Being overweight could affect your chances of getting pregnant

There are several problems associated with being overweight. Amongst these issues is of conception. Severally, doctors have told some women to lose their body weight for them to conceive. Arguably, when the Body Mass Index (BMI) of a woman is above 29, then she needs to worry.

This is because the percentage to infertility increases with every increasing unit. The weight of a person increases due to increase in fat storage. In women, the fat influences the production of estrogen which is a female hormone. This hormone is produced during the menstrual cycle but the fat inhibits sufficient production. Additionally, estrogen supports the pregnancy in the early stages. Consequently, the chances of conception reduce.

This is an experience that Lydia (not her real name) knows too well about. It all began two years ago when she desired to have a child. Lydia has been married for four years now. “Initially, I thought that the birth control pills are still active in my body,” Lydia says. She kept telling herself that the pills will lose their effect and she will conceive. Lydia continued, “Although my husband has been supportive and not in the hurry to get a child, I still felt terrible. This is because my mother-in-law had been asking to see her grandchildren.”

This led Lydia to begin her research about her situation. Nothing seemed to explain what she was going through.  Until one day, her mother-in-law pulled her aside.She told Lydia to lose weight in order to conceive.”

Interestingly, this issue became an eye opener and she sought medical explanation. To her surprise, the doctor agreed with her mother-in-law. Lydia was advised to cut down her weight so as to conceive.

The doctors agree that fats tend to block veins making the vessels narrower. That could inhibit fertilization or cause loss of an egg after it has been implanted.

In an interview with Doctor Jennifer Wangari, she agrees that the body of an overweight woman has many negative hormones. Doctor Jennifer is a practitioner at a well known medical institution in Nairobi.

She argues that most of the obese people in the society today have poor eating habits. “The wealthy women are more prone to less fertility due to their body weight. This is because of their sedentary lifestyle,” Doctor Wangari said. Reasonably, most wealthy people are able to afford fast foods.

It is important for a woman to watch her health and body weight. Doctor Wangari states that, “an African woman needs to have a BMI of not over 29 units. Adding one unit lead up to 4% less chances of fertility.”

Luckily, women can ensure that they are able to conceive. It is important to constantly check on the BMI, diet, exercise regularly and also identify genetic issues that could be marring conception.

Source: FountainMonthly