Being overweight can result in hormonal fluctuations and disrupt the ovulation cycle. This is typically seen in the case of women who are trying to conceive for the first time. Obesity is also often associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition that may make it harder for a woman to conceive.
Being overweight or obese also increases the risk of complications in the pregnancy. This includes hypertension, miscarriages, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, blood clotting and infections. Many overweight women cannot have normal deliveries and labour needs to be induced or the woman eventually needs to have a caesarean delivery.