Weight gain during pregnancy: when and how much

Weight gain during pregnancy: when and how much

Weight gain during pregnancy: when and how much

Pregnancy is a period in a woman's life when every kilogram gained is perceived with joy. And if in the first trimester the weight of the expectant mother changes insignificantly, then with the growth of the child it begins to grow steadily. During this period, it is important not to go "beyond the boundaries of what is permissible" and not to gain excess weight, which can significantly complicate the process of pregnancy and, accordingly, the birth itself.

We weigh ourselves correctly

Weighing is an obligatory ritual for a pregnant woman. The most accurate readings can be obtained by getting on the scales in the morning before breakfast. For this procedure, select one piece of clothing and try not to change it at every weigh-in: this way you will see the most accurate indicators of weight change. Write the resulting numbers in a special notebook.

In addition, once a month (after 28 weeks - 2 times) before going to the doctor's appointment, the expectant mother is weighed in the antenatal clinic.

Average rate of weight gain during pregnancy

A woman during pregnancy should gain from 9 to 14 kg, while waiting for twins - from 16 to 21 kg. It is worth emphasizing that this indicator is calculated on the basis of average data, and may vary upward and downward.

In the  first trimester, the  weight does not change much: a woman usually gains no more than 2 kg. Starting  from the second trimester,  it changes more rapidly: 1 kg per month (or up to 300 g per week), and  after seven months  - up to 400 g per week (about 50 g per day). A bad signal will be a complete lack of weight gain or a rapid jump.

Such a calculation does not always show the real picture of weight change, because some women can greatly gain weight at the very beginning of pregnancy, while others, on the contrary, get fat before childbirth.

How does a woman gain weight during pregnancy?

The main part of the gained kilograms falls on the share of the child himself, whose weight, on average, is about 3-4 kg. Exactly the same amount is allocated by doctors for body fat. The uterus and amniotic fluid weigh up to 2 kg, the increase in blood volume is about 1.5-1.7 kg. At the same time, the afterbirth and the enlargement of the mammary glands are not lost from attention (0.5 kg each point). The weight of extra fluid in a pregnant woman's body can range from 1.5 to 2.8 kg.

Based on these calculations, the expectant mother can gain up to 14 kg of weight and not worry about extra pounds.

Factors affecting the number of pounds gained

A number of factors affect how many kilograms a woman will eventually gain during pregnancy:

• the initial weight of the expectant mother

Interestingly, thin young ladies are gaining weight much faster than ladies in the body. And the further from the norm was their "pre-pregnant" weight, the faster it will change in a positive direction in the process of carrying a baby.

• tendency to corpulence

Even if you adhered to a strict diet and did effective physical exercise before pregnancy, during the happy wait, nature will still give you a couple of extra pounds.

• growth

It is generally accepted that the taller a woman is, the more kilograms she will gain during pregnancy.

• large fruit

This is a natural indicator. A woman expecting a child with a large weight gains more than average herself.

• dropsy of pregnancy

Edema signals the accumulation of a large amount of fluid in the body, which also tends to "weigh down" its owner.

• toxicosis of the first and gestosis of the third trimesters of pregnancy

The nausea and vomiting that often accompany these conditions can lead to weight loss.

• increased appetite

This factor, directly related to an increase in the level of estrogen, a pregnant woman is simply obliged to take under control, otherwise she faces a set of extra, absolutely unnecessary, pounds.

• polyhydramnios

An increase in the amount of amniotic fluid also affects the number of kilograms shown by the arrow of the scale.

• age

In adulthood, a woman is more likely to exceed the weight gain standards set by doctors.

The formula for calculating the rate of weight gain during pregnancy

Each pregnant woman can independently calculate the weight gain permissible for her physique during pregnancy. First you need to get your body mass index (BMI). It is calculated very easily: you need to divide the weight in kilograms by the height in square meters.

There is a conditional division of women by body type, based on the body mass index:

Group 1 (up to 19.8) - thin women;

Group 2 (19.8-26) - women of average build;

Group 3 (from 26) - obese women.

Knowing the index, just check your readings during weighing with the numbers in special table

  

Pregnancy week	BMI <19.8	BMI = 19.8 - 26.0	BMI> 26.0
	Weight gain, kg
2	0.5	0.5	0.5
4	0.9	0.7	0.5
6	1.4	1.0	0.6
8	1.6.	1.2	0.7
ten	1.8	1.3	0.8
12	2.0	1.5	0.9
fourteen	2.7	1.9	1.0
sixteen	3.2	2.3	1.4
18	4.5	3.6	2.3
20	5.4	4.8	2.9
22	6.8	5.7	3.4
24	7.7	6.4	3.9
26	8.6	7.7	5.0
28	9.8	8.2	5.4
thirty	10.2	9.1	5.9
32	11.3	10.0	6.4
34	12.5	10.9	7.3
36	13.6	11.8	7.9
38	14.5	12.7	8.6
40	15.2	13.6	9.1

When calculating the permissible weight gain, you can also be guided by the scale of the average physiological gain, which is used by doctors from the 7th month of pregnancy. Based on the data of this scale, the expectant mother should gain about 20 g per week for every 10 cm of her height.

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Some pregnant women, noticing that they are beginning to gain weight at an accelerated pace, begin to limit themselves in food or even go on a diet. In no case should this be done, since a lack of calories can have a very negative effect on the health of the baby. The optimal solution would be a trip to the doctor and an active lifestyle: yoga classes, going to the pool, frequent walks and gymnastics for pregnant women.