How much is the right weight gain?

Your weight has become a carefully monitored number at this point, and it is only going to continue to be as your pregnancy progresses. There are lots of factors that go into healthy pregnancy related weight gain and these vary for each person. First off, I want to say – point blank – during your pregnancy it is the absolutely wrong time to attempt to lose weight!

You will need to know your weight prior to pregnancy as well as the corresponding BMI number to determine the right weight gain range for your body type. If you have a BMI of 18.5 or less (this is considered underweight) you should gain between 28 and 40 pounds throughout your pregnancy. If you have a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 (normal weight to height ratio) your weight gain should be in the 25 to 35 pound range. If you have a BMI of 25 and 29.9 (overweight) you should try to keep your weight gain between 15 and 25 pounds. If you are above a BMI of 30 (obese) you should limit your gain to 11 to 20 pounds. Please keep in mind that these numbers are all in reference to a single child pregnancy, and the numbers are different if you are carrying twins or multiples. In fact in multiples pregnancy, many woman experience an initial (within the first 6 weeks) gain of ten pounds, just as a result of the increased blood volume and additional placental development. There are many reasons to maintain a healthy weight during pregnancy (as was discussed during week 2), but a very important reason is to avoid gestational diabetes, which is more common in overweight moms.  While gestation diabetes is molecularly the same as regular diabetes – it affects your body’s ability to process sugar, resulting in abnormally high levels of glucose in the system – it actually is more harmful to your baby than it is to you. This is why it must be carefully monitored as well as treated by your doctor.

Also if you have been exceptionally ill, in terms of vomiting and nausea, you may have actually lost weight in the beginning of your pregnancy. If this is the case, you need to discuss your weight fluctuation with your doctor and set up a plan to get on track. Also keep in mind that your estimated weight gain, as listed above, is a total gain and should not be in addition to your weight loss. For example – if you started out at 150 pounds with a BMI 20 and then you loose 15 pounds in the first three months, you should not gain 40-50 to make up the difference.

Word of the Week

Nausea – n – sickness at the stomach, esp. when accompanied by a loathing for food and an involuntary impulse to vomit.(www.dictionary.com)

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