Two State Lawmakers, and Moms, Weigh in on U of M Study

A pair of state lawmakers believe a University of Michigan study that found women who are overweight heading in to their second pregnancy have greater chances of a stillbirth sheds light on an important issue.

One of them, State Representative Winnie Brinks, is a mom of three and says it’s hard for moms of newborns to spend time taking care of themselves.

But she says the health of the mother is important even if it does get lost in the shuffle of caring for a newborn.

State Representative Erika Geiss, a mother of two, says the key is focusing on the positive aspects of returning to a healthy weight as opposed to making moms feel bad for being overweight.

The study also found women are overweight when they become pregnant with their second child also have a greater risk of infant mortality, which is when the baby dies within the first year of life.