Nutritional Screening During Pregnancy: Women’s Views of Weight Monitoring as Part of This Process

Background: Worldwide, appropriate weight maintenance is one of the most important elements of human health, and this is especially true for pregnancy. Gestational weight gain below or above the recommended range is associated with numerous adverse outcomes. In addition, it may induce epigenetic changes leading to an increased risk of developing future chronic disease, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, in both the woman and her offspring. Despite this, little is known of the views and experiences of pregnant women regarding weight monitoring and advice during the antenatal period. Methods: A qualitative study using individual interviews was undertaken in south-eastern Australia. Sixteen women with varying body mass index participated. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data was analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. In any phenomenological study, the researcher’s objective is to elicit the participant’s views on their lived experiences. Results: Three major themes emerged: (1) The physiological perspective of weight monitoring during pregnancy; (2) The psychological perspective of weight monitoring during pregnancy; (3) The sociological perspective of weight monitoring during pregnancy. Conclusions: The findings from this study may assist the future development and support of weight monitoring information and practices for pregnant women. Women want more individualized support regarding weight monitoring during pregnancy.