How much weight gain in each trimester

Pregnancy Weight Gain - The American Pregnancy Association

Yes! A healthy weight gain during pregnancy will help you avoid pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and cesarean delivery.

Determining how much weight to safely gain during pregnancy depends on your pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a numerical value of your weight in relation to your height. It’s used to determine if an adult is at a healthy weight.

The Centers for Disease Control offers a BMI calculator. Check yours so you know you’re starting point.

Pre-pregnancy weight	Recommended weight gain
Source: Institute of Medicine and National Research Council
Underweight (BMI under 18.5)	28 to 40 lbs. (about 13 to 18 kg)
Normal weight (BMI 18. 5 to 24.9)	25 to 35 lbs. (about 11 to 16 kg)
Overweight (BMI 25 to 29.9)	15 to 25 lbs. (about 7 to 11 kg)
Obesity (BMI 30 or more)	11 to 20 lbs. (about 5 to 9 kg)

Your health and your baby’s health also play a role. Talk with your health care provider about what weight gain is right for your pregnancy

Where does pregnancy weight go?

Your baby might weigh in at 7 or 8 pounds (about 3 to 3.6 kilograms). That accounts for some of your pregnancy weight gain. What about the rest? Here’s a sample breakdown:

Larger breasts: 1 to 3 pounds (about 0.5 to 1.4 kilogram)
Larger uterus: 2 pounds (about 0.9 kilogram)
Placenta: 1 1/2 pounds (about 0.7 kilogram)
Amniotic fluid: 2 pounds (about 0.9 kilogram)
Increased blood volume: 3 to 4 pounds (about 1.4 to 1.8 kilograms)
Increased fluid volume: 2 to 3 pounds (about 0. 9 to 1.4 kilograms)
Fat stores: 6 to 8 pounds (about 2.7 to 3.6 kilograms)

Putting on pounds during pregnancy

A pregnant woman of normal weight, who gets less than 30 minutes of exercise a week should strive for a caloric intake of:

1,800 during the first trimester
2,200 during the second trimester
2,400 during the third trimester

These calories should be attained by eating a diet of grains, dairy, protein, fruits/vegetables, and healthy fats and oils.
Limiting processed foods, sugars and extra fats can help you attain your goals.

Average Pregnancy Weight Gain Chart

7 1/2 pounds is about how much the baby will weigh by the end of pregnancy.
1 1/2 pounds is how much the placenta weighs.
4 pounds is attributed to increased fluid volume.
2 pounds is the weight of the uterus.
2 pounds is the weight of breast tissue.
4 pounds is because of increased blood volume.
7 pounds is attributed to maternal stores of fat, protein, and other nutrients.
2 pounds for the amniotic fluid.
Total: 30 pounds

On a trimester basis in a woman with normal pre-pregnancy weight:

First trimester: 1-4.5 pounds
Second trimester: 1-2 pounds per week
Third trimester: 1-2 pounds per week

Remember this is just an average; you and your health care provider need to decide what is best for you.

Want to Know More?

Eating for Two When Over or Under Weight
Pregnancy and Eating Disorders
Pregnancy Nutrition

Compiled using information from the following sources:
American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Institute Of Medicine, Report Brief May 2009, Weight Gain during Pregnancy: Reexamining the Guideline

Mayo Clinic: Pregnancy Weight Gain

Institute of Medicine and National Research Council

Weight Gain During Pregnancy: How Much Is Normal?

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

Reviewed by Traci C. Johnson, MD on June 12, 2022

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

Weight category - articles from the specialists of the clinic "Mother and Child"

— What norms of weight gain during pregnancy are doctors guided by today?

- The average increase for all nine months is from 9 to 14 kg. The exact figure depends on many factors, but a sharp deviation in one direction or the other from the norm should be alarming. To calculate the allowable increase, the initial weight of the expectant mother should be taken into account: for example, women of a fragile physique (asthenic type) must gain more than initially obese women. In addition, it is important to consider the trimester of pregnancy.

— How does weight change in different trimesters?

- Weight gain throughout pregnancy is uneven: at the very beginning it is almost imperceptible, increases significantly towards the middle and may begin to decrease two weeks before delivery. In the first trimester, both weight gain and weight loss are considered normal. On average, during this period, the expectant mother is gaining from 1.5 to 2.5 kg. In the second trimester, the baby begins to grow actively and the numbers will be different: about 500 g per week for thin women, no more than 450 g for pregnant women with normal weight and no more than 300 g for full ones. In the third trimester, the weight of the expectant mother should not increase by more than 300 g per week.

— Why do pregnant women gain weight?

- Contrary to popular belief, weight gain is not only due to the mass of a growing baby and body fat - they make up about half of the total figure. For nine months, a woman's uterus increases, the volume of circulating blood and intercellular fluid increases, amniotic fluid and the placenta form.

