[ARTICLE] “Pregnancy Weight Guidelines Spark Fatshame Fears”- The Courier Mail 5th November 2018
NEW clinical guidelines for pregnant Australians will put more focus on weight, a move slammed by maternity consumer advocates who fear women will feel fat-shamed.
A summary of the updated recommendations, published today in the Medical Journal of Australia highlights that health practitioners should offer pregnant women advice on weight, diet and physical activity and the chance to be weighed at each antenatal visit.
Gold Coast midwife Amanda Bude, who teaches private childbirth classes, said guidelines should focus on body mass index rather than weight.
“A high BMI of 30-35 at the first antenatal visit can alert pregnancy carers that a woman maybe at risk for complications in pregnancy, such as DVT, gestational diabetes and high blood pressure,” Ms Bude said.
