Pairing Evidence-Based Strategies With Motivational Interviewing to Support Optimal Nutrition and Weight Gain in Pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: Because eating, nutrition, and weight management patterns adopted during pregnancy may persist beyond the postpartum period, pregnancy provides an opportunity for health education that affects the future health of the pregnant person, the fetus, and the family. This systematic review aimed to find nutrition and weight management behaviors that could be used safely during pregnancy to optimize gestational weight gain.

METHODS: PubMed, MEDLINE, and Web of Science were searched for research or systematic reviews published in English from 2018 to 2023 using terms including gestational weight gain maintenance, weight, management, pregnancy, behavior, strategy, and strategies. Excluded research used pediatric or adolescent populations, restrictive diets such as no carbohydrate or no fat diets, fasting, bariatric surgery, weight loss medications, private industry, or profit-earning programs using food brands or specific diet programs.

RESULTS: The abstracts reviewed in these areas: excessive gestational weight gain (1019), low-glycemic index diet (640), Mediterranean diet (220), MyPlate diet (2), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet (50), portion control (6), home meal preparation (6), mindful eating (13), intuitive eating (10), self-weighing (10), and motivational interviewing during pregnancy (107), were reduced to 102 studies. Studies in those 10 areas were reviewed for nutrition and eating behaviors that are safe to use during pregnancy and could be used along with motivational interviewing.

CONCLUSION: Clinicians can discuss these behaviors using motivational interviewing techniques to assist clients in optimizing gestational weight gain. Dialogue examples pairing these strategies with motivational interviewing principles are included.