West Yorkshire midwives are being stretched to their limits because of overweight mums-to-be.A report by the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) states that obese mothers need more care after giving birth, which is causing a shortage of care across the region.
A rising birthrate, coupled with the problems linked with obesity in pregnancy, is putting pressure on overstretched maternity services. It has reduced the amount of time midwives can spend on advising on diet and lifestyle.
Bridget Benelam, senior nutrition consultant at the BNF, says the fall in numbers is concerning.
"The latest figures for birth rates in West Yorkshire are 31,000 a year. In terms of the amount of midwives we would want available to cope with that is 12,000," she said.
"We know that in Yorkshire and Humber overall there's a shortfall of nearly 400 hundred midwives, so we've certainly not got the numbers we would want for midwives in this area."
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