Less than 15 weeks pregnant? Want to learn about healthy habits for you and your growing baby? Join the Healthy Mamas research study! Your child’s long-term health begins in the womb, and what you eat during your pregnancy influences the health of your baby.
Research has shown that excess weight gain during pregnancy can have long-term consequences for both mother and baby. In recent years, almost half of all pregnant women in the United States gained more than the recommended amount of weight over the course of their pregnancies. An estimated 1.1 million women in the U.S. each year enter pregnancy with obesity, and women with obesity before pregnancy have the highest likelihood of gaining excess weight during pregnancy.
The good news is that for women with excess body fat, staying close to the same weight throughout pregnancy and losing some body fat throughout pregnancy may help prevent health problems during pregnancy and delivery and improve long-term health for both mother and baby! Prior research from Pennington Biomedical Research Center found that women with obesity who maintained weight or lost a modest amount of weight during pregnancy did not lose precious water, placenta, or baby weight – they just lost unhealthy body fat!
Healthy Mamas Research Study
Researchers at Pennington Biomedical have developed the Healthy Mamas study to further research weight maintenance and determine the health effects of a lifestyle program that supports weight maintenance during pregnancy in women with obesity. Participation in the study lasts about 8 months, and study participants will complete 4 clinic visits and 3 or 4 short ultrasound visits in the Pennington Biomedical outpatient clinic throughout pregnancy until 2 weeks postpartum.
Every mom who participates in the Healthy Mamas study will receive at no cost:
- Education on healthy behaviors during pregnancy
- Follow-up during pregnancy to assess changes in weight, eating, activity, and health
- Follow-up at 2 weeks postpartum to assess mother and baby’s health
- Compensation of up to $400 for time and participation.
To qualify for this study, participants should:
- Be a woman less than 15 weeks pregnant
- Be 18-45 years old ·
- Have a Body Mass Index between 35.0 and 55.0 [calculate your BMI here]
- Be expecting one baby in the current pregnancy
- Be willing to eat study foods
- Be willing to enroll their infant for study procedures after birth
If you are interested in volunteering for the Healthy Mamas study, visit the website to screen online or to learn more! https://bit.ly/HealthyMamasStudy
You can also learn more by calling 225-326-0546 or emailing moms@pbrc.edu.