Average weight gain per month during pregnancy
Weight Gain During Pregnancy: How Much Is Normal?
Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors
In this Article
- Where Does the Extra Weight Go During Pregnancy?
- Is It Safe to Lose Weight When Pregnant?
- How to Gain the Right Amount of Weight During Pregnancy
- What if You Gain Too Much Weight During Pregnancy?
- When to Call Your Doctor
Eating a healthy, balanced diet will help your baby get the nutrients they need and grow at a healthy rate. But how many extra calories do you really need?
Though you do need some extra calories, it's not necessary to ''eat for two.'' The average pregnant woman needs only about 300 healthycalories more a day than they did before they were pregnant. This will help them gain the right amount of weight during pregnancy.
Ask your health care provider how much weight you should gain. A woman who was average weight before getting pregnant should gain 25 to 35 pounds after becoming pregnant. Underweight women should gain 28 to 40 pounds. And overweight women may need to gain only 15 to 25 pounds during pregnancy.
In general, you should gain about 2 to 4 pounds during the first 3 months you're pregnant and 1 pound a week during the rest of your pregnancy. If you are expecting twins you should gain 35 to 45 pounds during your pregnancy. This would be an average of 1 ½ pounds per week after the usual weight gain in the first 3 months.
It's especially important to gain the right amount of weight when you're expecting twins because your weight affects the babies' weight. And because twins are often born before the due date, a higher birth weight is important for their health. When carrying twins, you may need between 3,000 and 3,500 calories a day.
Where Does the Extra Weight Go During Pregnancy?
- Baby: 8 pounds
- Placenta: 2-3 pounds
- Amniotic fluid: 2-3 pounds
- Breast tissue: 2-3 pounds
- Blood supply: 4 pounds
- Stored fat for delivery and breastfeeding: 5-9 pounds
- Larger uterus: 2-5 pounds
- Total: 25-35 pounds
Is It Safe to Lose Weight When Pregnant?
If a woman is very overweight when they get pregnant, their doctor may want them to lose weight. They should only lose weight under their doctor's care. But in most cases, women should not try to lose weight or diet during pregnancy.
How to Gain the Right Amount of Weight During Pregnancy
If your health care provider wants you to gain weight while you're pregnant, try these tips:
- Eat five to six small meals every day.
- Keep quick, easy snacks on hand, such as nuts, raisins, cheese and crackers, dried fruit, and ice cream or yogurt.
- Spread peanut butter on toast, crackers, apples, bananas, or celery. One tablespoon of creamy peanut butter gives you about 100 calories and 7 grams of protein.
- Add nonfat powdered milk to mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, and hot cereal.
- Add extras to your meal, such as butter or margarine, cream cheese, gravy, sour cream, and cheese.
What if You Gain Too Much Weight During Pregnancy?
If you have gained more weight than your doctor recommended, talk to your doctor about it. In most cases, you'll want to wait until after delivery to lose weight.
Here are some tips to slow your weight gain:
- When eating fast food, choose lower-fat items such as broiled chicken breast sandwich with tomato and lettuce (no sauce or mayonnaise), side salad with low-fat dressing, plain bagels, or a plain baked potato. Avoid foods such as French fries, mozzarella sticks, or breaded chicken patties.
- Avoid whole milk products. You need at least four servings of milk products every day. However, using skim, 1%, or 2% milk will greatly reduce the amount of calories and fat you eat. Also, choose low-fat or fat-free cheese or yogurt.
- Limit sweet or sugary drinks. Sweetened drinks such as soft drinks, fruit punch, fruit drinks, iced tea, lemonade, or powdered drink mixes have lots of empty calories. Choose water, club soda, or mineral water to skip extra calories.
- Don't add salt to foods when cooking. Salt causes you to retain water.
- Limit sweets and high-calorie snacks. Cookies, candies, donuts, cakes, syrup, honey, and potato chips have a lot of calories and little nutrition. Try not to eat these foods every day. Instead, try fresh fruit, low-fat yogurt, angel food cake with strawberries, or pretzels as lower-calorie snack and dessert choices.
- Use fats in moderation. Fats include cooking oils, margarine, butter, gravy, sauces, mayonnaise, regular salad dressings, sauces, lard, sour cream, and cream cheese. Try lower-fat alternatives.
