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Weight During the Postpartum Period: What Can Health Care Workers Do?

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Abstract

To describe the gestational month-to-month weight change, obstetric and lifestyle factors influencing postpartum weight retention (PPWR) and to suggest possible interventions to prevent PPWR. This study was part of a larger research project concerning maternal weight change after childbirth. 343 women were recruited on five maternity wards in the Antwerp region, Belgium. Weight and height were assessed by the researchers during two home visits at 3 and 14 months postpartum and participants completed a questionnaire investigating obstetric and lifestyle factors during the first home visit. The monthly weights in between the home visits were self-reported by the participants. Full data were available for 75 women. One year after childbirth 52.0 % of the women faced postpartum weight retention. The different monthly weight points within the changes differed significantly from each other up to sixth months postpartum. Prepregnancy weight, exceeding the recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concerning weight gain during pregnancy, smoking behaviour and exercising during pregnancy significantly influenced the postpartum weight change. The amount of weight gained during pregnancy, breastfeeding, possible postpartum depression and experiencing a shortage of information concerning the weight change after childbirth significantly influenced postpartum weight retention. Weight gain during pregnancy, exceeding IOM-criteria, breastfeeding, depression and lack of information determine PPWR and can be modulated by interventions such as routine weighing or screening of pregnant women. Several of these influencing factors can be preventively influenced by health care workers. Overall, we believe women could benefit from more guidance before, during and after pregnancy. Moreover, we recommend to reintroduce routine weighing of pregnant women as weight gain during pregnancy seems one of the most important factors involved in PPWR.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded with a PWO grant of the Karel de Grote University College and acknowledged by the Flemish government. We thank the participating hospitals for their help in recruiting the women and the women themselves for their effort and participation in the study. We also show great gratitude for the master students Charlotte Deckers, Charlotte Guiette, Kathleen Biesmans, Eline Dumont and Bénédicte Bogaerts for their cooperation in recruiting and visiting women. Finally, we would like to thank the study coordinating committee from Karel de Grote-Hogeschool and the advisory committee attached to this particular study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Care, Karel de Grote University College, Van Schoonbekestraat 143, 2018, Antwerp, Belgium

    Kathleen Biesmans, Erik Franck & Christine Ceulemans

  2. Division of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium

    Erik Franck & Peter Van Bogaert

  3. Department of Gynaecology, Antwerp University Hospital, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650, Edegem, Belgium

    Yves Jacquemyn

Authors
  1. Kathleen Biesmans
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  2. Erik Franck
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  3. Christine Ceulemans
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  4. Yves Jacquemyn
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  5. Peter Van Bogaert
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Correspondence to Kathleen Biesmans.

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Biesmans, K., Franck, E., Ceulemans, C. et al. Weight During the Postpartum Period: What Can Health Care Workers Do?. Matern Child Health J 17, 996–1004 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-012-1077-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-012-1077-9

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