Pregnancy Weight Gain

Now that you are pregnant you have to accept the fact that pregnancy weight gain is inevitable, as your body has to prepare itself for your baby. The amount of weight you gain depends on many factors like your age, your lifestyle, your eating habits, etc. As the time passes you will find a considerable amount of weight gain in the ensuing 9 months of pregnancy.

Now where does this weight come from?

  • After you conceive, the walls of the uterus thicken as the child who will be there for the next 9 months should be secure and well protected. So it adds around 900 to 1kg of extra weight to your body mass index (BMI).
  • The amniotic fluid in the sac in which the baby lives and grows, weighs around 2.6 kg.
  • The placenta which is attached to the uterus, which provides the nourishment to the child, weighs around 500 to 600 gms.
  • As your body prepares you for lactation, the size of your breasts increase which adds another 400 to 500 gms.
  • The volume of your blood increases adding about 1kg to 1.2 kg to your body weight.
  • The weight of the child you are carrying is also added to your weight which can be anywhere between 3 kgs to 3.5 kg/

The uterus which prepares itself for the child thickens its walls, adding to your body weight by 900 gms to 1 kg.

So you see that by the time you are carrying a full term baby your body weight has increased considerably. This weight gain is approximated on an average. Although, pregnancy weight gain depends a lot on many factors. the amount of weight you gain depends on your BMI.

The Body Mass Index

Some time ago weighing the pregnant women during their antenatal check up was essential. The gradual weight gain observed after every checkup became a cause for anxiety which affected the psyche of the women, indirectly affecting the child. It was also realised that the weight gain should be calculated according the BMI of the women prior to their pregnancy. So an innovation was introduced in which the BMI of the pregnant women was calculated during the first anti natal check-up.

The idea was that the pregnancy weight gain of the women should be in proportion to their BMI before they got pregnant.

So a woman with a 19.8 BMI was allowed a weight gain of 12 kg to 18 kgs.

If the BMI ranged between 20 t0 26, a weight gain of 11 to 16 kgs was allowed

If the BMI was more than 26, then the weight gain was to be restricted to 7 to 11 kgs.

For Overweight Women

Women, who are overweight or have a high BMI, should restrict their pregnancy weight gain, as further increase in body weight might increase the risks of hypertension, varicose veins, aches in the legs, thighs and back, fatigue and the chances of a safe delivery.

To overcome this, overweight women tend to starve themselves, which again is not advisable as by doing so they deprive the child of the basic nutrition that it requires to be healthy. On the contrary, if they switch over to nutritious diet cutting out on food which adds more calories like cakes, ice-cream, sweets or fried and spicy stuff, and have fruits, juices, and switch over to a diet rich in calcium, iron and minerals, in other words a well-balanced diet, then it might save those added pounds and keep the mother and the child healthy.

For Underweight Women

Whenever underweight women decide to conceive, they should first try to increase their body weight, because it may affect their fertility. A weak body can give birth only to a weak and under-nourished baby but if you have conceived, then you can consult your dietician for a proper healthy diet, which might help you in increasing your body weight.

Weight Control

Try to eat a well balanced diet, which includes seasonal fruits, fresh vegetables and food, rich in proteins, carbohydrates, calcium, iron and minerals. Foods like pulses, fish, meat, eggs, etc are rich in proteins. Dairy products like milk and milk products, cheese, etc are rich in calcium. Foods rich in iron like the spleen, spinach, tomatoes, apples, etc and carbohydrates like whole grains and fibre should be a part of your regular diet.

Remember pregnant women require 2,500 calories per day approximately. So keep a check on your food habits and maintain your pregnancy weight gain in accordance with your BMI.

It has been reported by a cancer research association in America that, women who have gained weight during pregnancy and could not shed it after childbirth face a greater risk of breast cancer after their menopause. Regular exercises are a must during pregnancy. So after they have had their baby, they should concentrate on shedding those extra pounds and try to be fit and healthy, because now you have a greater responsibility at hand, bringing up your lovely child.