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Experts suggest that during pregnancy, a woman should gain weight in order to maintain her health along with the baby’s health. But it doesn’t mean you eat twice as much as usual. Over-eating not only can harm the pregnant women, but also their babies. A pregnant woman should follow a healthy lifestyle to manage her pregnancy weight gain, support her baby’s health and find no difficulty in losing extra pounds after delivery.
There are many factors that are associated with the amount of weight you need to gain during pregnancy. Few of those factors are pre-pregnancy weight and body mass index (BMI). Your health and your baby’s health also plays a role in it. As there is not any particular approach to pregnancy weight gain, consult your doctor to help determine what’s right for you.
You can consider these general guidelines for pregnancy weight gain
|
Pre-pregnancy weight |
Recommended weight gain |
|
Underweight (BMI<18.5) |
28-40 lbs. (about 13-18 kg) |
|
Normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9) |
25-35 lbs. (about 11-16 kg) |
|
Overweight (BMI 25-29.9) |
15-25 lbs. (about 7-11 kg) |
|
Obese (BMI ) |
11-20 lbs. (about 5-9 kg) |
If you are carrying twins or other multiples, you may need to gain more weight. Kindly consult your doctor for the amount of weight you need to gain, if carrying twins or other multiples.
You can consider these general guidelines for pregnancy weight gain if carrying twins
|
Pre-pregnancy weight |
Recommended weight gain |
|
Normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9) |
37-54 lbs. (about 17-25 kg) |
|
Overweight (BMI 25-29.9) |
31-50 lbs. (about 14-23 kg) |
|
Obese (BMI ) |
25-42 lbs. (about 11-19 kg) |
When you are overweight
Pre-pregnancy overweight can increase the risk of many pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. Experts suggest that the women – who are overweight or obese – should safely work on weight gain. Work with your doctor to determine the best suited weight gain strategy.
When you are underweight
It is necessary for a woman – who is underweight – to gain a reasonable amount of weight during pregnancy. Without extra weight, the baby might be born earlier than expected.
When you gain too much
An excess amount of weight gain during pregnancy can increase the risk of various chronic health conditions. In fact, it can also increase your baby’s risk of health issues.
[NOTE: Above mentioned guidelines are general information. Kindly consult a doctor before planning your pregnancy weight gain strategy]
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