"Pregnant, obese...and in danger"

[LeftyMom]

34. The article struck me as fat shaming,

and for the record I'm not fat.



There are a lot of things that can make for a more difficult pregnancy: weight (too much or not enough,) age (too old or too young,) fertility (pregnancies resulting from fertility drugs can be higher risk, many infertility problems also result in issues with maintaining the pregnancy once it occurs,) genetic factors, any number of health problems including very minor ones, overall build and muscle tone, previous medical history including accidents and other trauma, drugs the mother takes and even some drugs the grandmother took while pregnant with the mother that can cause reproductive tract problems, fetal anomalies that pop up at random or run in families... That's not even considering external factors like money, work conditions, family situation, stress level.

Long story short we all have some risk factors. We can control some things, at least in an ideal situation where a pregnancy is planned and wanted, but the idea that women need to reinvent themselves or their bodies to become worthy mothers is strange at best. edit: Especially because reversing obesity is a multi-year project and delaying pregnancy can carry it's own significant risks.

It's also important to remember that for working class women dedicated time to exercise is often a luxury they simply can not afford and that the proposed "free" alternatives may be impractical or dangerous. Likewise access to healthy food is not a given in this country.