Just a little more weight for conception

Recently, I came across an interesting but puzzling e-mail in our Q & A mailbox from one of our readers. It read in part, ‘ … I have been trying to conceive for close to one year in vain. When I went to see a doctor, he told me that it was likely that I was not conceiving because I was underweight. He said even trying clomid or any other fertility drug would not help much until I put on some weight .. .’ Clearly, this was not a concern I had ever given much thought to.

From what I knew, it is the overweight women who tend to be vulnerable to challenges of conceiving. I sought the opinion of my gynaecologist who rubbed the truth in my face. ‘Fat cells increase the amount of oestrogen in your body, and without enough fat cells, your body is unlikely to be an appropriate environment for a baby. It is for this reason, that most underweight women experience irregular periods which also interfere with their ovulation-hence reducing their chances of conceiving,’ he explained.

Of course this sounded rather confusing but from my little research, I got to understand the fact that being underweight (having Body Mass Index [BMI] below 18.5, as opposed to a range between 18.5 to 24.9-the ideal) can negatively affect your chances of having a baby. It makes it more likely that you will miss your monthly cycle. This implies then that you do not ovulate, a condition referred in medical terms was an ovulation.

If you do not ovulate, your body will not release an egg to be fertilized by the sperm. However, if you are lucky to conceive, the likelihood that you will carry the pregnancy to term remains slim because your body is not furnished enough to handle a pregnancy.

What makes you underweight?
Strenuous exercise
Although exercise is good for your health, being obsessed with it can make you too skinny. This will in turn interfere with your menstrual cycle. Women in sporting activities that encourage them to be thin experience minimal weight which causes the brain to stop signalling the ovaries to ovulate.

Eating disorders
Apart from love for athletics, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, overactive thyroids, depression among others, may also cause you to be underweight. Therefore, it is not advisable to become pregnant while suffering or when recovering from any of these disorders. This is because, pregnancy comes with a whole new level of stress which could worsen the situation and compromise your health and that of your unborn child.

Poor nutrition
Being underweight and lack of enough nutrients go hand in hand. Key nutrients like vitamin A, K, E, folic acid and minerals such as calcium, copper, iron and zinc are key for would-be mums. Each of these nutrients helps both you and the baby in varied ways. It is therefore less likely that you will have all these important nutrients when you are expectant yet underweight, making it difficult for you to carry a pregnancy to term.

If you conceive when you are underweight, you risk:

• Giving birth to a baby with neural tube defects.
• Giving birth prematurely
• Giving birth to a small and malnourished baby who may have severe complications later on.
• Have a very difficult pregnancy.

To gain healthy baby-conceiving weight:

• Ensure that you take a healthy diet that supplies you with all the necessary nutrients and minerals sufficient for your health and that of your child’s development. Consulting a nutritionist will offer you options of the appropriate foods to eat to help you gain weight.
• Modify your exercising habits so as to address your underweight issues. Studies recommend a window period of three months prior to trying to conceive. Apart from regulating your sporting activities, this period will also help in terms of regulating your menstrual cycle
• Consult your health care provider especially if you suffer from eating disorders. He/she is better placed to get you back on track nutritionally to make sure your pregnancy is a healthy, safe and a successful one.
• Finally, if you have achieved our ideal weight and you still are unable to conceive, your doctors should put you on medication to induce ovulation to improve your chances of conception.

All the best in your endeavour to gain some weight for conception.

END :PG 33 /9-10