"Eating For Two" Has Consequences For Mom And Baby

The problem is that most pregnant women eat for two or more before they get pregnant.

"There is more medical evidence that pregnant women should steer clear of advice to 'eat for two.'

Alison Stuebe, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, reviewed data for more than 1,300 women and found that those who consumed extra calories, as well as fried foods and dairy products, were more likely to gain more than is recommended during pregnancy that's 35 pounds or more for a woman with a normal body mass index, or BMI...

Gaining too much weight is linked with complications at birth, such as pre-eclampsia or requiring a C-section, as well as higher odds that both mom and child will be obese later in life."

However, even without gaining too much weight, mothers-to-be who are fat from the get-go expose their fetuses to complications of pregnancy.

Better to delay getting pregnant until the weight is lost.