Routine appointments with your obstetrician last an average of five minutes throughout your pregnancy. You step on the scale, leave a urine sample, have your measurements taken and are sent on your merry way. If you've ever been chastised by your obstetrician about your pregnancy weight gain, you've probably wondered how those numbers on the scale affect your health and your baby's.
Recommendations
If you begin pregnancy at a healthy weight and are carrying only one baby, doctors recommend that you gain 25 to 35 lbs. during the next nine months. If you are underweight, you should gain 35 to 45 pounds. If you are overweight, you should aim for less than 25 lbs.
Function
If you give birth to a seven-pound baby, you may wonder where the rest of those pounds go. In fact, your amniotic fluid, placenta and increased blood supply account for weight that will vanish effortlessly in the weeks following your baby's birth.
Effects
If you don't gain enough weight during pregnancy, your baby will first deplete your own stored nutrients for sustenance. However, his growth may be stunted eventually by prolonged lack of adequate nutrition.
Conversely, if you gain too much weight, the primary concern is for your health. If you gain more than the recommended amount, you are more likely to have difficulty returning to your pre-pregnancy weight and thus may be at risk for lifelong conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Your risk of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia also rises with excessive weight gain. These pregnancy complications can affect your baby's health, too.
Your baby's birth weight is somewhat related to your pregnancy weight gain. A large baby can lead to increased complications during birth, and possibly a Cesarean section.
Strategies
Weight gain during the first trimester is typically minimal, and you may find that you experience "spurts" of weight gain later in pregnancy. Rather than "eating for two," concentrate on eating nutritious foods. On average, you should consume about 300 extra calories per day during the second and third trimesters.
Considerations
If you have miserable morning sickness throughout pregnancy, your weight gain is likely to be less than that of your neighbor who is ravenously hungry for nine months. Every woman's body is different. Exercise, eat healthfully, and most of all, focus on enjoying your pregnancy.
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