The weight gain during pregnancy depends on each woman, the pregnancy, the weight she had before, height, ... And we must be attentive to the weight we are taking, it can become a problem to take too much weight as little. Today we are talking about weight in pregnancy to dispel all doubts regarding this issue.
Gaining weight during pregnancy is inevitable. There are women who worry a lot about gaining weight during pregnancy while others pass completely. The truth is that measurement is always the key, to be attentive without obsessing and also knowing when to worry and when not. Doing the medical follow-ups is vital to know if we are in the correct weight gain.
The saying that a pregnant woman has to eat for two is not true. It is a false myth that has spread and that can lead us to overeat during pregnancy. Women only need to increase their calorie intake a little but not twice so that the baby develops properly. During the first trimester, experts advise increasing only about 150 calories a day. From the third trimester it is enough to increase 300 or 400 calories a day.
The most important thing is to have a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet. Increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables, drinking water and doing some exercise are very important to avoid gaining too many kilos.
How much weight do you gain during pregnancy?
This is an issue that worries many women. How much weight is normal to gain throughout the pregnancy. As we have seen before, it will depend on each woman and each pregnancy. The same woman can gain weight in a pregnancy 10 kilos and in another 15 kilos. Normal is between 7 and 12 kilos, although it will depend mainly on the weight that the mother had before becoming pregnant.
- Low mother weight: you usually gain between 12,5 and 18 kilos
- Normal weight: between 11,5 and 16 kilos.
- Overweight: between 7 and 11,5 kilos
- Obesity: between 6 and 7 kilos.
Weight gain doesn't just correspond to the baby's weightIf not, there is also the placenta that weighs between 300 and 500 grams, the uterus that can weigh 500 grams, the plasma volume and the adipose tissue that increases considerably during pregnancy. Breasts can also double in size to prepare for breastfeeding, and water retention increases especially near the end of pregnancy.
When to worry?
It is often believed that pregnant women gain one kilo per month but in reality this is not the case. The first months you can even gain nothing or even lose weight if you suffer from nausea and vomiting. Also with hormonal changes you can lose your appetite. You don't have to worry if that happens. From the third trimester, weight gain begins until the end of pregnancy. If this does not happen, then it would be time to worry.
It tienes extreme thinness is a risk factor for the development of pregnancy and for yourself. It is related to a higher probability of low birth weight, delayed development and growth, premature delivery or threatened abortion. A certain amount of fat is necessary for the hormones that are involved in conception to do their job, and if you are too thin they will not be able to do so. It also affects the time of conception making it difficult.
Having obesity too it is a risk factor for both the baby and the mother. There is a risk to the mother of high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, and an increased chance of cesarean delivery. For babies there is a risk of suffering from spina bifida, heart problems and diabetes among other problems. If you have obesity it would be convenient lose weight before starting the search of pregnancy to prevent problems.
Why remember ... follow the instructions of your gynecologist and if you have doubts, do not forget to consult him to stay calm.