For most women, the idea of gaining weight, even during pregnancy can seem daunting. The majority of women gain from fifteen to thirty five pounds during the average pregnancy, which may seem impossible to take off after the baby, is born.  Many women take measures to control the amount of weight they will gain during the pregnancy, watching what they eat, consuming lots of water and ensuring that they are consuming natural foods, lots of fruits, vegetables and lean proteins.

How much weight should a woman gain during pregnancy? For women that are underweight, it is recommended that she gain up to thirty pounds throughout the duration of the pregnancy. For women that are of an average weight, the weight gain will most often come in between fifteen and twenty five pounds. For women that are considered to be Obese, a weight gain of fifteen pounds is appropriate throughout the course of the pregnancy. Most weight gain will occur in the second and third trimester, as in the first semester many women find that they lose weight because of morning sickness or indigestion. You can speak with your health care professional to discuss your goals to maintain your health during pregnancy. 

Where exactly is this weight distributed throughout the pregnancy? The average weights are as follows; the baby is approximately 8 lbs, the placenta is 2-3 pounds, breast tissue 2-3 pounds, amniotic fluid 2-3 pounds, extra blood supply 4 lbs, fat deposits for breastfeeding up to 9 lbs and 2-3 pounds for the increased size of the uterus.
Eat Breakfast. When you eat breakfast you can get your metabolism going for the day and burn calories while providing much needed nutrients to the baby that you have growing inside of you. Breakfast is a great time to get the recommended fruits and vegetable servings throughout the day and reduce the hunger that you may face for the rest of the morning – leaving you satisfied until lunch and avoiding snacking to avoid calories.

Make Substitutions. When you make simple substitutions like skim milk rather than whole or 2% you can reduce the amount of calories which are being consumed. Eating fruits and vegetables for snacks rather than processed and refined foods can also save you hundreds of calories per day. Eating smaller meals throughout the day can reduce the amount of sickness that you might feel as well as avoiding fast food and other food products that are high in fat and refined and processed sugars.

Avoid Salt. It is important to avoid salt during pregnancy because salt can cause weight gain within the body due to water retention. This can reflect in the scale, but can also reflect in the swelling that you may experience during pregnancy. It is important to avoid foods that are high in sodium, as well as avoiding adding salt to foods that have previously been cooked.

Using these methods you can gain a healthy amount of weight during the pregnancy and reduce the risks that are associated with excessive weight gain.

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