When you get pregnant, weight gain is part of the package, but it's also one of the few times in your life when you want to gain weight because a growing baby will add pounds to the scale. Pregnancy isn't an excuse to gain an unlimited amount of weight, as there are healthy limits to how much you should gain. But believe it or not, it's common for women to lose weight during pregnancy as well.
Why Weight Loss Happens
Morning sickness is often one of the unfortunate aspects of pregnancy, and when you spend your morning -- or even a good part of your day -- feeling nauseated or throwing up, it's tough to get down enough calories. This makes weight loss particularly common during the morning sickness-prone weeks of the first trimester, says Babycenter.com.
Safety
You don't want to actively try to lose weight and restrict your caloric intake during pregnancy, says Babycenter.com, but if you drop a few pounds during the first trimester, your baby should still get the necessary calories to grow. According to Americanpregnancy.org, your growing baby doesn't need quite as many calories as it will in the later weeks of pregnancy. And if you're already overweight, your body already has built-up stores of fat to help your baby grow, and losing a little weight is fine, says Babycenter.com.
Keeping Weight Healthy
Most women should gain somewhere between 25 and 35 lbs. during pregnancy if they're currently at a healthy body weight, says MayoClinic.com. Overweight women should keep weight gain to between 15 and 25 lbs, and obese women should limit weight gain to between 11 and 20 lbs. But if you're underweight, you've got a little more room to grow -- a weight gain of between 28 and 40 lbs. is considered healthy. Typical weight gain with multiples is between 35 and 45 lbs., says Americanpregnancy.org.
Know Your Body Weight
To help you gauge where you fall, underweight means a body mass index of below 18.5, says MayoClinic.com. A healthy body weight is a BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9, overweight is between 25 and 29.9 and obese is 30 or higher.
Managing Nausea
If you're losing weight due to nausea and loss of appetite, try snacking on light, small portions instead of trying to force down a whole meal, says Marchofdimes.com. Stick with foods that sound and smell appealing, steering clear of greasy and fatty foods. Remember not to let yourself get too hungry, which can make you feel worse. Try calorie-rich foods that might be easy on your tummy, like some peanut butter on toast or a container of yogurt, says Americanpregnancy.org. And try to add healthy fats, like olive oil and avocados, to your meals and snacks.
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