If you’re concerned about how much weight you should gain during your pregnancy, it is important to remember that everyone is different. There is no perfect number of pounds to gain, but there are a couple things to keep in mind and be aware of during your pregnancy or before you have your child.
Talk to Your Doctor
This first thing to do when you’re planning on conceiving is to discuss it with your doctor. They will be able to tell you where you fall as far as the body mass index, which is sometimes used as an indicator of how healthy someone is likely to be. It is also a great opportunity to discuss any of your questions or concerns, so you know what you should be concentrating on during your pregnancy.
Guidelines
When you’re following body mass index, or BMI, they are separated into underweight, average weight, overweight, and obese. In other words, your current weight is a predictor of how much weight you should gain when you’re pregnant.
Underweight
If you’re underweight before getting pregnant, you are able to gain around 35 pounds while you’re pregnant. This is because you need to have enough support on your body to handle what is going on.
Average Weight
If you are an average weight or recommended weight before pregnancy, you are able to gain around 30 pounds during pregnancy. That means you can gain around 1 pound a week after you first trimester.
Overweight
If you’re already overweight whenever you are conceiving, you have to be a little more careful. You should only be gaining around 20 pounds during pregnancy. This is because you are carrying a little extra weight to begin with, so you have a bit of a buffer.
Obese
If you are obese before conceiving, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have a child, but you’ll have to be cautious because you’re at risk for complications and other things. This is why you are able to gain only about 15 pounds during pregnancy.
Other Factors
It is also important to note that a baby generally weighs around 8 pounds and a placenta and all the fluids associated with it weighs around that much as well, so that’s at least 16 pounds that you will likely need to gain while you’re pregnant.
You should also be aware that much of the weight comes off in the weeks after you have a child, when all the fluids are leaving your body.
Although you need to eat right and get the proper amount of calories while you’re pregnant, you shouldn’t stress too much about weight gain. Stressing out isn’t good for your baby, and as long as you don’t gain too much weight, you are likely to be just fine. There are different conditions that some women get while pregnant however, so do your best to get the correct amount of calories and exercise, so you gain just the right amount of weight.