- Cook food the healthy way. Frying foods in oil or butter will add calories and fat. Baking, broiling, grilling, and boiling are healthier preparation methods.
- Exercise. Moderate exercise can help burn excess calories. Walking or swimming is usually safe for pregnant women. Ask your health care provider what exercise would be right for you before getting started.
When to Call Your Doctor
Talk to your doctor if you:
- Want to know a good target weight gain for you
- Think you are gaining too much weight
- Are losing weight during the second or third trimester
- Have an eating disorder that is keeping you from eating a healthy amount of food
- Need help setting a good menu plan to gain a healthy amount of weight
- Gain weight rapidly. This could be a sign of preeclampsia, pregnancy-related high blood pressure, a serious health issue
Health & Pregnancy Guide
- Getting Pregnant
- First Trimester
- Second Trimester
- Third Trimester
- Labor and Delivery
- Pregnancy Complications
- All Guide Topics
How much weight should I gain while pregnant?
Weight gain is essential for a healthy pregnancy
Learning to eat well and manage your weight gain are key components to a healthy pregnancy. Weight gain helps your baby to grow and develop properly, and allows your body to make physical changes to support pregnancy, such as growth of your uterus, development of the placenta and an increase in blood volume. But how much weight is the right amount to gain? When determining a weight-gain range, some important things to consider are: your pre-pregnancy weight for height, commonly referred to as your Body Mass Index (BMI), your medical history, and whether you're carrying one baby, twins or multiples.
How much weight should I gain?
There is no set amount of weight gain that is right for everyone. Yet over time, some general guidelines have been accepted. For women carrying one baby, the first trimester is typically considered a time of minimal weight gain, regardless of your pre-pregnancy BMI. As you near the end of your first trimester, and begin the second, weight gain is expected to increase. Some providers like to see women with a "healthy" BMI prior to pregnancy, gain 10 pounds by 20 weeks. During the second and third trimester, guidelines often suggest gaining 1/2 to 1 pound per week. Whatever weight-gain range is determined to be right for you, try to gain the weight gradually. Below are some generally accepted total weight-gain guidelines based on pre-pregnancy BMI.
BMI below 19 prior to pregnancy
Of all categories, underweight women are at highest risk for delivering low birth-weight babies. If you were underweight before becoming pregnant, it's especially important to gain an adequate amount of weight during your pregnancy - 28 to 40 pounds is often recommended.
BMI of 19 to 25 prior to pregnancy
Your pregnancy is off to a healthy start if you're in the "recommended" BMI category. It's typically advised that you gain 25 to 35 pounds over the course of your pregnancy.
BMI of 25 to 30 prior to pregnancy
If you start your pregnancy in this BMI group, your weight gain range is slightly less, however, it's still important to gain weight to support a healthy pregnancy and provide your baby with adequate nourishment – 15 to 25 pounds is often recommended.
BMI above 30 prior to pregnancy
If your BMI is above 30 before you become pregnant, strive for a modest weight gain of 15 pounds – and remember that pregnancy is not a time to lose weight!
Pregnant with twins or multiples
Women who are pregnant with more than one baby typically need to gain additional weight to provide adequate nourishment for the babies. It's best to discuss your weight-gain range with your provider.
My baby only weighs 7 pounds – what makes up the rest?
Rest assured – it is not all fat. Most of the weight will go away gradually after delivery. Here's what you're carrying and approximately how it adds up:
- Amniotic fluid and placenta: 4 pounds
- Increase in blood and other fluids: 8 pounds
- Fat reserves: 7 pounds
- Enlarged uterus and breasts: 4 to 6 pounds
How do the calories add up?
You may have heard the saying, "you're eating for two." Although it is true that the food you eat is nourishing two, your calorie needs only increase by about 300 per day after the first trimester. So if your goal is a healthy weight gain, keep in mind that your calorie needs don't increase that much. Here are three examples of healthy food choices that add up to 300 calories:
- Whole-wheat English muffin with two tablespoons peanut butter
- One cup of yogurt with one cup fresh fruit
- Bowl of high-fiber cereal with reduced-fat or skim milk
How will I lose the weight after delivery?
