The Institute of Medicine is acting on the insistence of doctors who say that heavy women are gaining too much weight and that the current guidelines do not factor in the country’s obesity epidemic. Carrying too much weight while pregnant increases the risk of complications for the mother and baby, including birth defects, labor and delivery problems, fetal death and delivery of large babies, according to the March of Dimes. Under the institute’s 1990 guidelines, women with a normal body mass index — a combination of height and weight — are encouraged to gain 25 to 35 pounds. A study in the April issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology suggested that the current guidelines may raise the risk of mothers having overweight toddlers. Women in the study who followed the institute’s recommendations ran four times the risk of having a child who was overweight at age 3, compared with women who gained less than the advised amount. read more

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Carrying too much weight while pregnant increases the risk of complications for mother and baby, including birth defects, labor and delivery problems, fetal death and delivery of large babies, according to the March of Dimes. Under the institute’s 1990 guidelines, those with a “normal” body mass index — a combination of height and weight — were encouraged to gain 25 to 35 pounds. Women with a lower BMI should gain more weight during pregnancy — up to 40 pounds. Women in the study who followed the IOM’s recommendations ran four times the risk of having a child who was overweight at age 3, compared to women who gained less than the advised amount. France , have similar advice for pregnant women and weight gain. read more

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The enlightening 23-page ebook is presented in an understanding and conversational tone helping readers of all ages, from young adults to pre-menopausal women, prevent pregnancy using natural, holistic techniques. An astounding 750,000 teen girls get pregnant every year, according to the National Campaign To Prevent Teen Pregnancy. In fact, 31 percent of all young women become pregnant at least once before they reach the age of 20 (1), with four-fifths of these unplanned (2). The enlightening 23-page ebook is presented in an understanding and conversational tone, assisting readers of all ages, from young adults to pre-menopausal women. For the past 24-years, I've enjoyed an extremely active sex-life with long-term partners and my husband, never once experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, never spending exorbitant amounts of money on contraceptives and never suffering from a single health issue related to my reproductive organs. At 39, she's never experienced an unplanned pregnancy and has never used conventional contraceptives even through several long-term relationships and her marriage to her husband. read more

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