As much as you might dread it, with pregnancy comes the simple fact that you will gain weight. But how much weight is too much and could you actually not be gaining enough? New mommies have loads to worry about with information coming in from all sides and the fear that you're starting to look enormous for your stage. Well let me give you the skinny on how much weight your should gain during your pregnancy.
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While the target weight differs from woman to woman depending on how much you weighed before conceiving, doctors recommend gaining 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. Spread this weight gain out by gaining one to five pounds in the first trimester and then a pound a week for the rest of your pregnancy.
This recommendation is a little different if your weight was out of its healthy range for your height. If you were overweight before pregnancy, then try to remain in the 15 to 25 pound range for weight gain. If your body mass index (the relationship between heigh and weight) is in the obese range, then only gain 11 to 20 pounds. If you were underweight, increase your caloric intake to gain 28 to 40 pounds during the course of your pregnancy to make sure your child is getting the nutrients it needs without sucking them out of your body's own reserves.
Having twins? Then the weight ranges are 37 to 54 pounds for women starting at a healthy weight, 31 to 50 pounds for moms who are overweight, and 25 to 42 if your body mass index falls in the obese category. Just remember that you don't have to go overboard on the eating just because you're having multiples. Double the babies does not mean double the servings!
Paying close attention to your weight throughout your pregnancy will help avoid risk of diabetes (for you and baby) and hypertension if you pile on too much weight and fatal consequences for your baby if you don't intake enough calories to sustain you both.
