Expectant mums now being told to put down the fork

Pregnant women face a constant stream of dos and don’ts — now they’re being told to eat less, for the sake of their kids.

Pregnancy is the best time to help protect your child against future obesity, with new research showing that carrying excess weight can set off a chain reaction of risk factors affecting the long-term health of mum and bub.

And while it might seem common sense to eat well and keep active when pregnant, researchers say a lack of tailored advice for expectant mums, time and health complications, as well as pressure to keep pregnancy plans secret from employers, all hamper a woman’s ability to do best for themselves and their baby.

Monash University has launched a $2.5 million research centre, that will act as a world-first one-stop-shop for employers and families, by overhauling how women are supported in the workplace while planning a pregnancy, while pregnant and while on maternity leave.

Juliana Betts with 20-month-old daughter Sybilla. Picture: Josie Hayden

Professor Helen Skouteris, director of the Centre of Research Excellence in Health in Preconception and Pregnancy, said one of the main aims of their five-year project was to help workplaces support women to be at their healthiest weight entering pregnancy.

“If we can support them also not to gain weight excessively during pregnancy, we’re going to have healthier mums, which means healthier families,” Prof Skouteris said.

“It’s a really big shake-up, but employers get it right for women - and start to celebrate this part of our workforce - their actual bottom dollar is going to be better.”

Research presented at this week’s European Congress on Obesity showed that maternal obesity increases the risk of gestational diabetes, oversized or underweight babies, and reduced breastfeeding initiation and duration. These all increase the chance of childhood obesity.

“Interventions need to prevent these short term adverse pregnancy outcomes, in order to prevent longer term child obesity development,” Newcastle University’s Dr Nicola Heslehurst told the conference.

“There is overwhelming evidence that the first 1000 days, from conception until two years, is an opportunity to alter the in utero and early life environment.”

And Melbourne mums are not immune.

The latest Victorian birth data analysing the impact of last year’s covid restrictions revealed this correlated with a significant jump in the number of newborns over 4kg, an increase in maternal BMI and gestational diabetes.

Juliana Betts, who is 32 weeks pregnant, said feeling unwell for the first 20 weeks, working part-time and having a 20-month-old daughter to care for, made it difficult to always make the healthy choice.

“It does affect you choosing healthy foods because you don’t feel like eating or cooking,” Ms Betts said.

“You’re often putting yourself last in a lot of ways trying to meet the needs of your family and work. It’s a good reminder that we need to look after ourselves as well. That’s important not just for us, but for our babies.”