When you combine healthy eating with regular activity during your pregnancy, you'll feel better and shed those extra pounds easier once your baby is born. Gaining the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy can actually help you lose it more quickly afterward. If you're gaining at a faster rate, consult with your health care provider. Try these tips to increase activity and eat healthy during your pregnancy:
- Park further away from buildings; use the stairs instead of elevators.
- Avoid sitting for long periods of time – take short walk breaks.
- Snack on yogurt, string cheese, fresh fruit, or whole-grains (like popcorn and high-fiber cereal) instead of chips, candy and high-fat desserts.
- Eat regular meals and snacks.
In addition, women who choose to breastfeed may find it a bit easier to lose weight because of the extra calories (about 500 per day) it takes for their body to produce milk. However, the best approach to losing weight is always through healthy low-fat eating and regular moderate exercise.
Visit our pregnancy page to schedule an appointment and learn more about our services.
Weight during pregnancy. What increase is considered optimal?
Why is excessive weight gain during pregnancy particularly harmful? What should be the calorie content of the diet? How to build your diet so that you can eat varied (and tasty), but at the same time not gain too much? Let's figure it out.
What makes up weight gain during pregnancy?
An increase in the subcutaneous fat layer during pregnancy is a normal and natural process.
While the baby is growing inside you, he needs energy and external protection. But during pregnancy, weight increases not only and not so much due to the adipose tissue of the mother: there is more fluid in the body, the uterus grows, the fetus and placenta develop, and the breasts increase in preparation for the feeding process.
Interestingly, weight loss during the period of toxicosis can later provoke its increase: the body will try to regain what was lost.
Expectant mothers especially actively gain weight in the second trimester and the beginning of the third, but closer to childbirth, a pregnant woman can even lose 1-2 kilograms.
As long as the weight increases more or less evenly and does not go beyond the upper limit of the norm, there is nothing to worry about. But if your weight is rapidly going up, you should be wary.
How to correctly calculate the weight, and what increase is considered optimal?
In Russian obstetric practice, it is generally accepted that the total increase should not exceed 12 kg. for the entire pregnancy. Of these 12 kg. 5-6 accounts for the fetus, placenta, amniotic fluid, another 1.5-2 - for an increase in the uterus and mammary glands, and only 3-3.5 - for the fat mass of a woman.
But this is a general indicator, a kind of "average temperature in the hospital." The optimal increase is calculated individually and depends on the initial weight of the pregnant woman, her age, the number of fetuses and the size of the child (children), physical activity.
WHO recommends that optimal weight gain be calculated based on Body Mass Index (BMI).
It is determined by the formula: body weight (kg) / height squared (m).
BMI | Recommended weight gain |
---|---|
19.8-26 (normal body weight) | 12.5-15 kg |
26.1-29 (overweight) | 11.5 - 14 kg |
over 29 (obese) | 7-9 kg |
How to calculate the optimal weight gain?
To do this, use the following chart:
- Calculate your BMI: divide your initial weight in kg. for height in meters squared.
For example, your "pre-pregnancy" weight was 60 kg with a height of 170 cm.
BMI = 60: (170 x 170) = 20.76.
- A BMI of less than 18.5 indicates underweight. Indicators from 18.5 to 25 are within the norm, from 25 to 30 are above the norm, and a figure greater than 30 indicates obesity.
- Now that you know your BMI, find the optimal weekly increase in the table and compare it with yours.
