Calls for clear guidance on healthy weight management in pregnancy published

Slimming World and the Royal College of Midwive’s calls for clearer guidance on healthy weight management for expectant mothers, and more support, training and appropriate resources for midwives, have been published in the journal Perspectives in Public Health.  

Slimming World and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), who worked in collaboration to develop Slimming World’s support for women to manage their weight during pregnancy, consulted 740 women and 110 UK midwives. The surveys indicated that 43% of midwives are not confident about advising women on weight management during pregnancy, and 79% would feel more confident if they had more training.

The survey also found that overweight expectant mothers are left feeling confused by the lack of clear information about healthy weight management in pregnancy. Furthermore, midwives are also concerned that they cannot offer the best support to these women in the absence of clear guidelines.

We’re calling for more investment to provide midwives with the tools and UK specific guidance and training so they can consistently offer women the best possible care.  This is especially pressing because of the potentially serious complications that can arise in pregnancy as a result of excess or inadequate weight gain and woman being overweight or obese.

Read the article in full here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1757913918816888