Optimal weight for conceiving a child. Does excess weight prevent you from getting pregnant - how to lose weight

• Marked weight deficit: 16 or less
• Insufficient (deficit) body weight: 16.5 -18.49
• Norm: 18.5 -24.99
• Excess body weight (pre-obesity): 25 – 29.99
• First degree obesity: 30 – 34.99
• Second degree obesity: 35-39.99
• Third degree obesity (morbid): 40 or more

The effect of excess weight on fertility

It would be absurd to say that all obese women are infertile. However, doctors have long had no doubt that obesity significantly impairs the ability to conceive. Statistics show that overweight women have a harder time achieving the pregnancy they want compared to those whose weight is within the normal range.

Although, according to scientific research, excess weight itself does not affect fertility, at the same time, obesity leads to serious disorders in the body that reduce the chances of conception. For example, obese women often experience menstrual irregularities associated with irregular or long-term absence of menstruation. And with the onset of pregnancy, the problems of obese women do not end: they have a higher risk of miscarriage and complicated pregnancy compared to women whose weight was ideal for conception. If you are overweight, the body produces too much estrogen, which also leads to problems with conception. Obesity is a common companion to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is one of the main causes of female infertility.

If the problem of infertility has not passed you by, then excess weight can become a serious obstacle to solving it. For example, when using surgical methods to treat infertility, obese women are more likely to experience complications during surgery and during the recovery period, which can further reduce their chances of conceiving.

In addition, assisted reproductive technologies, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), are not as effective for obese women as for those who are at their ideal weight for conception.

Low weight and infertility

Obesity or overweight is a risk factor for infertility, but the other extreme is no less dangerous. According to some data, even with a BMI of 19 or lower, the chances of pregnancy tend to zero. Being underweight has an even more adverse effect on fertility than obesity. Women with low body weight produce too little estrogen and have problems producing other hormones. Menstruation becomes irregular and long delays occur.

If you are underweight and are having problems conceiving, do not hesitate to visit your doctor. He will help you create a plan for further action and tell you how to achieve the ideal weight for conception.

Is there an ideal weight for men to conceive?

Most studies on the relationship between body weight and infertility focus mainly on women. But, according to some data, the male factor is the cause of almost half of the cases of infertility. Two dozen extra pounds sharply reduce the ability to conceive in men. Male obesity reduces sperm count and sperm motility. Extra pounds in men negatively affect their hormonal levels.

In addition, if you are overweight, fat deposited on the abdomen can overheat the scrotum area, which is detrimental to sperm. Overweight men are more likely to face the problem of erectile dysfunction.

Is there a connection between weight loss and infertility?

We know of at least one study that convincingly proves how fertility problems in obese women with ovulation disorders were successfully resolved as a result of weight normalization. A normal weight has a beneficial effect on overall health. Don't forget that your future children need healthy parents!

If you are concerned about being overweight or underweight and how it may affect your ability to conceive, talk to your doctor first. Ask him to make recommendations for you to increase your chances of conceiving according to your BMI. Proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are your faithful helpers on the path to normal weight, pregnancy and the birth of a healthy baby.

The arrival of a baby in the family is the most significant and exciting moment in the life of any couple. But, unfortunately, not every cell of society, for one reason or another, manages to produce the long-awaited “miracle” into the world. There are many factors that have a very important influence on conception. And one important factor is the weight indicator. For some reason, it is mainly female representatives who are concerned about their weight. But men who want to soon become “happy dads” should also pay attention to their weight.

Favorable weight of a woman for conceiving a child

To determine how healthy your current weight is, you need to determine your body mass index (BMI). This indicator helps you know if your current weight is appropriate in relation to your height. The calculation formula is quite simple:

If the score exceeds 25, then you are overweight. If the BMI result does not reach 18.5, then you are very underweight. The norm is between 19-25.

With a normal body weight ratio and regular menstruation, and therefore a good ovulation process, the probability of becoming pregnant is significantly high.

Low weight of a woman when planning pregnancy

Women who suffer from having a thin body and underweight kilos have a very low chance of conceiving a healthy child. Most often, doctors state the fact of infertility. Or there is a high possibility of having a child earlier than planned, since girls adhere to a strict diet, and the child needs to be regularly supplied with nutrients and beneficial substances. And also, it is necessary to limit yourself from physical exercises that overload the body of pregnant women. There are several known and widespread diseases associated with underweight that aggravate the problem of pregnancy:

• amenorrhea (the process of menstruation, and therefore regular ovulation, is absent)
• anorexia (complete lack of urge to eat, disrupted hormonal levels)

However, you should not go to extremes and despair ahead of time. Such women need to undergo a thorough examination by a doctor for hidden reasons for low weight.

