Women who are overweight during pregnancy face a host of potential health problems, doctors in Edmonton say.

It's normal to gain up to 25 pounds during pregnancy, experts say, but too many women are overweight before they conceive.

Average weight gain during pregnancy should be between 25 to 30 pounds, according to Health Canada.
(CBC)

The excess weight can lead to a long list of complications, including a much higher risk of miscarriage and gestational diabetes, which can prevent the fetus from getting enough nutrients during development. 

"It's really quite surprising," said Kali McNicol, who recently gave birth. "I just thought it was environmental stuff like smoking. I didn't think obesity had anything to do with it."

Edmonton is offering pre-conception courses for women thinking about giving birth to counter such misinformation.

"The preconception class won't say: 'Here is what you need to do to maintain a healthy weight,' " said Kathy Kimak, who runs the program.

"This is why it is really important. It will say more: 'Here is why it's really important for you do that; here is the impact for you and your baby; and here is where you can go to get some help.' "

It's more effective to deal with excess weight before pregnancy, Kimak said, because shedding pounds isn't an option afterwards.

She hopes about half of women who plan to become pregnant will enrol in the free program, which is available to anyone in the Edmonton area.