A new study published in the journal JAMA reaffirms that it is not healthy to gain excessive weight throughout pregnancy. “This and other research underlines why it is so important to be a healthy weight when trying to conceive and throughout pregnancy and beyond,” says Birte Harlev-Lam director for Professional Leadership at RCM.

“The RCM recommends that midwives follow NICE guidelines which further support this evidence. If a pregnant woman is obese this will have a greater influence on her health and the health of her unborn child than the amount of weight she may gain during pregnancy.”