Excess weight in women when planning to conceive

Women who have the problem of excess weight are most concerned about the issue of safe pregnancy. So how does having extra pounds affect conception?

The thing is that even if you are overweight, the likelihood of pregnancy is determined differently for each woman. Even if a woman is overweight, but she has a regular menstruation schedule, lasting approximately 28 days, then her excess volume may not at all interfere with her successful ability to become pregnant. However, if the problem of excess kilos has already developed into a disease, then the chances of having children are much less, or even non-existent.

There are statistics that show that at the moment, almost every seventh couple is struggling with infertility.

This means that only with a thorough and competent examination will the factors provoking infertility be identified. Excess body weight in women can also provoke certain diseases. But, nevertheless, doctors believe that excess weight is, one way or another, associated with infertility.

Such women have a disrupted menstrual cycle due to an endocrine factor, and as a result, suffer from infertility. Very often, you just need to lose a little weight, approximately 15%, and your menstruation will immediately begin to return to normal.

In the female body, excess weight becomes the cause of hormonal sexual imbalance, which further directly determines the process of ovulation and the chances of future pregnancy. Namely, progesterones and estrogens (female hormones) stimulate ovulation, as a result of which the egg matures.

Fat cells produce and store an excessive mass of estrogens, the excess of which interferes with the normal functioning of progesterone. As a result, the process of ovulation does not occur, and the maturation of the egg is impossible.

Moreover, excess estrogen in the female body can lead to the formation of many tumors, namely fibroids and fibroids. Uterine endometriosis is another disease caused by excess estrogen in women.

Having excess body weight, there is a high probability of having polycystic ovaries, which produce excessive amounts of androgens, and they also disrupt the ovulation process, and often eliminate it altogether.

It is very important to note that, given the physiological characteristics of the female body, excess fat accumulation, unfortunately, is deposited on the hips and abdomen, disrupting blood flow, as well as inside the abdomen (namely, in the ovaries and uterus), causing various problems with the uterine pipes, disrupting the patency in them.

How does a man's weight affect when planning a pregnancy?

Overweight men have low testosterone (male hormone) levels. But, for some reason, many experts do not even take into account this disease, as a consequence of infertility.

Moreover, obese men produce a small number of active sperm, but even those that are present carry the possibility of many abnormalities and defects. American geneticists have recently proven that male obesity is almost the main reason for the lack of a successful pregnancy in a married couple.

A man whose body mass index is above 30 produces only about 700 thousand active sperm during ejaculation, which is already a sign of infertility. A man of normal weight can produce more than 15 million sperm. The difference is obvious.

Male obesity creates an imbalance in metabolism. Fat deposits that are concentrated in the abdominal area can cause disturbances in the temperature factor of the scrotum (namely, overheating), inhibiting sperm activity.

It is very difficult to say whether conception directly depends on weight. But, in any case, when planning a long-awaited and prosperous pregnancy, both spouses need to make every effort to improve their body health and bring their weight more or less back to normal.

Pregnancy is perhaps the most valid reason to think about your own weight. Because usually, after watching enough TV programs, we experience different complexes: some consider themselves too fat, others consider themselves unbearably thin.

When you are planning to get pregnant, it is better not to listen to television advisers. Only common sense and doctor's advice. If the doctor said that for a successful pregnancy we need to go on a slight diet, we obey and sit down. On a diet, of course. If he is convinced that you are too thin to conceive, and your reproductive organs are small to give birth to a child, we carry out prevention. But Mother Nature turns out to be wiser than us. Among my friends there were very curvy girls and very elegant ones - both of them have been happy mothers of daughters and sons for several years now. So there is no need to get upset ahead of schedule. Let's get ready.

What is the ideal weight to conceive?

