Pregnancy Weight Gain

Pregnancy is divided into three trimesters, with each Trimester lasting 3 months, or approximately 13 weeks (a normal pregnancy lasts 40 weeks). Most women notice a slight weight gain in the beginning of pregnancy. Gain in weight is a normal and healthy part of pregnancy.

Ideal weight gain

Weight gain during pregnancy varies from woman-to-woman and depends on body type and severity of nausea and vomiting. A slow and steady rate of weight gain is considered ideal.

The majority of weight gain should occur in the second andthird trimesters. On an average you may have an overall weight gain of10–12kg.

The recommended weight gains for the BMI ranges are outlined in the table.

Young adolescents should strive for gains at the upper end of the recommended range. Short women (157 cm, or 62 inches) should strive for gains at the lower end of the range. The recommended target weight gain for Obese women (BMI 29.0) is at least 6.8 kg.

Why is weight gain essential during pregnancy?

The right type of pregnancy weight gain benefits both you and your baby. Your baby’s growth and development mainly depends upon the weight you put on. Gaining weight at a steady rate within recommended boundaries can also lower your chance of having hemorrhoids, varicose veins, stretch marks, backache, fatigue, indigestion, and shortness of breath during pregnancy.

The extra weight you gain during pregnancy provides nourishment to your developing baby and is also stored for breastfeeding your baby after delivery.

Gaining too little or too much can be both harmful to you and to your baby. The right type of weight gain is also the kind that turns out to be easiest to shed. Too little, and your baby does not get all he/she needs to grow. But too much may lead to gestational diabetes,pre-eclampsia, or a difficult delivery.

Pattern of weight gain

Many women will put on most of their pregnancy weight gain during the first 20 weeks or only gain a few kilograms up until 12–16 weeks of the pregnancy, then experience a large 'growth spurt' during the middle of their pregnancy up until about 32 weeks, slowing down their weight gain over the next 4–6 weeks and then losing 1–2 kg just prior to going into labor.

As weight gain pattern is difficult to generalize, here are a few suggestions that may explain why you are gaining weight the way you are:

• Women who were relatively ‘underweight’ for their height before they conceived often put on more weight during pregnancy. This is because necessary fat stores are being laid down by the body to maintain the pregnancy and support breastfeeding after the birth.
• Women who were relatively ‘overweight’ before they conceived often find that they put on very little weight during pregnancy (or perhaps even naturally lose some weight at different stages). This is because the existing fat stores become depleted by the increased physical needs of the pregnancy and an increased metabolism. This is normal and regarded as being safe if you continue to eat a well-balanced diet.
• If you are excessively sick during the earlier months of pregnancy, you may not put on any weight for a while (or possibly even lose weight). Usually when the nausea and/or vomiting settles, your appetite returns and you have a ‘growth spurt’ for a few weeks, as your body ‘catches up’.
• Some women retain more fluid than others. Fluid retention and swelling or Edema affects about 65% of healthy pregnant women with a normal blood pressure, usually after about 20 weeks of the pregnancy.
• If you are carrying twins or triplets, you will put on more weight, but the weight gain would not be much different than a single pregnancy. As a guide for twins you may put on up to 15–20 kg (or more) and for triplets it may be up to 20–25 kg (or more).

How to gain the ideal weight during pregnancy?

Gaining the right amount of weight during pregnancy by eating a healthy, balanced diet is a good sign that your baby is getting all the nutrients he/she needs and is growing at a healthy rate.

In order to gain the above healthy weight during pregnancy, it is recommended to increase your daily energy intake.

So here is what you need to do during pregnancy to ensure weight loss success after: 

• Choose whole foods. Whole foods are foods that are dense in nutrients. Think whole grains, and unprocessed foods.
• Be sure that you get the right amount of calories.
• Besure you get a serving of protein, carbohydrate and fat at every meal.It will help you if you break your meals into six mini meals per dayand help prevent cravings later in the day.
• Choose foods high in fiber. High fiber foods will help fill you up and they will also help relieve Constipation.
• Drink extra water. Drinking water helps flush toxins from your body.

You should contact your health care provider if you suddenly gain or lose weight, especially in your third Trimester.