Coping with Stress in Complicated Pregnancy and Gestational Weight Gain

Maternal obesity is one of the leading health problems in the world. Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) can lead to many complications during pregnancy, especially when it is accompanied by diabetes. Moreover, the risk of excessive GWG in pregnant women is significant, irrespective of prenatal counseling. Studies on this subject concerning coping with stress are lacking in the literature. The present work is aimed at evaluating the styles of coping with stress and their relation to GWG in pregnant women with gestational diabetes (GDM) for whom sudden adaptation to dietary management during this period can be challenging. It was indicated that women with GDM reported high stress related to potential maternal-fetal complications and worries about compliance with dietary management. The overall weight gain of participants in pregnancy was determined in connection to their prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and classified based on the Institute of Medicine guidelines. A standardized psychological scale was used to assess coping styles. The results showed that almost half of the participants did not meet the Institute of Medicine recommendations for weight gain during pregnancy. There were significant correlations between the styles of coping with stress and the GWG. Additionally, low correlations were indicated between emotional, avoidant, task-oriented coping styles and the age of pregnant women with GDM. Regression analysis showed that the stress-coping style that focused on emotions was the most predictive of overall weight gain. There is a need for a better understanding of psychological barriers in achieving the recommended GWG and potential limitations in providers’ interventions, particularly for GDM.