Pregnancy Weight Gain

We’ve all heard the “But I’m eating for two” excuse, and maybe some of us have even used it. It is true, and it’s important to eat enough food. The key is eating the right kinds of foods and not overdoing it.

How much weight should I gain?

This answer is different for everyone. The following guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists can help you decide how much is right for your body:

Pre-pregnancy weight	Recommended weight gain (in pounds)
Underweight	28 – 40
Normal weight	25 – 37
Overweight	15 – 25

You will generally gain between 2 and 5 pounds in the first trimester and one pound per week during trimesters two and three. If you are pregnant with twins, expect to gain 35-45 pounds total—about 1 ½ pounds per week during the last two trimesters.

Gaining too much weight can result in gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and early delivery. Not gaining enough weight leads to pre-term delivery and low birth weight.

A recent article in the Washington Post states that

Every one or two point increase in a woman’s BMI between pregnancies translated to an increased risk of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure and delivering a large baby by 20 percent to 40 percent. Women who increased their BMI more than three points between pregnancies had a 63 percent increased risk of delivering a stillborn baby.

For this and more information visit the Washington Post Article.

Other Resources: pregnancy dha, ACOG, American Pregnancy Association.