Children who are overweight or obese are at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, and other serious health problems. There are two key ways to help prevent childhood obesity: gain a healthy amount of weight during pregnancy, and breastfeed your baby for the first six months of life.

Healthy Weight Gain During Pregnancy

Gaining weight while pregnant is a good thing. It helps your baby get the nutrients he or she needs to grow at a healthy rate. Gaining too much weight, though, has been linked to childhood obesity and can cause other health problems as your child grows.

Women who are at a healthy pre-pregnancy weight should gain 25 to 35 pounds. Women who are overweight pre-pregnancy should gain 15 to 25 pounds. Women who are underweight pre-pregnancy should gain 28 to 40 pounds.

If you are pregnant or are thinking about becoming pregnant, talk to your doctor about how much weight you should gain.

Breastfeeding Your Baby

There are many benefits to breastfeeding. It lessens the risk of infection and gives your baby the nutrition he or she needs. Babies who breastfeed during the first four to six months of life are also less likely to have long-term weight problems when they get older.

Mothers who breastfeed their babies recover from pregnancy, labor, and delivery quicker, and lessen their risk of breast cancer. For more information about breastfeeding and its benefits, talk to your doctor.

If you are a Fidelis Care member who is pregnant, we encourage you to join our free BabyCare program. The program helps you get the care you need when you are pregnant so you and your baby stay healthy. When you join, you will have your own Maternal Care Associate who will help you with any concerns or questions during and after your pregnancy. For more information about this free program, call 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547).