Pregnancy
Weight Gain in Pregnancy
Congratulations on your pregnancy! You are about to embark on a wonderful journey filled with happiness, new discoveries, and weight gain in pregnancy. Yes, it is inevitable. All women gain weight during their pregnancy, and not only is it perfectly normal, it is healthy. This is one of the only times in a woman’s life that she will be encouraged to gain weight. Revel in it! Only, not too much.
Whatever you do, don't think you can diet to eliminate weight gain during pregnancy. Not only is this extremely unhealthy for both you and the baby, but it will prove ineffective. An average expected weight gain for pregnant women is around 30 pounds. That's not a lot of weight, so don’t panic! In order to truly understand the importance of weight gain during pregnancy, it may help to see where the weight will be going. Remember, this is just an approximation. Every woman, and every pregnancy, is different.
It may seem odd that you’ll be gaining about 30 pounds to carry a small little baby, but consider that the body is constantly changing and growing during the cycle of pregnancy. Let's say, for arguments sake, that the baby weighs 7 to 8 pounds. Let's see where the weight gain in pregnancy will go.
Size of baby: 7 to 8 pounds
Increased breast size: 1 to 3 pounds (all men stand up and cheer!)
Larger uterus: 2 pounds
Placenta: 1 1/2 pounds
Amniotic fluid: 2 pounds
Increased blood volume: 3 to 4 pounds
Increased fluid volume: 2 to 3 pounds
Fat stores: 6 to 8 pounds
Look at all that fluid that the pregnant body produces! It makes up for about 1/3 of the overall weight gain.
Now, just because a pregnant woman is expected to gain weight, does not mean she should go overboard. If healthy eating habits are practiced, with an occasional indulgence here and there, the extra weight gained during pregnancy should come off quickly after birth. If, however, a pregnant woman makes poor food choices, and eats in abundance, she'll have a more difficult time getting rid of the excess weight.
Enjoy your pregnancy, and be sure to eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, and other vitamin enriched foods. You will feel healthy, look great, and give your baby a wonderful start to life. We hope you enjoyed reading about weight gain in pregnancy
