You can't avoid the weight scale during pregnancy. Regular visits to your obstetrician for prenatal care include routine weight measurements. Monitoring weight gain is an important factor in a healthy pregnancy. Ideal weight gain for each person varies, but for your and your baby's health, avoid gaining too much or too little weight during pregnancy.
Pre-Pregnancy Analysis
Calculating how much weight to put on during pregnancy depends on your weight before pregnancy. Body mass index is a measure of body fat, and it's the key to determining your healthy pregnancy weight gain. So first determine your pre-pregnancy BMI using your height and pre-pregnancy weight. You will then be able to determine if you fall into the pre-pregnancy categories of healthy weight, underweight, overweight or obese.
Healthy Weight Gain Ranges
A BMI between 19 and 24.9 before pregnancy means you fall into the healthy weight category. You should ideally gain 25 to 35 lbs. during pregnancy. A BMI of less than 19 indicates underweight status, making it important to gain more during pregnancy. The recommended weight gain in this case is above 35 lbs. to ensure your growing fetus gets as much nutrients as possible. You are overweight if your BMI falls between 25 and 29.9, making the recommended weight gain during pregnancy less. If you're in this category, you should gain between 15 and 25 lbs. The most concerning BMIs are 30 or above. At this range, you are considered obese, and weight gain should be about 15 lbs. Excess weight during pregnancy carries the risk of additional health concerns for the growing baby and the mommy.
Health Risks
If you're someone who believes you can eat whatever you want and gain inordinate amounts of weight, or if you're overweight or obese to begin with and are careless with your weight gain, you're at risk. Gestational diabetes and high blood pressure during pregnancy, called pre-eclampsia, are two serious health concerns associated with excessive weight gain. Other concerns are giving birth to a large-weight baby, a possible cesaerean delivery, preterm births and varicose veins. On the other hand, you don't want to lose or limit weight gain during pregnancy. You would then risk giving birth to a baby with a less-than-ideal birth weight, under 5 1/2 lbs.
Considerations
Ideal weight gain during pregnancy isn't just a number -- it's an indication of better safety and health for you and your baby. Put on weight slowly and steadily during pregnancy. Doing so provides your baby a steady stream of nutrients for healthy growth. Gaining less than 4 lbs. during your first trimester isn't a concern if you make it up later with total healthy weight gain. The best way to gain weight during pregnancy is to balance a healthy diet with moderate activity and exercise cleared by your doctor.
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