During Your Pregnancy: Weigh to Grow

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November 17, 2004


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Weight Gain


			What you need to know: Here are the recommended weight gain guidelines for pregnant women: If you are normal weight before pregnancy: Gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. If you are overweight before pregnancy: Gain 15 to 25 pounds during pregnancy. If you are underweight before pregnancy: Gain 28 to 40 pounds during pregnancy (depending on your pre-pregnancy weight). If you have a multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets or more): See your health care provider. You will need to gain more weight during pregnancy depending on the number of babies you are carrying. Gaining the right amount of weight will make it easier to shed pounds after delivery and will prepare your body for breastfeeding. It also helps protect the health of your baby. What you can do: See your health care provider if you are concerned about your weight. She or he can help you determine the weight gain that is right for you. If you are already pregnant and are overweight, do not try to diet. If you need help planning a healthy diet that will help you gain the proper amount of weight, ask about seeing a dietitian or nutritionist.

Weigh to Grow

You're pregnant, right? So you get to eat as many french fries as you want, right? Wrong! You need to be careful about how much weight you gain during your pregnancy. Gaining too much or too little can be harmful to you and your baby. How many pounds you need to add depends on how much you weigh when you become pregnant.

Gaining the right amount of weight helps protect the health of your baby. Women who gain too little are at increased risk of having a small baby (less than 5 1/2 pounds). Women who gain too much are at increased risk of having an early baby or a large baby. They may also have health problems themselves such as diabetes, high blood pressure and varicose veins.

If you began pregnancy at a normal weight, you should gain 25�35 pounds over the nine months. Adding about 300 extra calories a day to your diet will help you reach this goal. (One extra healthy snack, such as four fig bars and a glass of skim milk, will provide these calories.) Most women gain four to six pounds in the first trimester, and then average a pound a week in the second and third trimesters.

If you began pregnancy underweight, you should probably gain a little more. That's because underweight women are more likely to have small babies. A 28- to 40-pound gain is usually recommended, so you should try to gain slightly over a pound a week in the second and third trimesters.

If you began pregnancy overweight, you should gain only 15�25 pounds. This means you should put on one pound every two weeks in the second and third trimesters. While you don't want to gain too much weight, you should never try to lose weight during pregnancy because that could harm your baby.

Where does it all go? Approximate breakdown of a weight gain of 29 pounds
Blood	3 pounds
Breasts	2 pounds
Womb	2 pounds
Baby	7.5 pounds
Placenta	1.5 pounds
Amniotic fluid	2 pounds
Fat, protein & other nutrients	7 pounds
Retained water	4 pounds

If you're expecting twins, you should probably gain a total of 35�45 pounds. That translates into about 1 1/2 pounds a week in the last two trimesters.

Putting on weight slowly and steadily is best. But don't worry if you gain less than four pounds in the first trimester, and make up for it later, or vice versa. Also, many women have one or two "growth spurts" during which they gain several pounds in a short time period, then level off. Again, this is not worrisome unless it becomes a pattern. The important thing is to keep an eye on your overall gain. You can use the weight-gain tracking chart to follow your progress.

	Keeping Healthy


		Prenatal Care

		Choosing a Prenatal Care Provider

		Eating for Two

		Food Safety

		Weight Gain During Pregnancy

		Vitamins & Minerals

		-	Calcium

		Exercise

		-	Warning Signs to Stop Exercising and Call Your Doctor

		-	Conditions That Make Exercise Dangerous During Pregnancy

		Caffeine

		Work and Pregnancy

		Sex During Pregnancy

		Pregnancy After 35

		Childbirth Education Classes

	Things to Avoid


		Alcohol

		Smoking

		Marijuana

		Drugs & Herbs

		Abuse

		Hazardous Substances

		Stress

	Prenatal Tests


		Your First Tests

		Amniocentesis

		CF Carrier Screen

		Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS)

		Glucose Screen

		Group B Strep

		Maternal Blood Screening

		Ultrasound

Information specialists at the March of Dimes answer your questions by e-mail and online chat.


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		Eating for Two

		Vitamins and Minerals




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