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Maternal obesity and over‐nutrition give rise to both obstetric problems and neonatal morbidity. The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of maternal obesity and over‐nutrition on signalling of the AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway in fetal skeletal muscle in an obese pregnant sheep model. Non‐pregnant ewes were assigned to a control group (Con, fed 100% of NRC nutrient recommendations, n= 7) or obesogenic group (OB, fed 150% of National Research Council (NRC) recommendations, n= 7) diet from 60 days before to 75 days after conception (term 150 days) when fetal semitendinosus skeletal muscle (St) was sampled. OB mothers developed severe obesity accompanied by higher maternal and fetal plasma glucose and insulin levels. In fetal St, activity of phosphoinositide‐3 kinase (PI3K) associated with insulin receptor substrate‐1 (IRS‐1) was attenuated (P < 0.05), in agreement with …