Recommended Daily Amount Of Food Energy For Pregnant Woman

Gaining weight during pregnancy is an important factor in producing a healthy baby. The energy that we get from food is derived from the amount of calories that we consume throughout the day. During pregnancy, your health care provider will likely advise you to increase your caloric intake to be sure that your baby is born with a healthy birth weight. Keep in mind that ingesting more calories does not mean gaining too much weight. Maintaining a healthy diet with well-rounded nutrition is important during pregnancy to assure that your baby and you are healthy.

Pre-Pregnancy BMI

Body mass index is a measurement that health care providers use to assess your weight and overall health. To determine your BMI, divide your weight by your height in inches. Your health care provider can assess whether your BMI is healthy or if you are underweight or overweight. If you are underweight, you will need to gain more weight by ingesting more calories throughout your pregnancy to be sure your baby is born with a healthy birth weight. If you are overweight, you likely will not need to increase your caloric intake and in fact might need to limit it. Your top priority during pregnancy should be your and your baby's health, so going into a pregnancy with too much extra weight can be harmful to your and your baby.

First Trimester

Women generally are more active in their first trimester than their second or third, so depending on your activity level you might still be burning a high amount of calories throughout the day. Nausea during pregnancy is most prevalent during this time as well, so gaining weight might not come easily. Doctors recommend an intake of an extra 150 to 200 calories per day during the first trimester. This gradual increase will help keep your weight gain to between 1 and 1.5 lbs. per month.

Second Trimester

Your activity level is likely to decrease during your second trimester, so you likely will be burning fewer calories throughout the day. It is also recommended that your caloric intake level be increased to an extra 400 to 500 calories from your pre-pregnancy intake to support your growing fetus. Guidelines suggest gaining an extra half pound to a pound per week. A lack of weight gain during the second trimester can result in a baby with a low birth weight.

Third Trimester

During the end of the third trimester, the baby is said to gain about a pound per week. Your caloric intake must be enough to support your body as well as the baby's during this time. Continuing with the extra 400 to 500 calories per day, the same amount as during your second trimester, is recommended during the third trimester. Toward the end of the third trimester, you will likely be gaining at least 1 lb. per week. If you were at a normal weight prior to your pregnancy, it is recommended that a healthy amount of 25 to 35 lbs. be gained by this time.