Gaining enough weight during pregnancy is important for your baby to grow and be healthy. Inadequate weight gain may occur when too few calories are consumed during pregnancy. Sometimes your doctor may recommend drinking a nutrition supplement. Choosing high-calorie supplements is important. Instant breakfast mixes are popular since you can simply stir them into milk. Other supplemental drinks may also be recommended for weight gain.
Recommended Weight Gain During Pregnancy
The amount of weight you should gain depends on how much you weighed before you were pregnant. BMI, or body mass index, is used to determine your recommended weight gain during pregnancy. Most women with a normal BMI before pregnancy should gain between 25 and 35 lbs. For overweight women, the expected weight gain is between 15 and 25 lbs. If your BMI was considered in the obese range, weight gain should be between 11 and 20 lbs.
Nestle Carnation Products
Carnation Breakfast Essentials can be found at many grocery stores. This product comes in a powder that can be mixed with cow's milk, soy or lactose-reduced milk. This supplement also comes in ready-to-drink bottles, and can provide up to 14 g of protein in one serving. One 8 oz. bottle of rich milk chocolate Carnation Breakfast Essentials provides 260 calories. The extra calories and nutrients that this supplement provides may help you gain weight during your pregnancy.
Ensure
Ensure is a nutrition supplement that is full of calories and nutrients. This supplement is intended for between-meal snacks or added with your meals. It comes in a variety of flavors such as vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. This supplement is lactose-free but does contain some milk and soy ingredients. One 8 oz. bottle of Ensure provides 250 calories and 9 g of protein. This is a type of supplement that your doctor should recommend. It is not safe to drink supplements without your doctor's approval, because you may not need to gain additional weight.
Boost
Boost is another nutrition drink that can be used for a supplemental calorie booster. This supplement is also lactose-free. In one 8 oz. bottle, you get 240 calories and 10 g of protein. This supplement is marketed as an energy drink, but it does not contain caffeine. It contains only healthy nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Pregnant women should consult with their primary physicians about the use of nutritional drinks.
