Fertility

Several recent studies have indicated that fertility and pregnancies are profoundly effected by weight. For example, women with a body mass index greater than 27 tend to have a much poorer response to IVF stimulation and lower fertilization rates. They also tend to experience more miscarriages and fewer live births.^1-3

Even moderate overweight is a risk factor for gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders. Compared with normal weight, maternal overweight is related to a higher risk of cesarean deliveries and postoperative complications in these deliveries. Low Apgar scores, macrosomia, and neural tube defects are also more frequent in infants of obese mothers than in infants of normal weight mothers. Maternal obesity also increases perinatal mortality.⁴ If there are elevated blood sugar levels in early pregnancy it can deprive oxygen to the fetus and lead to birth defects as well.⁵

However, if you are overweight there are things you can do to help minimize many of these risks.

Acupuncture: If you are currently undergoing IVF or other assisted reproduction, you should be seeing an acupuncturist. Research has demonstrated that acupuncture can help counteract many of the conditions that overweight individuals are at higher risk for. For example, acupuncture has been shown to improve pregnancy rates for poor responders and to reduce miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies. Acupuncture has also been shown to reduce the number of cesarean deliveries (C-sections) and to help prevent or correct a number of other pregnancy related complications such as nausea and vomiting, pelvic girdle pain, migraines, low back pain, elevated blood sugar levels, preterm labor, breech presentation and labor pain. It also can be used to facilitate natural labor induction.
Nutrition: There are certain nutrients that can help mitigate or neutralize many of the problems that obesity is associated with. Proper nutrition can also be used in a longer term strategy to address the underlying causes of obesity. A thorough nutritional analysis is very important to customize a nutritional plan that addresses your particular biochemical environment. A one-size-fits-all prenatal vitamin is about as effective as one-size-fits-all shoes. We find many nutrient deficiencies in people taking prenatal vitamins.
- Example: One cause of obesity is improper thyroid function. However, there are many aspects to thyroid dysfunction. One aspect is related to the conversion of the main thyroid hormone (thyroxine) into a more potent and useful form. In order for this to happen, the body must have adequate amounts of copper, iron, selenium and zinc. Therefore, if you are deficient or not properly metabolizing or absorbing any of these essential nutrients, not only can this make it very difficult to lose weight, but it can make it very difficult to conceive. If you do conceive, for instance with the help of technology, you will be predisposed to having fetal developmental problems. Even mild cases of hypothyroid can create problems and a proper nutritional strategy can improve or eliminate many thyroid problems.
Diet: Proper diet is crucial to restoring a healthy body weight. It is also crucial to maintain good health and to give the fetus everything it needs to become a healthy baby. There is no substitute for a proper diet. No amount of vitamin or mineral supplementation can make up for poor eating habits. However, there is no one diet that is good for everyone because we are all individuals with individual needs. The saying "one person's meat is another person's poison" has some truth to it. Therefore, the diet should be matched to the person. There are many different ways to approach this, but one of the most effective ways is through metabolic typing.
Exercise: Exercise should be regular and moderate. We do not recommend strong exercise routines if you are trying to get pregnant. However, walking is an excellent form of exercise as are gentle forms of yoga, such as prenatal or restorative yoga.
Relaxation: Many of our obese patients are under a lot of stress. If this is the case, relaxation techniques such as meditation, massage, acupuncture, and vacation are worth their weight in gold. Stress can be very detrimental to fertility.

If you are overweight and have any questions about what you can do to help maximize your fertility and your chances of giving birth to a healthy baby, please feel free to contact us.

¹Gynecol Obstet Invest. 2005;59(4):220-4. Epub 2005 Mar 7.
² J Reprod Med. 2004 Dec;49(12):973-7.
³ Hum Reprod. 2004 Nov;19(11):2523-8. Epub 2004 Aug 19.
⁴American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 71, No. 5, 1242S-1248s, May 2000
⁵See our research section for a list of citations