Preconception Care of the Obese Woman

One third of obese women report obtaining preconception care. Only one third of those women state that weight issues were discussed at their visit. Obese women should be educated about the risks of pregnancy so they can make informed choices as to whether and when to conceive. Women should be encouraged to mitigate risk by losing weight and exercising before conception and understand complications of pregnancy within specific pregravid body mass index strata. This manuscript describes the risks and provides guidance on topics to include in the preconception visit of an obese woman.