What You Need to Know About Weight Gain During Pregnancy

How should expectant mothers view weight gain during pregnancy?  Healthy weight gain during pregnancy is very much expected and should never cause any concern. Usually, a baby in the womb weighs around 15 to 35 pounds and this is dependent on the weight of the mother.  An average of one pound is added every month during the course of the pregnancy and this is reason enough why weight gain is a must.  Some essential facts should also make us aware that excessive weight gain during pregnancy can also be risky. Here are some pregnancy weight gain facts which will shed more light on the matter.

There is a good reason why mothers need to provide a healthy environment for their baby. The unborn baby is still dependent on their mother for nutrition. The development of the baby in the womb is also an important indicator usually manifested in weight gain. 

What causes the weight gain during pregnancy? The baby weighs more or less 8 pounds. Placenta, uterus and amniotic fluid also weigh 2 pounds each. Maternal tissues and blood also add up to 8 to ten pounds. The body also needs to store nutrients for the baby and this is another 8 pounds of weight gain in order to feed the baby all the necessary food for the baby’s growth.  If you sum up all of these, there’s about 20 to 35 pounds added to the mom’s weight. So how should someone know if she has healthy weight gain?

The body’s weight is best explained through the body mass index. It measures up the weight relative to the height. If a mother is underweight, she should at least gain 28 to 40 pounds during pregnancy. For overweight moms, they should around be around from 15 to 25 pounds. These ideal calculations are of course not applicable to mothers having multiple births or having a large baby.

Moms usually have a hard time gaining weight during the first trimester. This must be because of some issues like morning sickness and other factors.  The baby during this time only needs few calories so there’s no need to be overly concern about it.

Moms are always recommended to eat healthy kinds of food so she can provide the needed nutrients to the baby. Gaining weight does not mean taking in foods that are completely junk. Doctors and nutritionists can recommend healthy diets and food choices for mothers.

The extra weight during the pregnancy is easily shed off after giving birth, especially when starting to breastfeed the baby. It is a fact that mothers burn more than 1000 calories during breastfeeding so she can easily go back to her original weight. Exercise is also the best way to get back into shape.

With all of these facts in mind, most moms should not have to worry about weight gain during pregnancy. The mere knowledge that her body can hold a precious life and takes good care of him or her for the next nine months is truly a miracle.

Criss White is a professional article writer who writes about pregnancy, babies, and other family topics. If you are celebrating your new baby with a baby shower, visit our website to check out some baby shower themes and some baby shower ideas.