Pregnancy Weight Gain

Every woman knows about pregnancy weight gain. But, it may surprise you to learn how much weight you should gain, what the best diet is, how to go about gaining weight, and when you should gain the majority of your pregnancy weight.

What is the Right Amount of Pregnancy Weight Gain?

You should gain 30-35 pounds during your entire pregnancy. If you are overweight, experts want you to gain 25-30 pounds. If you underweight you will want to gain 35-40 pounds. If you are carrying multiples, you will want to gain about 5-10 extra pounds for each baby you’re carrying (if you carry them to term). The majority of pregnancy weight gain will be gained during the second and third trimester.

How Should I Gain Weight During Pregnancy?

• Do not eat as if you were eating for two. If you really want to eat for two, pretend that one of the two is tiny creature that doesn’t actually need much sustenance from you.
• You should be eating about 2,300-2,400 calories a day in the second and third trimesters. This is not a huge increase over what you should be eating pre-pregnancy.
• You should be getting gaining your pregnancy weight slowly.

What Should I Eat?

• 6 to 11 servings of grain products
• 4 to 6 servings of milk and milk products
• 3 to 5 servings of vegetables
• 3 to 4 servings of lean meat and proteins
• 2 to 4 servings of fruits

• You should also be taking a prenatal vitamin to assist with your iron, calcium, and folic acid needs.
• Drink at least eight glasses of healthy fluids a day (primarily water). Healthy fluids include de-caffeinated tea, milk, and some juices. If you drink juice, watch the sugar content.
• You need to be eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Make fruits and vegetables easier to eat. Nibble on carrots at your desk with a low-fat veggie dip. Cut up fruits and vegetables and keep them in a bowl in your refrigerator for a quick snack. Munch on dried fruit when you are shopping or stuck in traffic.
• If you’re not eating whole wheat, switch your bread from white to whole wheat. You can also eat brown rice rather than white and wheat pasta.

What Should I Avoid?

There are some things you shouldn’t eat or ingest during pregnancy-- primarily alcohol, caffeine, tobacco products, and recreational drugs. There are also some food items you should avoid for the health of you and your baby.

However, if you are worried about pregnancy weight gain, consider the following tips:

• Decrease your sweets intake. If you have to have ice cream, consider mixing it with fruit, or eating a sweeter cereal with milk.
• Decrease your fast food intake. If fast foods are a necessary evil, try to choose items like grilled chicken sandwiches, salads, or fruit.
• Decrease your junk food intake. Try to eat fewer chips, crackers, cookies, and other items. Replace them with fruits and vegetables.
• Try to avoid fatty and overly processed protein sources like bacon and sausage.

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