healthy body can certainly help to conceive without any complications. Being healthy is not ideally measured by body weight. It is a condition of being in good physical and mental health. But being overweight or underweight in both women and men can reduce or delay the chances of conceiving. 

Am I In The Ideal Weight To Get Pregnant?

Weight plays a key role in the production of the hormone in the body, being over or underweight can disrupt the production of hormones which can, in turn, affect the menstrual cycle and the quality of the egg.  In the case of men, being overweight can reduce the quality of sperm and also cause erection issues. Both men and women may suffer from low sex drive too. Studies have shown that a low body mass index can affect fertility because it disrupts ovulation.

How To Tell If You Are At A Healthy Weight?

One of the easiest and most effective ways to measure if you fall under an ideal weight to get pregnant or not is through a method known as the Body Mass Index or BMI(1). To get an approximate value you can use the BMI calculation available online. All you need do is enter your current height and weight.

• If your BMI falls any were between 18.5 and 24.9 you are considered to be a ‘healthy weight’.
• If your BMI is between 25 and 29.9 then you fall under the category ‘overweight’.
• If your BMI falls below 18.5, then you are considered to be “underweight”.
• Any BMI value over 30 is considered ‘obese’.

Therefore, based on these values you could easily calculate the ideal weight to get pregnant. For example,

• The ideal weight for a 5’2 female to get pregnant would be between 101-136 lbs
• The ideal weight for a 5’3 female to get pregnant would be between 95-127 lbs
• The ideal weight for a 5’7 female to get pregnant  would be between 118-159 lbs

 Similarly, you can calculate your ideal weight for your height using the BMI calculator.

How Much Weight Should I Gain During Pregnancy?

The amount of weight one needs to gain during your pregnancy would differ from person to person, it includes factors such as your pre-pregnancy weight, how many babies you are having (single, twins, multiple, etc), your BMI, and yours as well as the baby’s overall health.

Myths On Eating During Pregnancy

Most people use pregnancy to use as an excuse to eat all kinds of unhealthy food, but did you know the whole concept of just indulging in food during pregnancy might actually harm your body as well as the health of the baby? 

What one eats as well as the quantity is important more than ever when you are pregnant. The amount of weight the mother gains is very important for the overall health of the baby and the mother.  One of the best ways to know that you are on track is to work closely with your doctor and keep a pregnancy weight gain target.

Gaining too much weight as well as not gaining weight can both be critical to a baby’s physical as well as mental growth and development. Gaining too much weight also creates complications during as well as after delivery as shedding those extra pounds cannot be easy.

So many people misunderstand the term “eating for two”(2), this doesn’t actually mean you should have twice the amount of food you usually have. If you are not underweight during pregnancy all you have to do is make sure you get all the important nutrients and vitamins your body needs and consume about just 300 calories extra a day. As a mother to be having a well-balanced diet is very important, including dairy, protein, fruits, veggies, and whole grains in your everyday diet. That would do the job.

Some Interesting Facts On Fertility And Weight 

• Having a healthy lifestyle with a regular diet and exercise can improve the chance of the mother giving birth to a healthy baby.
• Calculating the rates of obesity, we could come to the conclusion that our generation weighs more than our grandparents or parents did when they were our age.
• Being a healthy weight can increase the chance of having a healthy delivery with minimal complications.
• Being obese subjects women to a higher risk of(3) :
  • Infection
  • Miscarriage
  • High blood pressure
  • Premature birth
  • Stillbirth
  • Induced labor
  • Diabetes
  • Pre-eclampsia(4)
  • Surgical birth
  • Larger in size than normal at birth
  • Intensive care is required after delivery
  • Birth defect
  • The risk of becoming obese in later stages of life

I hope the above article, “Am I The Ideal Weight To Get Pregnant? Shed some light on your weight and pregnancy questions. Apart from all the above a mother also needs to take care of herself and enjoy the time. Pregnancy can be stressful for some but it is important to understand it and keep yourself motivated and positive. For more, pregnancy-related doubts and queries write to us in the comments box below.

Have a healthy and happy pregnancy!