How Much Weight Should You Gain During Pregnancy?

For those fortunate enough to be carrying a new life within them, it’s natural to want to find out how much weight should you gain during pregnancy. The answer is going to be relatively standard with everyone, though each person will carry it a little differently. For most of your life, you have been working with the idea that weight gain is bad, but when you are pregnant, weight gain is a very good thing because it is a sign of a healthy baby. For the most accurate answer to the question, you should ask your health care professional, but this article will give you and idea of what to expect.

The answer is largely going to vary somewhat from person to person based on their body size prior to pregnancy. Those who are underweight should gain more than those who are overweight. Underweight women should expect to gain anywhere from 28-40 pounds. The average weight person should gain 25-35 pounds, and the overweight woman should gain around 15-25 pounds.

You should plan on gaining only about three or four pounds in the first trimester and then about a pound per week of the pregnancy. This, of course, will be more in those who are carrying multiples.

Here is a breakdown of how that extra weight is distributed.

- About 8 pounds of this will be baby, eventually. This will be different for each child, but the average weight will be around 8 pounds.

- About 2-3 pounds of this will be placenta.

- Another 2-3 pounds will be amniotic fluid.

- 2-3 pounds will be extra breast tissue.

- 4 pounds of this will be extra blood supply.

- Anywhere from 5 -9 pounds will be in extra fat for the delivery and breastfeeding.

- The last 2-5 pounds will be due to the increase in size of the uterus.

If you feel you are gaining too much weight, discuss it with your health care professional. Most likely you aren’t gaining too much weight and if you are you should probably never try to lose weight. If you do lose weight, it could have a negative effect on the development of your baby. You should be keeping your healthcare professional in the loop about all changes going on so they can make sure that the baby is healthy.

If you are worried about not gaining enough weight, try to eat more often during the day. Keep quick and ready eat snacks nearby so that you can take care of those hunger pangs that seem to come out of nowhere. You are supposed to be eating around 100-300 more calories per day when you are pregnant than before you are pregnant so eat foods that are high in protein and that will put you at the amount of calories you should be eating daily. Pile on the extra everything when you eat. Eat more gravy on your potatoes, more ketchup on your fries, and more cheese on your hamburgers.

In everything during your pregnancy, keep your health care professional apprised of what is happening. Voice all concerns you have and ask for advice. They will be the ultimate authority on questions like how much weight you should gain during pregnancy.