Week of pregnancy | Underweight before pregnancy (BMI less than 18.5) | Normal pre-pregnancy weight (BMI 18.5 to 24.9) | Overweight before pregnancy (BMI over 30) |
---|---|---|---|
4 | 0-0.9 kg | 0-0.7 kg | 0-0.5 kg |
6 | 0-1.4 kg | 0-1 kg | 0-0.6 kg |
8 | 0-1.6 kg | 0-1.2 kg | 0-0.7 kg |
10 | 0-1.8 kg | 0-1.3 kg | 0-0.8 kg |
12 | 0-2 kg | 0-1.5 kg | 0-1 kg |
14 | 0.5-2.7 kg | 0.5-2 kg | 0.5-1.2 kg |
16 | up to 3.6 kg | up to 3 kg | up to 1. 4 kg |
18 | up to 4.6 kg | up to 4 kg | up to 2.3 kg |
20 | up to 6 kg | up to 5.9 kg | up to 2.9 kg |
22 | up to 7.2 kg | up to 7 kg | up to 3.4 kg |
24 | up to 8.6 kg | up to 8.5 kg | up to 3.9 kg |
26 | up to 10 kg | up to 10 kg | up to 5 kg |
28 | up to 13 kg | up to 11 kg | up to 5.4 kg |
30 | up to 14 kg | up to 12 kg | up to 5.9 kg |
32 | up to 15 kg | up to 13 kg | up to 6.4 kg |
34 | up to 16 kg | up to 14 kg | up to 7.3 kg |
36 | up to 17 kg | up to 15 kg | up to 7.9 kg |
38 | up to 18 kg | up to 16 kg | up to 8. 6 kg |
40 | up to 18 kg | up to 16 kg | up to 9.1 kg |
Recently, doctors are increasingly talking about an individual approach and urge not to panic if the increase is slightly beyond the normal range. When assessing the state of health of a pregnant woman, the doctor focuses not only on weight, but also takes into account the results of tests and examinations and other important indicators.
Why is excessive weight gain dangerous?
Gaining extra pounds can lead to gestational diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia, or cause a caesarean section.
In addition, excessive weight gain during pregnancy may increase the risk of obesity and associated cardiovascular disease.
What can I do to keep my weight within normal limits during pregnancy?
First of all, consult a nutritionist. If there is no such doctor in the antenatal clinic, it makes sense to contact a specialist on a commercial basis. He will develop an individual diet, which will contain all the useful elements, and will offer to keep a food diary. It will also tell you how to eat right and weigh yourself.
To prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy, it is enough to follow simple rules of a healthy diet:
- Eat often and in small portions;
- Always keep a “healthy snack” on hand: fresh apple wedges, unsweetened crackers, dried fruit, or sugar-free yogurt;
- Refuse soda, chips, sausages and sausages;
- Minimize sweets;
- Avoid fast food;
- Limit the use of condiments, especially salt, which retains water in the body;
- Choose steamed dishes;
- Eat more fiber-rich foods such as whole grain bread, bran, vegetables;
The diet of a pregnant woman should be varied. Include grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meat and fish, legumes, or nuts.
It must be remembered that expectant mothers should never starve and adhere to extreme diets.
How many calories per day do you need during pregnancy?
It is difficult to calculate the energy value per day on your own, and then strictly adhere to a certain number of calories, and it is not necessary, unless it is recommended by a nutritionist or endocrinologist. On average, you can aim for 2000-2500 calories per day, but it is important to understand that the need for calories depends on many factors: age, initial weight, health status and level of physical activity.
When should I be on the alert?
Strictly speaking, it is better for a pregnant woman not to worry and entrust her condition to a doctor who will control the development of pregnancy, analyzes and monitor weight. It is important to take tests to determine the level of fasting blood glucose once a trimester. The appearance of glucosuria, an increase in fasting blood glucose (more than 5.5 mmol / l) or an hour after a meal (more than 7.7 mmol / l) indicate the possible development of "diabetes in pregnancy", in connection with which the doctor will prescribe appropriate treatment . In addition, a sharp increase in body weight can cause preeclampsia.
These and other diseases can be dangerous, which is why you need to carefully monitor the body weight during the gestation period, but remember that pregnancy is not the time for strict diets.
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Weekly weight gain table during pregnancy. weight gain rates
Weight gain during pregnancy is a change in a woman's body weight according to an average standard, which is monitored by a doctor leading a pregnant woman. During each visit to the doctor, the expectant mother is weighed. Weight monitoring helps you track the progress of your pregnancy. It is important how fast the weight gain goes and in what quantity.
Normal weight gain during pregnancy
There is no single reference figure that is appropriate for all pregnant women. Weight gain depends on many factors:
- pre-pregnancy weight;
- from the figure, the structure of the body;
- on food quality before and during pregnancy;
- on whether it is the first pregnancy or not.
