Weight gain
Information, Symptoms, Treatments and Resources
WEIGHT GAIN AND PREGNANCY
One of the first things you might be concerned about when you first
discover that you are pregnant (after of course, how to break the news
to your family), is "How should I take care of myself"? You may wonder
what a pregnant woman should be eating.
Many women in our society have a concern about weight gain and
weight loss, regardless of pregnancy concerns. This may be the very
first time in our lives when we don't have to worry about gaining
weight! However, the myth says "You're eating for two now, so eat twice
as much!" Alas...if that were true!
There is one solid fact you do need to consider during pregnancy;
you MUST gain weight. Even women who are obese at the time a pregnancy
is discovered need to gain a minimum of around 11 pounds. If you are
underweight, you may need to gain more than the generally recommended
amount. 25-30 pounds of total pregnancy weight gain is recommended for a
healthy woman with a singleton pregnancy. Women who are pregnant with
multiples may need to gain more, although there isn't really one
definite recommendation.
It wouldn't seem hard to gain 25-30 pounds, would it? Our natural
inclinations is to just go out and eat a lot more! Lets break it down
by trimester, to get a better idea of how to gain in a healthy way.
THE FIRST TRIMESTER
• During the first trimester, an average healthy woman would
generally be expected to gain about 4 pounds. Obviously, this is not
"baby" weight, since the baby in question is about as big as a lima
bean! Most of it will be water weight at this point.
THE SECOND TRIMESTER
• During the second trimester, an average weight gain of about a
pound a week is expected. If you are underweight to begin with, try to
increase that figure by about 25%. Similarly, if you are overweight,
decrease it by the same amount.
THE THIRD TRIMESTER
• At this point, you'll continue to gain about a pound a week. At
the very end of the pregnancy, it's very common to notice a cessation of
weight gain, and perhaps even a slight weight loss in the very last
week or two.
• If you notice that you are putting on weight at a faster pace than
described, take a look at your diet, and be sure it includes plenty of
fruits and veggies, lean proteins, dairy, healthy fats, and less highly
processed and fast foods. If your practitioner notices a particularly
rapid gain during a week or two, he/she may be concerned that you are
retaining fluids. As this can sometimes signal a serious health
concern, your health care practioner may decide to look further at your
blood pressure and sometimes lab values, to be sure you are continuing
to have a healthy pregnancy.
To sum it all up--there is no need to really stress and worry about
complicated eating programs during pregnancy. An extra 300 calories is
what you should aim for. This is about the size of an extra sandwich a
day...and I DON'T mean a Subway Footlong!
Lets just keep it simple, and remember this jingle:
An extra 300 a day is the healthy way!
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