2 Oct 2025
New research highlights women’s uncertainty around weight management during and after pregnancy
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‘I know I’m not meant to diet but is it ok to lose a few pounds while pregnant?’ New research highlights pregnant women’s uncertainty around weight management during and after pregnancy
Researchers from the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East and North Cumbria (NENC) have taken a deep dive into discussions on the popular online chat forum, Mumsnet, to understand views about weight management in pregnancy.
The research found that, in some cases, women with excess weight were trying to lose weight whilst pregnant – which goes again current clinical guidance. The findings highlight important issues and considerations for maternity care professionals.
In the UK, around one in five women start pregnancy with obesity and this has been increasing over time. Having obesity during pregnancy is associated with greater risk of complications such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.
Looking for guidance online
Women can often face barriers to accessing weight management support during and after pregnancy and commonly experience weight-related stigma when receiving standard antenatal care. This means women may choose to self-manage their weight rather than engaging with professional services – which can involve accessing online information and support.
Mumsnet is a UK-based online platform where users, who are mainly women and parents, share experiences and advice on a wide range of issues, and the site has around 8 million active users.
The research team analysed over 100 Mumsnet posts that related to weight management during and after pregnancy, over an 8-month period.
Their analysis, published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, found that many women felt anxious and guilty about the impact of excess weight on the health of their baby during pregnancy. Because of this, some were trying to, or were considering, losing weight while pregnant. Many women did not know that this was against current clinical guidelines.
Some forum users discouraged others from trying to lose weight while pregnant, but some encouraged it, including sharing their own stories of weight loss during pregnancy.
The research also found that women who received special care during pregnancy because of their weight felt that their concerns about their weight were dismissed by their health care team.
Lead researcher Dr Mackenzie Fong is a research fellow supported by the NIHR ARC North East and North Cumbria, based at Newcastle University.
She said: “Anonymous online forums such as Mumsnet provide a protected environment to discuss sensitive issues. The discussions that we analysed allowed us to gain insight into the real concerns of pregnant women, and the advice that others were giving. Although we assume that the advice given was well-intentioned, we found many examples of advice around weight loss in pregnancy that goes again medical guidance.
“Maternity care professionals should be aware that pregnant women may turn to a wide range of sources for advice on weight management, some of which may be inaccurate, and they should use their encounters with women to discourage intentional weight loss while pregnant. We should also think about how we can improve women’s general awareness of avoiding intentional weight loss during pregnancy.”
The study provides new insights into women’s intentions to lose weight while pregnant. It also shows the potential for online forums to promote potentially harmful weight management practices. Neither of these findings have been reported much in previous research.
Recommendations for practitioners
- Health care professionals should be aware that women with excess weight may consider losing weight during pregnancy. They are encouraged to have conversations with pregnant women about healthy weight gain during pregnancy, including strong recommendations to avoid intentional weight loss.
- Health care professionals should be aware that women with excess weight may be anxious about the impact of their weight on their baby. Health care professionals should give women the opportunity to share these concerns so they can be adequately addressed and lessen women’s anxiety.
Read a plain language briefing about this research
Additional information
All Mumsnet usernames and any identifiable data were removed during data analysis to protect the privacy of the individuals posting on the forum. While the forum is in the public domain and is publicly accessible, the research team have paraphrased illustrative quotations to minimise the risk of the individual users being identified.
The Mumsnet Disclaimer – which all users can access – states that Mumsnet is not liable for any information on the site, which is for general information only and not a substitute for professional advice. Visitors are advised to always seek advice from professionals for any medical concerns.