J. Bernier, Y. Hanson, T. Barber
Executive Summary
In
recent years, Canada and many other countries have witnessed a rise in rates of overweight and
obesity, motivating researchers, health care providers and policy makers to focus more attention on
the relationships between overweight and obesity and health. This focus has included examining the
impact of overweight and obesity on maternal and newborn health, resulting in a breadth of
knowledge about potential negative health outcomes for both mothers and babies
.
There is a gap,
however, in the literature relating to the psychological, emotional, and social implications of
overweight and obesity in pregnancy, as well as the self-described experiences of women with
overweight or obesity and those of their health care providers.
In order to address this gap, the Atlantic Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health and the Prairie
Women’s Health Centre of Excellence interviewed both women who were overweight or obese during
pregnancy and health care providers about their experiences. The objective of this qualitative study
was to
increase understanding of women’s experiences with maternity care, including the
psychological, emotional, and social implications of overweight and obesity in pregnancy. In addition,
it was important to gain knowledge about
practitioners’
experiences with maternity care for
overweight and obese women to better understand what is required for providing optimal care to this
group of women. Thirty three individuals were interviewed in Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan,
including 18 women who had experienced overweight and obesity during pregnancy and 15 health
care providers who worked with pregnant women with overweight and obesity, including family
physicians, obstetricians and gynaecologists, midwives, nurses, and registered dieticians. The semi-
structured interviews consisted of conversations around all stages of pregnancy and the models of
practice used to provide maternity care from both the perspectives of the women and practitioners.
The findings from this study
offer insights into women’s experiences of overweight and obesity while
receiving maternity care, the challenges and successes for practitioners in providing optimal care for
this population, and recommendations on how maternity care for this group of women may be
improved.
Key findings from this study include:
(1) Psychological, Emotional and Social Aspects of Obesity and Overweight during Pregnancy
(2) Pre-Pregnancy and Conception
(3) Pregnancy
(4) Labour and Delivery
(5) Post-pregnancy
(6) Quality of Care
Read more...
 Download full report
Discussion on this report can also be found in the following two podcasts. Click on links below to hear the womens voices.
 Podcast I (mp3/6MB)
Podcast 2 (mp3/18MB)
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