If the pregnancy proceeds well, by the time of delivery the woman recovers by 10-15 kg.
Child | 2500-4500 |
Uterus | 1000 |
Placenta | 400-600 |
Amniotic fluid (1 ml = 1 gram) | 800 |
Breast (increased glandular tissue) | 500 |
Blood volume | 1500 |
Intercellular tissue fluid | 1500-2700 |
Fat | 2200-3000 |
You will not be able to gain only the weight needed for the baby and the placenta, but not accumulate fat. Fat accumulates gradually. If the expectant mother takes vitamins, makes sure that her food is healthy, of high quality, then fat accumulation will be minimal. Pregnancy is not the time to lose weight. At this time, you need to take care of the quality of food.
Moreover, if body weight does not change or weight loss occurs, this is a sign of toxicosis or some kind of pathology. The doctor will also not disregard too much and sudden weight gain: this may be due to a violation of the diet or a symptom of excessive fluid accumulation. There is a weekly weight gain during pregnancy.
These data are compiled into a table used by physicians.
Weight gain during pregnancy by week: doctor's chart
The rate of weight gain depends on the height and weight of the woman before pregnancy. To know how harmonious your weight change is, you need to know your body mass index (BMI). The doctor conducting the woman's pregnancy measures her height and weight at the first appointment. There are tables for determining BMI, according to which the doctor finds the desired indicator and writes it into the card. Can calculate BMI unaided:
- Height in meters is multiplied by itself. With a height of 164 cm = 1.64 m, it will turn out: 1.64 × 1.64 = 2.6896.
- Now we divide the body weight in kilograms by the figure obtained. With a weight of 54.2 kg, it will turn out: 54.2: 2.6869 \u003d 20.18.
- The resulting BMI is 20.18.
Now you can see how much weight gain a woman should have during pregnancy by weeks.
Table during pregnancy: weekly norm
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Weight gains slowly at the beginning of pregnancy. By the end of the first trimester, the weight increases normally by 1-2 kg. In the first trimester, some even lose weight due to toxicosis. From the second trimester, weight is added more intensively: the child is actively growing, and the system that supports him is developing along with him.
Normal weight gain during pregnancy varies by week for underweight women and overweight women. Expectant mothers need to control their weight. The table below is indicative.
Based on these numbers, you can understand whether everything is going according to plan or whether you should pay attention to nutrition and health. It is better to weigh yourself in the morning, before meals.
Grams add up to kilograms, so go to the toilet and weigh yourself without any extra clothes, in your underwear. So the data obtained will be more accurate.
Be attentive to your health. Walk more, relax. Find more reasons for joy - psychological comfort directly affects the physical state. Do not give in to the blues, follow the emotional background. Fill yourself not with excess food, but with pleasant experiences.
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Weekly weight during pregnancy
Every woman needs to monitor her weight, because a beautiful figure is an integral part of an attractive feminine image. But one day there comes a moment when doctors begin to monitor the weight of a woman. And this does not mean at all that she is sick - no, she is just expecting a baby!
Every woman needs to monitor her weight, because a beautiful figure is an integral part of an attractive feminine image. But one day there comes a moment when doctors begin to monitor the weight of a woman. And this does not mean at all that she is sick - no, she is just expecting a baby!
Weighing is a mandatory procedure at every visit to the gynecologist. In addition, in order to control weight, the woman herself needs to weigh herself daily. Moreover, this must be done at the same time - in the morning on an empty stomach, and certainly in the same clothes.
The first two months of pregnancy, as a rule, pass without weight gain, because the woman's body is just adapting to its new state. In addition, many expectant mothers during this period suffer from severe toxicosis, and this, on the contrary, can lead to weight loss.
So in the first trimester, the average increase is no more than 1-2 kg (an exception may be women who have previously followed a strict diet, or athletes who are forced to significantly lighten their training program due to pregnancy).
More active weight gain occurs in the second trimester of pregnancy. According to the norms, during this period, a woman should gain 250–300 g of weight weekly. If the body weight of a pregnant woman increases faster, this may be a sign of a serious problem - dropsy of pregnancy, which is accompanied by edema.
