Gain in weight is a normal part of a healthy pregnancy. No matter what you weigh before getting pregnant you must gain weight during pregnancy. Your baby’s growth and development depends upon the weight you put on.

The recommended amount of weight gain during pregnancy depends on your pre-pregnancy weight, whether there is more than one fetus, and the trimester.

By eating a healthy, balanced diet the right amount of weight should be gained during pregnancy.

A woman of average weight before pregnancy can expect to gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. That is on an average overall weight gain of 10–12kg. (1 pound = 0.45 kg)

Pregnancy weight gain is specific to every individual hence, ask your health care provider how much weight you should gain during pregnancy. You may need to gain more or less weight, depending on what your doctor recommends.

Why is weight gain essential during pregnancy?

Weight gain is essential during pregnancy because your baby’s growth and development mainly depends upon the weight you put on. The extra weight you gain during pregnancy provides nourishment to your developing baby and is also stored for breastfeeding your baby after delivery. The right type of pregnancy weight gain benefits both you and your baby. Gaining too little or too much can be both harmful to you and to your baby. Too little, and your baby will not get all he/she needs to grow. But too much may cause complications for you like gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia.

A slow and steady rate of weight gain is considered ideal. Gaining weight at a steady rate within recommended weight gain range can also lower your chance of having varicose veins, stretch marks, backache, fatigue, indigestion and shortness of breath during pregnancy. The right type of weight gain is also the kind that is easiest to shed.

Where the weight goes

Baby                                                                       8 pounds

Placenta                                                                2-3 pounds

Amniotic fluid                                                      2-3 pounds

Breast tissue                                                         2-3 pounds

Blood supply                                                         4 pounds

Fat stores for delivery and breastfeeding      5-9 pounds

Uterus increase                                                    2-5 pounds

TOTAL                                                                    25 to 35 pounds

Pattern of weight gain

Most women 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.

In general, you should gain about 2-4 pounds during your first 3 months of pregnancy and 1 pound a week for the remainder of your pregnancy. Typically more weight gain is expected during the second and third trimester.

Average weight gain per trimester:

First trimester           1.3 – 1.8 Kg

Second trimester      5.5 – 6.5 Kg

Third trimester         3.5 – 4.5 Kg

Hence, increase your daily calories intake by 100 kcal in the first trimester and increase by 300 kcal during the second and third trimester.

Women who are clinically obese need to gain minimum of 11 pounds and women who are underweight need to gain more than the average, 25-35 pounds, usually at least 10-15 pounds. These figures are for a healthy woman carrying a single baby. Moms who are expecting multiples will need to gain more weight, although no standards have been devised for these special needs as a whole.

Weight gain pattern is difficult to generalize, here are few reasons which 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 to lay down necessary fat stores in 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. They may even lose some weight at different stages. This is because the existing fat stores get depleted by the increased physical needs of the pregnancy and an increased metabolism. This is normal and regarded as safe if you continue to eat a well – balanced diet.

If you are excessively sick due to nausea and vomiting 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.

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 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. You may put on up to 15–20 kg or more and for triplets it may be up to 20–25 kg or more.

Ideal weight gain

Weight gain during pregnancy varies from woman-to-woman and depends on body type and severity of nausea and vomiting.

Body Mass Index                  Recommended total weight gain

Low (BMI < 18.9)                        12.5 – 18 Kg

Normal (BMI < 19 – 24.9)         11.5 – 16 Kg

High (BMI 25 – 29.9)                 7 – 11.5 Kg

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.

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. Women who deprive themselves of good nutrition during pregnancy tend to have smaller, sickly babies who require more hospital time and have a higher incidence of problems including neonatal death.

It is not necessary to “eat for two” during pregnancy. But you do need extra calories from nutrient-rich foods to help your baby grow. You generally need to consume only 200 to 300 more calories more than you did before you became pregnant to meet the needs of your growing baby. However, it’s what you eat that really counts. Make sure that your diet is nutrient dense, that is full of good things for you and your baby instead of junk food that is full of fat and sugar.

Follow these tips for a healthy weight gain during pregnancy:

• Choose whole foods. Whole foods like whole grains and unprocessed foods are dense in nutrients.
• Be sure you get a serving of protein, carbohydrate and fat at every meal.
• Break your meals into six mini meals per day if possible, that will 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.
• Be sure that you get the right amount of calories.

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