Pregnancy Diet: Foods to increase fetal weight during pregnancy

Congratulations if you are pregnant and progressing well till the time your doctor tells you that your baby’s weight is not increasing as it should. India has been a country with one of the highest shares (35%) of Low Birth Weight and preterm births in the world. Added to this worrisome fact are that premature birth and low birth weight account for more than 40% of overall child mortality in India. Therefore, it is really important for Indians (the entire south Asian region) expecting moms to take good care of fetal weight growth in the pregnancy months.

The fetus is totally dependent on the mother for all its nutrition needs. A pregnant mother needs to take care of her diet to ensure a sufficient supply of blood and nutrients, to the fetus. There are studies that show that the role of good nutrition during pregnancy helps in fetal weight.

What is the Ideal Weight of a Foetus?

The following table is only to give you an idea, and not the ideal baby weight gain, week by week during pregnancy.