How should pregnancy weight gain be calculated? Let's discuss this point, given that normally a woman should gain from 10 to 12 kg for the entire period of pregnancy.
There are several methods by which doctors calculate how much weight a pregnant woman should gain. Moreover, special attention is paid to this parameter precisely in the last months of pregnancy - doctors even have a special scale of average physiological weight gain, designed for the last trimester.
In accordance with this scale, the average weight gain during the week should be no more than 22 g per 10 cm of growth. d.
How many kilograms the future mother's body weight will increase is influenced by many factors.
These include:
- Age. The older a woman is, the more inclined she is to be overweight.
- Initial weight (meaning body weight before pregnancy). The greater was the deficit of body weight before pregnancy, the higher the chances of gaining extra pounds.
- Was there early toxicosis. If a woman had severe toxicosis in the first months of pregnancy, then she could lose several kilograms, which then the body begins to replenish at an accelerated pace.
- Features of the constitution. Do not forget that some women are prone to thinness, while others are prone to fullness.
- Fetal weight. The size and weight of the placenta depends on the weight of the fetus. That is, a woman who is expecting a large child or twins gains more weight than one whose fetus is small.
- Increased appetite. Some pregnant women put on a lot of weight just because they cannot contain the increased appetite.
Let's look at a separate example of how the body distributes the kilograms gained by a pregnant woman. So, with an increase of 12 kg, they are distributed as follows:
- weight of the child - 3300 g;
- uterus weight - 900 g;
- placenta mass - 400 g;
- weight of amniotic fluid - 900 g;
- weight of the mammary glands - 500 g;
- weight gain due to increased blood volume circulating in the body - 1200 g;
- mass of adipose tissue - 2,200 g;
- mass of tissue fluid - 2,700 g.
- And the total amount is 12.1 kg.
Some pregnant women try to diet to limit their weight gain: some are afraid of gaining too much weight, others are afraid of giving birth to a large baby. That is why it is so important to know what is the rate of weight gain for you personally - this will help you avoid problems and not make mistakes.
Let's calculate the allowable weight gain on our own using Body mass index (BMI index). To do this, you need to know your initial weight and height.
Let's use the formula BMI = weight in kilograms / (height in meters * height in meters).
How to weigh yourself correctly during pregnancy
Doctors do not recommend weighing yourself daily, it is not always informative, fluctuations are not always noticeable, the error is large, and in general this can lead to unnecessary worries. The correct option: control the weight once a week, in the morning, on an empty stomach.
It is important to use the same scales, now the priority is "dynamics". Weigh yourself only at home or in the office of your gynecologist.
Why does weight gain occur?
The cause of excess weight is hormonal changes in the body, which is why the expectant mother constantly feels hungry. Many pregnant women decide that now they need to eat for two. No need.
Just eat twice as good - more varied, more correct, but not more.
And support your body with Elevit vitamins adapted for each of the stages: Elevit Planning and I trimester*, Elevit Pronatal**, which is advisable for women in the second and third trimesters, and Elevit Feeding* after childbirth.
References
* Not a drug. dietary supplement. There are contraindications.
** Estimated period of use within the line of Elevit vitamin and mineral complexes.
According to the instructions, Elevit Pronatal can be used at the stage of pregnancy planning, during pregnancy, after childbirth and during breastfeeding.
1. Healthy maternal nutrition: a better start to life report WHO, Regional Office for Europe 2016.
2.
3. Poston L. Gestational weight gain // https://www.uptodate.com/contents/gestational-weight-gain, accessed 07.10.2018.
Read also
Calculator of BMI and weight gain during pregnancy whether the mass is insufficient, normal or excessive. This index is significantly different in men, women and women during pregnancy.
Need this calculator? Write to me at [email protected]
If before the moment of conception a woman was underweight, then during pregnancy she may gain a little more than normal. While expectant mothers with more expressive forms should add a little less than the norm. A table based on the body mass index before pregnancy will help calculate more accurate indicators.
