Pregnancy is a period when women go through a lot of emotional, physical, and cognitive changes . All these changes get augmented when they co-exist with other co-morbid conditions like obesity. Obesity is a serious epidemic today. With a large number of people resorting to a sedentary lifestyle, an increasing number of women are becoming obese at an early age. Technology brings everything to our doorstep making us move less and all those empty calories that accumulate in your system during partying, drinking, and reckless eating etc. don’t help matters either. Pregnancy and obesity together put a woman in an altogether different league of risk among expectant mothers. Read on to be informed about the complications associated with obesity during pregnancy. The complications can directly or indirectly affect both the mother and the fetus. Diabetes in pregnancy You may probably be aware of the fact that diabetes is bootstrapped to obesity . In pregnancy, it causes a condition called gestational diabetes. Women with gestational diabetes mellitus are considered to be at high risk, and therefore considered for cesarean section. The aftermath of gestational diabetes may long extend into the future, even after delivery. Elevated blood pressure Obesity may lead to the elevation of blood pressure in the mother which affects kidney and liver.

It’s a question many women have. And the straightforward answer is – Yes. You can have sex while you are pregnant. But there are also times when you should not engage in sex. If you have had a good track record so far with your pregnancy , with a healthy growth for your baby, then there is nothing to worry about. The cervix contains mucus which forms a plug around the cervical opening. This mucus plug is an automatic protective mechanism that protects the baby from any infection.  Furthermore, the penis does not go so far as to hit the uterus. The baby also has a sac around it for protection. The muscles around your pelvis also contribute to keeping the baby safe. In what way is sex during pregnancy different from sex during other times? When you are pregnant, the blood flow around the pelvis and genitals is very high. The veins are engorged, which results in high sensitivity. This sensitivity leads to increased pleasure during sex. Some women feel it, and some women don’t. Will I get into labor if I have sex during pregnancy? The answer is no. When you have sex, you will feel an orgasm that might give you a crampy feeling.

If you’re pregnant, then you definitely need to know about Amniotic fluid and Oligohydramnios. Read on to learn all about them. What is amniotic fluid? When the baby is in the womb of its mother, it is surrounded by a fluid in which the baby floats. This is the amniotic fluid. Around 2 weeks after conception, a sac is formed around the fetus, called the amniotic sac. This amniotic sac produces a fluid called the amniotic fluid. The fluid is primarily made of water from the mother, which is then mixed with the urine from the fetus after around 20 weeks of intrauterine life. Why is amniotic fluid important? The baby’s life support is provided by the amniotic fluid. Primarily a protection for the baby as well as a shock absorber, amniotic fluid helps the development of limbs, digestive system, lungs, and muscles. The movement of the baby basically depends on this fluid. As the pregnancy progresses, the amniotic fluid is the medium where the baby breathes and swallows it. This helps in the development of the digestive system. Considering the functions that the amniotic fluid performs for the baby, the baby should be provided with optimum fluid for its growth.

Blood pressure is a serious issue in itself. The seriousness of blood pressure gets augmented when you are pregnant. But in order to understand the adverse impact of blood pressure during pregnancy, it is first necessary to understand what blood pressure is. The blood gushing through your vessels exerts pressure on the walls. This pressure is necessary to ensure the regular flow of blood through them. Without this pressure, the distant areas and micro circulation units tend to lose nutrients. But when this pressure increases, it damages the vessel walls, releasing certain substances called clotting factors. These clotting factors initiate the clotting of blood, that leads to the blockage of micro vessels in circulation. This is what causes heart attacks and strokes. There are some things that determine the pressure, the pace of blood flow, etc. In a normal person, the pressure is regulated by various factors. But when it is altered, it becomes a silent killer. What is blood pressure during pregnancy? If you have understood the above mechanism, the blood pressure during pregnancy is simply the elevation of the pressure of blood in a pregnant woman who otherwise has a normal blood pressure. Why should it bother you?

Diabetes in pregnancy is a serious issue that warrants immediate attention. To explain it in simple terms, diabetes in pregnancy is the elevation of blood sugar levels in the mother during pregnancy. It is similar to diabetes mellitus, but it deserves special attention because of the long term consequences, not only for the mother but also to the baby. Here are few frequently asked questions about diabetes in pregnancy. What is gestational diabetes? Normally, when you consume any food, the sugar levels in the blood spike. This leads to the release of insulin, that helps in metabolizing the sugar in the blood. Sugar then reduces in the blood. But during pregnancy, your body becomes resistant to the action of insulin, leading to a persistent increase in the blood sugar levels. This elevation of blood sugar levels is seen in women who are otherwise normal and have proper insulin function. Hence the name gestational diabetes. One silver lining about this diabetes is that your body will revert to its original state after pregnancy. However, your risk of developing diabetes in the future will be high. Will I develop gestational diabetes? Any woman who is pregnant is prone to develop diabetes in pregnancy.