Weight Loss and Conception – What is the Relationship?
It’s not a topic anyone WANTS to talk about … especially me. My battle with weight started as a kid in the 1980s. Nowadays we are all implored to drink as much water as possible, all the time. But as any ‘80s kid will tell you we drank Pepsi and Coke a lot more often than water. I only drank water when I played softball — and that was if the Gatorade ran out.
Of course at that age, we could eat and drink anything and stay the same weight. I used to sneak into the kitchen late at night and eat a snack because I was so hungry. Didn’t matter — my metabolism was on overdrive and I didn’t gain weight … until college. Ah, yes, the dreaded Freshman 15 (mine was more like the Freshman 25). I have been losing and gaining the same weight (and maybe some more) ever since. But we HAVE to address the weight issue because it can have an effect on your treatment, conception and pregnancy.
There will be Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility specialists (REI) who may not treat you if your Body Mass Index (BMI) is above a certain amount. The BMI has come under fire and is controversial in denying patient care. Studies have shown that having a lower BMI can increase chances for conceiving and sustaining pregnancy. Also, women with higher BMI do have increased chances of difficult pregnancies including preeclampsia, preterm birth and gestational diabetes.
People say to just “work out more.” That may work for some people, but definitely not for all.. Regular exercise is essential, but it’s not the only thing that matters in weight loss. Diet is so important and I am not talking about fad diets, but just eating healthy. Stay away from fried and overly processed foods; eat more fruits and veg (things your parents may have told you). But what if diet and exercise are not cutting it? Should you move on to other methods of weight loss?
The number one thing that you must do is discuss this with a medical professional. This is not a “Dr. Google” specialty. Dr. Google thinks it is, but there are too many weight loss scams out there so it’s best to go to the one with the medical degree.
You might be looking into the relatively new injectable weight loss medications. I have tried them and they worked for me. My appetite was suppressed and I didn’t think about what I wanted for dinner right after eating lunch. But, alas, it was unsustainable as I could not afford the monthly costs since I was using it for weight loss and not diabetes. Just because this worked for me, that doesn’t mean it will be right for you. It is an enormous cost in adding to any fertility treatment that you may be saving up for.
It is recommended to hold off on conception while on injectable weight loss medications such as Wegovy or Ozempic (semaglutide) and then two months after stopping them. These medications are too new to have any statistical data on their safety in-utero. Some weight loss providers may suggest that you use an IUD or implant as birth control pills may fail due to the digestive process slowing down. Bariatric surgery is a major abdominal surgery and you will need to wait at least one year after bariatric surgery to try-to-conceive (TTC).
Of course you want your body to be in optimal condition before conceiving, but know that you don’t need to be a gym rat, not unless you want to at least. Eating healthy, exercise in a way that suits you best and do not get caught up in the social media traps of what your body should look like before (and after) pregnancy. We all have our own journey and we all take different paths to get there.
Ann Marie Luft has been a Fertility Nurse for more than 10 years, with experience in every aspect of the field. Learn more about how she can help guide you through your reproductive journey.