Read more
This table is for mothers with one child:
BMI less than 19.8 | 13-18 kg |
BMI from 19.8 to 26 | 11-16 kg |
BMI 26 to 30 | 7-11 kg |
BMI over 30 | 5-9 kg |
What if there are twins? For this case, another table has been developed:
BMI from 19.8 to 26 | 17-25 kg |
BMI 26 to 30 | 14-23 kg |
BMI over 30 | 11-19 kg |
At different stages of gestation, the rate of weight gain varies. In the first trimester of pregnancy, a woman adds only 1-3 kg. However, with severe toxicosis, the weight can remain at the initial level or even go into minus.
In this case, do not worry, because the decrease in mother's body weight at an early stage does not pose any risks to the child. In the second and third trimesters, the average weekly weight gain is 300-400 grams.
But, again, it is worth noting that this indicator is individual for each woman.
Aleksey Gennadyevich Savitsky, Doctor of Medical Sciences, obstetrician-gynecologist: “Weight gain of 400 grams per week is an absolute norm during pregnancy. But you need to evaluate the picture in general, focusing on the indicators during the month.
Because jumps during the week can be both up and down. In this case, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the woman: the presence of edema, blood pressure, the presence of protein in the urine. All of this needs to be assessed as a whole.
By itself, weight is a conditionally indicative unit, a criterion for assessing the situation. ”
You can calculate it yourself using the following formula: 22 g is multiplied by the height of the expectant mother, expressed in meters (the comma is thrown back). For example, with a lady's height of 160 cm, the calculation will look like this: 22x16 \u003d 352 g. This is an individual weekly increase in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. A more generalized table is presented just below:
4 | 0-0.9 kg | 0-0.7 kg | 0-0.5 kg |
6 | 0-1.4 kg | 0-1 kg | 0-0.6 kg |
8 | 0-1.6 kg | 0-1.2 kg | 0-0.7 kg |
10 | 0-1.8 kg | 0-1.3 kg | 0-0.8 kg |
12 | 0-2 kg | 0-1. 5 kg | 0-1 kg |
14 | 0.5-2.7 kg | 0.5-2 kg | 0.5-1.2 kg |
16 | up to 3.6 kg | up to 3 kg | up to 1.4 kg |
18 | up to 4.6 kg | up to 4 kg | up to 2.3 kg |
20 | up to 6 kg | up to 5.9 kg | up to 2.9 kg |
22 | up to 7.2 kg | up to 7 kg | up to 3.4 kg |
24 | up to 8.6 kg | up to 8.5 kg | up to 3.9 kg |
26 | up to 10 kg | up to 10 kg | up to 5 kg |
28 | up to 13 kg | up to 11 kg | up to 5.4 kg |
30 | up to 14 kg | up to 12 kg | up to 5.9 kg |
32 | up to 15 kg | up to 13 kg | up to 6. 4 kg |
34 | up to 16 kg | up to 14 kg | up to 7.3 kg |
36 | up to 17 kg | up to 15 kg | up to 7.9 kg |
38 | up to 18 kg | up to 16 kg | up to 8.6 kg |
40 | up to 18 kg | up to 16 kg | up to 9.1 kg |
How the weight of a pregnant woman increases: weekly pregnancy weight gain calculator
During pregnancy, a woman's figure changes, along with this new kilograms come. This should not be feared if weight gain during pregnancy is normal. It is necessary to keep these figures under control so as not to miss some pathologies of pregnant women. In addition, with normal weight, childbirth proceeds without complications. The doctor who observes the woman is obliged to follow this. Additionally, you can find a weekly pregnancy weight gain calculator yourself to fix your weight and know if it is within the norm. Below you can find everything about weight gain during pregnancy by week.
What is body mass index?
Weight during pregnancy increases based on body mass index (hereinafter abbreviated as BMI). What it is? Calculating your BMI is very simple: multiply your height by 2, and then divide your real weight by the result. The final figure is your BMI, evaluate it as follows:
- less than 18.5 is below normal;
- 18.5 - 25 is normal;
- 25 - 30 are considered redundant;
- more than 30 classify as obese.
Important! You need to know your BMI, on the basis of which an individual rate of weight gain during pregnancy is developed.
In addition, it is necessary to take into account the accompanying factors: how old is the woman, whether there was toxicosis in the early stages. If a woman is pregnant with twins or all women in her family are born heroes, then in such cases, weight gain may be higher than normal.
