Weight Gain During Pregnancy

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How much weight you should gain during pregnancy should be discussed with your healthcare provider early in your pregnancy. The amount will vary from person to person depending on your starting weight and your health.

1 General guidelines
2 Complications of too little or too much weight
3 Are you newly pregnant?

[edit] General guidelines

Generally: If you begin at a normal weight, expect to gain 25-35 pounds. If you are overweight, you should still gain some weight, around 15-25 pounds. If you are underweight, you should gain 28-40 pounds depending on how severely underweight you are.

Women who are carrying more than one baby can expect to gain more.

The weight should be put on slowly, and keep in mind that it only takes a few hundred extra calories a day to gain the weight. Not keeping track of your calories and eating “for two” could result in unwanted weight gain.

Look to gain from 5-10 pounds in the first trimester, and about a pound a week after that. One method to see if you are gaining too much extra fat is to measure your upper thighs early in your pregnancy. This measurement should not increase very much, if at all.

[edit] Complications of too little or too much weight

Gaining the correct amount of weight during pregnancy protects both you and your baby’s health. Too little weight gain can result in small babies or early delivery. Those who gain too much are risking complications such as diabetes and high blood pressure, conditions which also affect the baby.