— Why is excess weight dangerous?

- Rapid weight gain is typical for multiple pregnancies, underweight women and too young mothers whose bodies are still developing. Often it is the result of normal overeating and requires adjustment of the diet. Diets and fasting days (especially the so-called "hungry") during the period of bearing a child are strictly prohibited even if the pregnant woman is overweight. It is very important to ensure that the baby receives all the nutrients, vitamins and trace elements, so you just need to balance your diet accordingly.

Excess weight may occur due to fluid retention, which manifests itself in the form of edema. By the way, this is especially true for working pregnant women: sedentary work provokes stagnation of fluid in the lower extremities and pathological weight gain. In this case, wearing compression stockings, leg exercises and regular walking is recommended.

— Is slow weight gain dangerous, on the contrary?

- Some expectant mothers gain the first kilograms only after the 14th week - usually for petite women who do not have a genetic predisposition to be overweight or women suffering from toxicosis. In the first case, weight gains slowly throughout all nine months, which, if the pregnant woman feels normal, should not cause concern. If we talk about early toxicosis, then by the second trimester the malaise usually disappears, body weight returns to normal and weight gain goes on as usual.

Weight gain during pregnancy - how not to gain excess weight?

Contents:

What are the optimal weight limits?
Pregnancy Weight Chart
How to weigh yourself correctly during pregnancy
Why does weight gain occur?

During pregnancy, it is important for a woman to eat a varied diet so as not to deprive the unborn baby of essential minerals and nutrients. Both excessive weight gain and weight loss are equally dangerous. But evidence suggests that more than half of European and American women gain more weight during pregnancy than recommended ¹ . So now is the time to give up what does not bring any benefit, but only extra pounds: sweet, fatty, fast food. Being overweight can cause problems during pregnancy and childbirth.

What are the optimal weight limits?

Average weight gain during pregnancy is about 10-12.5 kilograms ² . But a child is born weighing 3-4 kilograms, where does everything else come from and when does the excess go away?

In addition to the fetus itself, the uterus and breasts become larger in preparation for feeding. Muscle and fat increase - the body stores energy.

This is how the weight gained by a woman during pregnancy is distributed ³ :

on the eve of feeding,
0.9 kg - amniotic fluid,
1.4–1.8 kg - blood and organic fluids, thanks to which the child receives the necessary oxygen,
0. 9 kg - uterus (20 times more than normal weight),
0.7 kg - placenta, the main element through which the fetus receives nutrients.
Add the weight of the unborn baby, and you will get the approximate weight that a woman gains in nine months.

Doctors say that everything is individual and there are no uniform standards for how many kilograms to gain during pregnancy. But let things take their course, there is something horrible and you can’t completely forget about the scales. Watch your weight - you will avoid many problems during pregnancy and childbirth and easily return to your previous weight. You will have "strategic reserves" for feeding the baby. Don't worry, those extra pounds will go away as quickly as they appeared. But only on the condition that you eat right during pregnancy and lactation.

Pregnancy Weight Chart

The recommended weight gain during pregnancy for women with a normal body mass index is 11.5-16 kilograms. Those who are overweight during pregnancy are advised to gain a little less - from 7 to 11. 5 kilograms. Those who are expecting twins or triplets, on the contrary, should score more. For example, in a multiple pregnancy with twins for a woman of normal weight, the recommended weight gain is from 16.8 to 24.5 kilograms ³ .

Trimester weight gain during pregnancy varies ³ . A woman gains the least during the first trimester - from 1.6 to 2.3 kg. Nausea in the first trimester usually causes loss of appetite and some weight loss may occur.

In the second and third trimesters, a woman gains an average of 200 to 500 g per week.

Pregnancy weight gain: weekly chart, weight in kilograms

Week	Minimum	Average weight	Maximum
14	1.1	1.5	1.9
15	1.6	2	2. 4
16	1.9	2.3	2.8
17	2.2	2.8	3.4
18	2.5	2.8	3.4
19	3	3.7	4.5
20	3.5	4.2	5
21	3.9	4.7	5.6
22	4.2	5.2	6.2
23	4.6	5.7	6.9
24	4.9	6.1	7.4
25	5.3	6.6	8
26	5.6	7	8.5
27	6	7.5	9
28	6.3	7.9	9.5
29	6.7	8.3	9.9
30	7	8. 7	10.4
31	7.3	9	10.8
32	7.5	9.4	11.3
33	7.8	9.7	11.7
34	8.1	10.1	12.1
35	8.4	10.5	12.6
36	8.6	10.8	13
37	9	11.2	13.5
38	9.3	11.6	14
39	9.4	11.7	14.1
40	9.5	11.8	14.2

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.