Ideal weight according to WHO

The effect of excess weight on fertility

Does weight affect your ability to conceive (the medical term is fertility)? In general, no. Although it adds difficulties with bearing a child.
If it were just a matter of weight... But still, it’s worth listening to the opinion of doctors. They say that when you are overweight, the body produces more estrogen than is normally needed. In fact, this can cause problems during conception. If you take care of yourself and the health of your internal organs, your chances of getting pregnant are the same as others. It is believed that polycystic disease is a common disease associated with excess weight. But if you take care of your health, everything will be fine.

Low weight and infertility

What is the ideal weight for men to conceive?

With obesity in men, metabolic disorders also occur, the quantity and quality of sperm decreases. Fat in the abdominal area is especially dangerous. It is said to cause the scrotum to overheat. And this has a detrimental effect on sperm motility. Thus, any excess or deficiency is immediately reflected in our hormonal balance. Therefore, if the spouses decide to have a child, both will have to take care of themselves and put their health in order.

The problem of excess weight in modern society is very relevant. And if you look around, you can see a lot of people who are overweight. For the fair sex, excess weight is not only the inability to wear a beautiful and tight-fitting outfit, but also a number of problems that have a negative impact on health, including reproductive health. Therefore, many women are often interested in whether excess weight prevents them from getting pregnant?

The concept of ideal weight in reproductive medicine is not at all the notorious 90/60/90 and 50 kg. This is the optimal body weight for conceiving and carrying a child. It is worth understanding that underweight also negatively affects the reproductive health of the expectant mother.

In medicine, there is a diagnostic and calculation method for determining body mass index. The formula for determining BMI is as follows: BMI=body weight in kg/height in. For example, let’s make a calculation for a girl with a height of 160 cm and a weight of 50 kg. The body mass index will be as follows: 50/1.6*1.6=19.53.

Now regarding the interpretation of the calculation results. The ideal weight for successful conception should be as close as possible to the standard values ​​- 18-25. From our calculation it is clear that BMI = 19.53 is within the range of normative indicators. This means that women with such parameters will not experience difficulties in conceiving, of course, if we are not talking about other factors that prevent pregnancy.

Is there always a need to lose weight?

First of all, it is necessary to determine the cause of excess weight. It is always worth understanding that a high BMI is not always the result of obesity. Sometimes excess weight is swelling that occurs as a result of the individual characteristics of the body, or is a consequence of a number of diseases.

In the case of individual physiological characteristics, when a high BMI is observed, the body proportions are preserved. Such changes can be observed in girls who are actively involved in sports and have a well-developed muscular system and dense bone tissue.

Be that as it may, having borderline BMI values, it is important to take into account the proportionality of the physique. Muscle has a denser structure compared to fat tissue, and, as a result, their “contribution” to the total body weight will be much more significant.

The normal fat percentage is considered to be between 17 and 25%. And if BMI exceeds standard indicators, but the quantitative proportion of fat is within the range of 17-25%, then losing weight is not at all a necessary measure for successful conception.

How can excess body weight affect conception?

How does being overweight prevent you from getting pregnant? Numerous medical studies have proven that body weight plays an important role in regulating the normal balance in the body of the expectant mother. It is worth understanding that it is not the weight itself that plays a role, but the quantitative proportion of fat in the body.

So, for example, a girl with broad bones will have a body weight that will fluctuate between 65-70 kg, but most likely, even with short stature, there will be no excess fat in her body. Whereas a girl with an asthenic physique and the same body weight would benefit from losing a few kilograms for the normal functioning of her reproductive system.

Based on clinical studies, doctors found that subcutaneous fatty tissue is essentially a huge endocrine organ, which also produces hormones.

Obesity is a disease caused by improper functioning of the endocrine system. This means that fat in the body begins to be produced from carbohydrates, accumulating in the subcutaneous layer.

Sex hormones and obesity

The maturation of an egg ready for fertilization and the success of its attachment process after conception also occurs under the influence of sex hormones. From this it becomes clear and quite logical that if estrogens and progestogens do not work together, the chances of successful conception are reduced.

You can determine whether excess weight is the reason for the inability to conceive naturally by looking at the existing hormonal imbalance. Under the influence of sex hormones, all processes preceding fertilization of the egg and implantation of the fertilized egg to the wall of the uterus are regulated.

Through hormones, ovulation occurs, the reproductive cell moves through the fallopian tubes, and the full functioning of the corpus luteum and endometrium, the inner layer of the uterus, is ensured.

