Weight and pregnancy- by Dr Sarita Teotia

A woman with BMI between 20 to 25 has better chances of conception than those above or below the range as revealed by the studies. Thus being overweight or underweight both isn’t good from the point of view of pregnancy and fertility.

A woman with BMI below 18.5 is considered underweight.

Lower body fat effects fertility in two ways. Either your menstrual cycle is irregular or even if your menstrual cycle is regular, you may still not ovulate.

Lower body fat disbalances the hormonal secretion in a way that brain irregularly sends signals to pituitary glands and ovaries to release eggs. It’s not that you may lack eggs but your eggs will not be available for fertilization.

Unnecessary dieting or over exercising can be the causes behind being underweight. However there can be several other medical conditions that either prompt the patient to eat less or absorb the nutrients. Problems like thyroid issue can be a contributing factor if not the only one.

Gaining weight is important but don’t be fanatic. Don’t expect an overnight magic. Maintain a food log diary. Try to find out if you can add some extra calories to your diet. Include some healthy snacks to your diet.

Being overweight is equally bad Reason is the same. Irregular menses, improper egg ovulation, reduced fertility and difficulty in conception. Above 30 BMI can be called overweight.

Being proper weighed is desirable otherwise also. But don’t be in any hurry. It’s not going to happen in a week’s time. Plan your wisely. Remove junk foods from the list. Include exercise to your daily regime.

Dr Sarita Teotia is an expert IVF doctor practicing in Delhi. To know more about herself and her services kindly log on to www.drsaritateotia.com