50% of Pregnant Women in Canada are Overweight/Obese: New Book Offers Advice for Plus-Size Moms-to-Be

50% of Pregnant Women in Canada are Overweight/Obese: New Book Offers Advice for Plus-Size Moms-to-Be

According to recent findings by Statistics Canada, approximately half of all Canadian women of childbearing age are considered overweight or obese. While women are advised to lose excess weight before conceiving, North American researchers confirm that rising overweight/obesity rates among pregnant women mirror that of the general population. In other words, many Canadian women are entering pregnancy far from their ideal weight.

What can “plus-size” moms-to-be expect when they are expecting? According to Dr. Cornelia van der Ziel, Harvard Medical School clinical instructor in obstetrics and gynecology, “overweight and obese women, as a group, are at higher risk for developing complications such as gestational diabetes and gestational hypertension.” Studies also point to higher cesarean section rates and a greater likelihood to deliver a high birthweight baby. Van der Ziel also finds that, “What happens during an individual plus-size woman’s pregnancy is based largely on her personal health choices and previous medical history. If a woman is generally healthy before becoming pregnant, carefully monitors diet and exercise, and actively participates in her prenatal care, she is more likely to have a healthy pregnancy.”

Van der Ziel, along with Jacqueline Tourville, a childbirth educator and plus-size mom, are the co-authors of BIG, BEAUTIFUL AND PREGNANT: EXPERT ADVICE AND COMFORTING WISDOM FOR THE EXPECTING PLUS-SIZE WOMAN, a new release from Marlowe/Avalon Publishing Group. Because a woman’s ability to learn about pregnancy and childbirth is critical to taking good care of herself and her unborn baby, the pair decided it was finally time to offer the plus-size population a friendly, medically sound guide delivering the skinny on what to expect from pregnancy, birth, and beyond.

Based in part on countless conversations van der Ziel has had over the years with her overweight and obese patients, as well as Tourville’s firsthand experiences, BIG, BEAUTIFUL AND PREGNANT addresses plus-size women’s most pressing prenatal concerns, including: Is my pregnancy doomed to encounter complications because I’m overweight? How can I find a sympathetic prenatal care provider? How much weight should I gain? Why am I being tested for gestational diabetes? Will my baby be big because of my size? Where can I find trendy plus-size maternity clothes? After my baby is born, what can I do to give my child the healthiest possible start in life?

The authors hope the book provides plus-size women with information, inspiration, and reassurance that they can have a healthy and happy pregnancy. Ann Douglas, author of the best-selling MOTHER OF ALL PREGNANCY BOOKS, says, “BIG, BEAUTIFUL AND PREGNANT will leave you feeling confident, sexy, and informed for nine months and beyond.” Pioneering midwife, Ina May Gaskin, adds, “It’s understanding and understandable, positive and inspiring and always a source of information that’s often hard to find elsewhere.” And, as a sign plus-size pregnancy has achieved prominent health issue status, the LIBRARY JOUNRAL, in a recent starred review, calls BIG, BEAUTIFUL AND PREGNANT, “an important addition to… [consumer health] literature.”

– Publication Date: June 13, 2006

– ISBN: 1569243190

– Dr. Cornelia van der Ziel and Jacqueline Tourville are available for interviews on an individual or joint basis.

– Please visit http://www.bigbeautifulandpregnant.com for more information and to download book cover image.
source: prenancyhelper.net

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