Due to what weight gain occurs
Of course, the child himself most of all influences weight gain. On average, children are born weighing 3.3-3.5 kg. The rest of the weight a woman gains by the end of her pregnancy is:
- uterus, approx. 900 g;
- chest, up to 1.5 kg;
- amniotic fluid, on average 900 g;
- placenta is 700 g;
- extra body fat, more than 3 kg;
- intercellular fluid (lymph), up to 1.5 kg;
- blood volume increases from 1.5 to 1.8 kg.
After giving birth, most of the weight gained goes away, but the weight does not immediately return to normal, because she needs energy to produce breast milk. What comes with food is not enough, so the body draws it from internal fat reserves.
The Weekly Pregnancy Weight Gain Calculator helps you keep track of your gradual weight gain.
How much kg should be added for the whole pregnancy?
The total weight that can be gained without harm to your health and baby is individual for each woman. Calculation of weight gain during pregnancy occurs in accordance with BMI.
If we summarize these figures, it turns out that: with a low BMI, you can gain up to 18 kg, with a normal one - up to 16 kg. If there are problems with excess weight, then the additional weight will be 12 kg, and those who have a decent excess of BMI can gain no more than 6 kg.
Weight gain up to 21 kg if the woman is expecting twins.
Weight gain by trimesters
Weekly pregnancy weight gain calculator should not show drastic changes at the very beginning of pregnancy, on the contrary, due to constant bouts of toxicosis, weight can decrease by a couple of kilograms. This should not scare you, because in the second trimester you can easily change the situation for the better. On average, a woman gains 1.5-2 kg by the end of the first trimester.
The second and third trimesters are a time of active growth and development of the fetus, so on average a woman can gain 500-600 g per week. If the numbers exceed this figure, this may indicate hidden edema, polyhydramnios. These are dangerous conditions for both the pregnant woman and the child herself, therefore, in such cases, you need to consult a doctor and possibly undergo treatment in a hospital.
Weekly weight gain rate: table
You can keep track of how kilograms are gradually added if you keep your own schedule and note all changes in it. So you can always understand how much weight you can gain during pregnancy, a table with recorded results helps to maintain constant monitoring. How should she look?
Table: How does the weight of a pregnant woman change by week
Deviations from the norm - why are they dangerous?
The same concerns are caused by sharp jumps in weight if the weight stands still or vice versa falls. To avoid all this, you do not need to “eat for two”, as everyone is used to advising expectant mothers. Of course, the nutrition of a pregnant woman should be richer than usual, but nothing more.
The baby will take exactly as much as he needs at this stage of development, and all the extra calories that you eat for him can cause fetal hypoxia or premature wear of the placenta.
For the woman herself, rapid weight gain during pregnancy is dangerous because varicose veins, hypertension, diabetes mellitus or late toxicosis may develop.
Some pregnant women do the opposite, limiting themselves, because they are afraid that after childbirth the extra pounds will remain and it will be difficult to get rid of them. This is a big mistake, since underweight can provoke a miscarriage or the development of intrauterine pathology.
How to control weight during pregnancy
It is necessary to have a weekly pregnancy weight gain calculator handy in order to respond to suspicious changes in time. If you eat right from the very beginning, then there should not be such problems. How should a pregnant woman eat so that the pregnancy weight calculator does not show deviations.
- Give preference to natural products. There are no special restrictions, but it is better to forget about sweet pastries, sweet soda and all sorts of high-calorie cakes. This list also includes crackers, chips, cheeseburgers and other fast food.
- It is better to eat in small portions 5-6 times a day, so as not to overload the stomach.
- If you feel very hungry between meals, you can have a small, light snack in the form of natural yogurt, fruit salad, or cereal with milk.
- Despite toxicosis, you need to eat. Let the portions be better than usual, than the stomach will remain empty.
- If you're gaining weight quickly, don't try to starve yourself to shed those extra pounds. This is fraught with jumps in blood pressure. It is better to reconsider the diet, eating less saturated fats, which are found in animal products. You can also replace white bread with whole grains and eat less sweets.
- Caffeine can interfere with the absorption of folic acid and iron, which are needed for the normal functioning of the fetus, in particular, they help deliver oxygen to the child.