Many women have questions about weight gain like, “How much should I gain?” and “Can I lose weight?” These and other questions about weight gain during pregnancy can be found below.
Many women have questions about weight gain like, “How much should I gain?” and “Can I lose weight?” These and other questions about weight gain during pregnancy can be found below.
How much weight will I gain?
The total weight gain in pregnancy is dependent upon many factors. The short answer is around 25 pounds. This number is generally accurate for the average female of normal weight before pregnancy. Women who are underweight are asked to gain more weight and women who are overweight are asked to gain less. Having multiple fetuses will increase the weight gain in pregnancy for each additional fetus. For instance, women pregnant with twins will gain more than those with singlets and triplet moms will gain more than twin moms.
Is it okay to have no weight gain in pregnancy?
It used to be considered unhealthy to lose weight or have no weight gain in pregnancy, but doctors are noticing more and more weight loss trends in overweight and obese pregnant patients. Eating healthy for the growing fetus is enough to stimulate weight loss in some cases. This does not mean then fetus is malnourished, just that mom is using more energy than she is consuming and weight loss is the result. This is not to say that an underweight woman or woman of normal weight should record no weight gain in pregnancy.
How much does weight in pregnancy increase with multiples?
This question is hard to answer because each pregnancy is different. You can safely assume an extra 7 to 10 pounds per fetus. This will account for the added weight of the placenta and fetus. There are some women, however, who give birth to twins or triplets that weight 6 to 7 pounds each, so the extra weight gain may be more.
What are the best foods for weight gain in pregnancy?
As is the case with a healthy diet when you are not pregnant, healthy foods for weight gain in pregnancy include whole grains, fiber-rich foods, fruits and vegetables. It is important to eat folic-acid rich foods in addition to taking your prenatal vitamin.
What are the worst foods for weight gain in pregnancy?
Weight gain in pregnancy should not be accomplished via careless eating. Sugary snacks, like cake and ice cream are great once in a while, but they are not a regular snack that should lead to weight gain in pregnancy. Some fish are high in mercury, so stick with low-mercury fish or mercury-free fish oil supplements, approved by your obstetrician, to maintain healthy omega fatty acid intake during pregnancy.
Weight gain in pregnancy is something that has been linked to the future eating habits of an infant, child and young adult. When pregnant women gain too much weight, their infants are at increased risk of obesity for the rest of their lives. Women of normal weight who gain between 20 and 30 pounds in pregnancy are typically considered on track, with no other health conditions coming into consideration.