Photo by coleanddylan

I gained about 55 pounds during my pregnancy and I'm not really sure how. It's not like I ate a ton. I think my body just naturally did what it needed to. So if my doctor had told me not to gain any weight during my pregnancy, I don't know what I would have done. But some women are dealing with that reality.

The Healthy Mom Study, in which 180 overweight and obese pregnant women have to try to keep their pregnancy weight gain between 0 and 3 percent of their baseline weight, is currently underway. Researchers hope that by radically limiting their weight gain, they will limit the pregnancy risks these overweight women face, including preeclampsia, diabetes, bigger babies, C-sections, birth injuries, and weight retention after pregnancy

The pregnancy weight gain guidelines the Institute of Medicine released last spring recommend that obese women gain between 11 and 20 pounds during pregnancy.

The women participating in the study will get nutrition counseling, keep food diaries, and meet regularly in group sessions.

What doctors don't know: Whether there will be adverse affects on the babies or their neurological development from women not gaining weight, although some other observational studies suggest that obese women who limit weight gain may have healthier pregnancies and easier deliveries.

If you're overweight and had the opportunity to participate in this study, would you?

Related posts:

Dieting While Pregnant: Is it Safe?

Pregnancy Weight: How Much are You Supposed to Put On?

Do Fat People Make Bad Parents?