Here's How Much Weight You Should Gain During Your Pregnancy
Putting on too many pounds raises the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth
11 November 2018
How much weight is it healthy to gain during my pregnancy?
It’s natural to be concerned about your food intake and how much weight you could gain.
However, modest weight gain is thought to be important during pregnancy.
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Your weight will increase because of the weight of the baby and the placenta, as well as the extra body fluid, blood, fat stores and tissue your body builds to protect your baby.
These amount to around 10-12kg in total for women of normal weight before pregnancy.
Different with every woman
If you’re overweight or obese, so long as you’re eating a varied and balanced diet, it may be a lesser amount.
The amount of weight gain during pregnancy varies between individuals - women aren’t routinely weighed while pregnant though they’ll normally be weighed at their first booking appointment.
SEE ALSO: Everything You Need To Know About Prenatal Vitamins
Excess weight in pregnancy (either being obese before pregnancy or gaining too much weight) is linked to:
- risk of miscarriage
- premature birth
- gestational diabetes
- stillbirth
What’s important in pregnancy isn’t a focus on losing weight but on eating a varied and balanced diet, while avoiding a reliance on energy-dense foods - around 2,000 calories per day, with about 200 more per day in the last few months of pregnancy.
The common idea of ‘eating for two’ in pregnancy is a myth and the focus should be on eating healthily and adopting or carrying on with a healthy lifestyle.