Hormonal imbalance can negatively affect your ability to conceive. In turn, adipose tissue influences the synthesis of sex hormones. If it is in excess or, conversely, in deficiency, then a hormonal imbalance occurs and ovulation occurs, and, as a result, conception may not take place.

Obesity and infertility

Oddly enough, many doctors associate excess weight and infertility as 2 complementary phenomena. It should be understood that you can talk about infertility only after a year of unsuccessful attempts to get pregnant.

Indeed, very often overweight women cannot conceive a child, which, according to experts, is due to hormonal imbalance that develops against the background of obesity. But it is impossible to say unequivocally that this is precisely the reason for the lack of possibility of full conception. Only through a series of clinical studies can the real cause of infertility be determined.

Risks

It has been proven that women with 2nd and 3rd degree obesity experience disturbances in the menstrual cycle and ovulatory processes. In any case, you can only determine your chances of successful conception with any degree of obesity by undergoing a series of clinical and laboratory examinations.

At the same time, even a slight excess in BW can negatively affect the process of bearing a child, physically exhausting the expectant mother. Not to mention the fact that there may be serious deviations from standard indicators regarding the usefulness of the process of bearing a child.

Pregnancy with excess weight often becomes a high-risk pregnancy:

• high blood pressure;
• swelling;
• phlebeurysm;
• problems in the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

And these are not all the complications that can await an expectant mother during pregnancy with obesity.

Fighting excess weight for conception

At the stage of pregnancy planning, with a high BMI, it is advisable for a woman to get her shape in order. To do this, experts recommend adhering to the following tips:

1. Proper nutrition. The balance of BJU in the diet will help normalize the functioning of the endocrine system and replenish the supply of nutritional components in the body of the expectant mother. You need to lose weight slowly - no more than 500 grams per week - otherwise rapid weight loss will negatively affect the functioning of the hormonal system.
2. Physical activity. It doesn't have to be a grueling workout. Moderate physical activity is quite enough: fitness, swimming, jogging, cycling, etc. You need to do little by little, gradually increasing the intensity of the exercises.

Bottom line

And at the end of this publication, I would like to summarize: it has been proven that for pregnant women with a high body mass index, the risks of developing intrauterine anomalies in the fetus increase by 2-3 times. At the same time, it is extremely difficult to determine developmental defects from a physiological point of view, which is due to the thickened layer of subcutaneous fat. Consequently, some serious problems may be overlooked and measures may not be taken to provide appropriate assistance in a timely manner. Take care of yourself!

Today, the following methods of treating oncology are used:

• surgical;
• ray;
• chemotherapy;
• hormone therapy;
• biotherapy.

During the operation, all tumor elements are removed. Oncology statistics show that if cancer cells are cut out completely, the patient can be cured. However, if you leave them in the body even in minimal quantities, the disease will begin to progress.

The surgical method is used for oncology of the stomach, intestines, and liver. Radiation and chemotherapy are often used simultaneously. Intestinal cancer is effectively treated at the initial stage of development.

For cancer of the mammary glands, lungs, bladder or esophagus, surgery in the later stages must be combined with radiation treatment.

Treatment of ovarian oncology is carried out in this way too. The course is repeated to achieve a more stable result.

The radiation method is used during the treatment of oncology of the larynx, skin, and cervix. With the help of radioactive elements they damage cells, which leads to their destruction. Rectal cancer is also treated in this way if the disease is at an early stage. However, the cells do not die immediately. The effectiveness will be visible after some time.

Some malignant tumors appear due to hormonal imbalance in the body. In this case, hormone therapy is used. The female sex hormone sinestrol is usually used. Spinal cancer is also being treated with this method.

Biotherapy is a new and quite promising area in medicine. Various natural biologically active agents are used. However, there is still insufficient scientific information and practical experience in this area.

Signs of illness

At the initial stage, cancer does not manifest itself in any way. The person leads a normal life. When cancer symptoms appear, the disease has already gone too far. There are many types of cancer that manifest themselves differently depending on the stage of the disease and the characteristics of the body.

1. Weight loss, loss of appetite. A person feels weak and dehydration occurs in the body.
2. Anemia. Accompanied by dizziness, fainting is possible.
3. Heavy sweating.
4. The immune system weakens Consequently, the body becomes more vulnerable.
5. Pain that usually occurs in later stages.
6. Jaundice. When there are a lot of toxic substances in the body, the liver cannot function fully. Therefore, the skin takes on a yellowish tint.