United States health officials say that more women are starting their pregnancies heavier than ever before. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 50% of women who became pregnant in 2014 were either overweight or obese when they conceived. The findings are concerning as two complications of being overweight or obese before and during pregnancy are high blood pressure and gestational diabetes. Dr. Siobhan Dolan, a medical adviser to the March of Dimes advises all women to see a doctor before becoming pregnant to help “become as healthy as you can prior to pregnancy. A lot of being healthy before pregnancy is prevention, and a healthy weight is part of prevention.”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, August 2016