The heaviest woman to ever give birth, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, weighed 532 pounds. That's mind boggling.

But in the U.S., more than half of women who deliver a live-born infant are overweight (26%) or obese (29%) before they become pregnant. That increases the risk of serious complications — such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and high blood pressure, premature birth, birth defects, and miscarriage — that affect the mother, fetus, and child.

And we now know that if an overweight/obese woman has a daughter, the child will likely end up with an elevated body mass index (BMI) and increased fat mass by age 6 to 9. (Interestingly, this risk doesn't happen for sons, though they incur other risks.) That sets up a cycle of poor health from one generation to another.

One reason this happens, according to a study on mice, is that in utero over-nutrition rewires a fetus's developing brain, making a child favor unhealthy foods and encouraging overeating.

Other factors may include genetics (or epigenetics), family food and activity environment, and daughters’ emulation of their mothers’ behavior.

Are you thinking about becoming pregnant, and are currently overweight or obese? If you want your pregnancy/birth experience and your child's future to be as joyous as possible here’s what you need to do:

• See a nutritionist

• Get a lifelong weight control plan from "This is Your Do-Over" or "The Great Age Reboot"

• Aim to get 10,000 steps a day

• Adopt stress-management techniques such as meditation

Then both you and your child can look forward to a healthy future.