Abstract
High maternal, gestational weight gain is associated with high birthweight, large-for-gestational-age birthweights, cesarean delivery, child overweight, and short- and long-term postpartum weight retention. In this phenomenological study, the meaning and experiences of weight gain for pregnant women with high gestational weight gain were investigated. Data were collected through interviews with pregnant women from Atlantic Canada. van Manen’s method of phenomenology was utilized. The data analysis revealed four patterns or major themes: being caught off guard; losing your bearings; hanging on for dear life; and hoping for health. The participants experienced their gestational weight gain as an unexpected “wild ride” that they could not control. The findings highlight the need for health care professionals to provide pregnant women with more support concerning gestational weight gain.
Highlights
High maternal, gestational weight gain is associated with high birthweight, large-for-gestational-age birthweights, cesarean delivery, child overweight, and short- and long-term postpartum weight retention [1]-[3]
The National Research Council [10] reported on data from the Pregnancy Nutrition Surveillance System in the United States showing 46% of pregnant women gained more than the Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines in 2004, as compared to 37% in 1993
Peripheral qualitative research has been conducted in this area [13]-[31], the author could not locate a phenomenological study in the literature by the researcher(s) that investigated the entire lived experience of overgaining while pregnant regardless of prepregnancy body mass index (BMI)
Summary
Gestational weight gain is associated with high birthweight, large-for-gestational-age birthweights, cesarean delivery, child overweight, and short- and long-term postpartum weight retention [1]-[3]. A secondary data analysis of the Maternity Experiences Survey indicated that 49% of Canadian pregnant women exceeded the weight gain guidelines in the 2005/2006 survey cycle [9]. National health organizations, such as the IOM and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, strongly recommend that health care professionals counsel pregnant women about gestational weight gain [2] [11] [12]. Qualitative research on the maternal experience of high gestational weight gain might help health care professionals understand the experience from the perspective of pregnant women, which could, in turn, help inform their counseling efforts. The purpose of this study was to explore the whole lived experience of weight gain for pregnant women with high gestational weight gain
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