Table of contents:
- How does being underweight affect pregnancy?
- How to calculate body fat?
- Who is most at risk for difficulty getting pregnant?
- Then, what should I do if I am underweight?
Are you trying to get pregnant? What preparations and efforts have you put into achieving pregnancy? One of the things that you must prepare before becoming pregnant is your weight. Maybe this has not occurred to you before. But, did you know that weight also affects your chances of getting pregnant? Weight that is too thin or too fat, may be the reason why it is difficult for you to get pregnant until now.
How does being underweight affect pregnancy?
As it turns out, the amount of your body fat affects your fertility. Fat is needed in the production of the hormone estrogen which is then required for menstruation. If you have too little estrogen in your body, you can reduce your menstrual cycle and ovulation. In addition, very little body fat will also interfere with the flow of hormones from your brain to the pituitary gland. This means that the signal from the pituitary gland to tell the ovaries to release an egg (ovulation) will not occur.
If you miss your period, it means that your body will not release an egg during each cycle. If you don't release an egg, even though you have many healthy eggs, these eggs will remain in the ovaries. So, you will be more at risk for having irregular menstrual cycles if you are underweight (underweight). This irregular menstrual cycle will make it difficult for you to get pregnant.
How to calculate body fat?
You need at least 22% body fat to ovulate and have a normal menstrual cycle. Of course it is difficult to measure what percentage of body fat you have if you want to have a normal menstrual period. The percentage of body fat can be measured with a special tool, which is rather expensive.
The easiest way you can find out if your body has enough fat for a normal menstruation is to measure your Body Mass Index (BMI). If your BMI shows that you are a normal weight, it means that you have enough fat in your body for your period to occur.
It's easy to measure your BMI, you need to know what weight and height you have first. Then divide your body weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared (BW kg / TB m²).
If the result is between 18.5-25 it means you are a normal weight and if it shows a result below 18.5 it means you are underweight (underweight). A study shows that women with a BMI between 20-25 have a better chance of getting pregnant than women who have a lower BMI.
Who is most at risk for difficulty getting pregnant?
Body fat is important for maintaining your menstrual cycle. This is why individuals who are very thin or have a BMI below 18.5 may find it difficult to conceive. Individuals who engage in a lot of physical activity and are on a strict diet can have a very low BMI, resulting in irregular menstrual cycles and then difficulty getting pregnant.
This usually occurs in professional female athletes who are very careful about their weight or ballerinas. In addition, there are also many women who put a lot of pressure on themselves to stay slim by sticking to strict diets, and keeping their body weight below normal limits. Or it could also occur in individuals suffering from anorexia nervosa who have irregular menstrual cycles, and even experience amenorrhea.
Then, what should I do if I am underweight?
If you underweight and have irregular menstrual cycles or even your menstrual cycles have stopped, you should check with your doctor so that your problem can be resolved immediately. If you only need to gain a few pounds, you should gradually gain weight by eating a well-balanced diet.
Reaching a normal weight before you get pregnant is also an effort to have a healthy baby. If you are underweight, you will increase the risk of your baby being born with a low birth weight or premature birth.
