All You Need To Know About Weight Gain During Pregnancy

Gaining the right amount of weight during pregnancy matters for both your and your baby’s health. 

Weight gain during pregnancy affects:

• Your baby’s growth and development throughout the pregnancy

• Your ability to lose weight after delivery

Know all about weight gain during pregnancy in the below sections.

Guidelines for weight gain during pregnancy 

What’s considered healthy weight gain during pregnancy depends on several factors, such as your:

• Pre-pregnancy weight 

• Body Mass Index (BMI)

• Health 

• Baby's health 

Whether you’re expecting a singleton baby or multiples, you should consult your doctor to determine the ideal weight gain target for you.

If you’re carrying a singleton baby

Here are some guidelines for weight gain during pregnancy if you’re expecting a singleton baby:

Source: Institute of Medicine and National Research Council

If you're carrying twins or multiples

Here are some guidelines for weight gain during pregnancy if you’re expecting twins or multiples:

Source: Institute of Medicine and National Research Council

Why you need to achieve the recommended weight gain during pregnancy

Gaining the recommended weight during pregnancy is important for both you and your baby’s health.

If weight gain during pregnancy is less than the recommended amount, your newborn could:

• Be too small in size

• Have difficulty breastfeeding

• Be at a greater risk of developing illnesses

• Experience developmental delays

If weight gain during pregnancy is more than the recommended amount: 

• Your baby could be born too large

• There could be complications in the delivery, leading to cesarean delivery

• Your baby could be obese during childhood

• You could retain more weight after pregnancy, which could make you obese

How weight gain during pregnancy happens

Weight gain during pregnancy varies by trimester. 

Weight gain during the first trimester

Usually, you don’t need to gain much weight during the first trimester, which helps if you’re experiencing morning sickness.

If your weight during pregnancy is in the healthy range, all you need to gain is 0.5-1.8 kg in the initial months. You can easily gain this much weight by following a healthy diet. There’s no need to consume extra calories at this stage.

Weight gain in the second and third trimesters

Steady weight gain during pregnancy is essential in the second and third trimesters, especially if you were of a healthy weight or underweight while you got pregnant. 

According to the guidelines for weight gain during pregnancy, you'll need to gain about 0.5 kg each week till childbirth. To achieve this weight gain during pregnancy, you’ll need to consume an extra 300 calories a day. You can add half a sandwich and a glass of skim milk to your diet to achieve this weight.

In the case of obesity, the required weight gain reduces to 0.2 kg a week. Adding a glass of low-fat milk and a serving of fresh fruit to your diet can help you gain this weight.

Weight gain during pregnancy when you're overweight

If you were overweight before you got pregnant, you are at a greater risk of developing pregnancy-related complications, such as:

• Gestational diabetes

• Disorders related to high blood pressure, including preeclampsia 

• Cesarean delivery (C-section)

• Premature birth

It is best to work with your doctor to:

• Figure out how much weight you need to gain during pregnancy

• Get advice on nutrition and physical activity

• Get strategies to manage your weight gain during pregnancy

Weight gain during pregnancy when you're underweight

If you were underweight before you got pregnant, then it is necessary for you to gain the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy. If you don’t gain the additional weight, your baby could be born: 

• Prematurely 

• Smaller than the expected size

Excessive weight gain during pregnancy 

If your weight gain during pregnancy exceeds the recommended amount, it could:

• Increase your baby’s risk of developing health problems, such as being born way larger than the expected size

• Cause complications at birth, e.g., shoulder dystocia

• Increase your risk of obesity post-delivery

Is it safe to lose weight when you’re pregnant?

If you’re overweight before pregnancy, you should try losing weight only on the Doctor’s recommendation and under his/her care. Usually, dieting and weight loss should be avoided during pregnancy.

Distribution of the weight gained during pregnancy

The following is a sample distribution of the weight gained during pregnancy:

• Baby: 3-3.6 kg

• Bigger breasts: 0.5-1.4 kg

• Enlarged uterus: ∼0.9 kg

• Placenta: ∼0.7 kg

• Amniotic fluid: ∼0.9 kg

• Increased blood volume: 1.4-1.8 kg

• Increased fluid volume: 0.9-1.4 kg

• Fat storage for delivery and breastfeeding: 2.7-3.6 kg

Tips to gain the recommended weight during pregnancy

If your Doctor suggests that you need to gain weight during pregnancy, try the following tips:

• Track your weight gain during pregnancy

• Eat 5-6 small meals daily

• Eat a balanced diet, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and lean protein

• Avoid foods high in sugar and solid fats such as fried foods, soft drinks, whole milk, desserts, and fatty meats

• Keep quick, healthy snacks at hand, such as nuts, dry fruits, crackers and cheese, and yogurt

• Add nonfat powdered milk to recipes like scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, and hot cereal

• Add extra high-calorie ingredients to your meals to meet your additional calorie needs, such as butter, peanut butter, margarine, cream cheese, sour cream, gravy, and cheese 

Learn about how to increase fetal weight during pregnancy.

As always, consult your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes during pregnancy. 

Tips to manage excessive weight gain during pregnancy

If you have gained more weight than the recommended amount, talk to your doctor about it. Usually, you should wait until after delivery to lose weight.

Here are some tips to help you slow down your weight gain during pregnancy:

• Eat healthy, low-fat foods

• Try low-fat alternatives to fatty foods 

• Avoid whole milk products

• Avoid sweets and high-calorie snacks

• Eat baked, broiled, grilled, and boiled foods 

• Perform moderate exercises such as walking and swimming

Do consult your doctor before making any lifestyle or dietary changes while you’re pregnant. 

When to See a Doctor

Consult your doctor if you:

• Want to determine how much weight you should gain during pregnancy

• Think that you have gained excessive weight during pregnancy

• Are experiencing weight loss during the second or third trimester

• Have an eating disorder that is affecting your calorie intake

• Need a diet plan to attain the target weight gain during pregnancy

• Are rapidly gaining weight during pregnancy, which could suggest preeclampsia, a pregnancy-related complication that causes high blood pressure

If you have any more questions or concerns about weight gain during pregnancy, feel free to ask our doctors for advice.