Authors:
Fletcher A, Gibson L, Jones J
Authors notes:
Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, 2013.
Keywords:
Pregnancy, Obesity, healthy pregnancy weight, support, Blooming together program
Abstract:
The maternity system is seeing increasing numbers of pregnant women with obesity.
This is a consequence of more women of childbearing age being overweight or obese.
This population is at a greater risk of adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes (including gestational diabetes, hypertension, pre-term birth, macrosomia, shoulder dystocia) compared with normal weight pregnant women.
The situation is compounded by these women becoming progressively more overweight with each subsequent pregnancy due to excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) and unsuccessful weight loss inter-pregnancy.
This research addresses a gap in service delivery for pregnant women with obesity at King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH) as well as in secondary hospital settings and the community; with the aim of supporting these women to achieve a healthy pregnancy weight and reducing obstetric and neonatal complications.
The BT Program is a group-delivered maternity model of care incorporating evidence-based behavioural change strategies to achieve a healthy pregnancy weight.
It has been designed within a continuity of care model to provide obese pregnant woman with a comprehensive antenatal model of care.