Overweight pregnant women in Birmingham offered healthy eating advice
A healthy eating programme is being offered to obese pregnant women in Birmingham to tackle a rise in the number of overweight mothers-to-be.
Birmingham Public Health is offering pregnant women with a Body Mass Index over 30 the chance to attend exercise classes and weight loss groups.
One in five pregnant women in the city is overweight, the group said.
Obese mothers-to-be are at higher risk of a variety of complications, including diabetes and pre-eclampsia.
Launching the free Maternal Lighten Up programme, Birmingham Public Health said it offered long-term benefits for mothers.
Figures show that five years ago, about 18% of pregnant women in the city had a Body Mass Index over 30, compared with more than 20% now, the spokesman added.
Pregnant women can be referred to the programme by their midwife.