The exact amount of weight gain during pregnancy depends on how much you weighed before getting pregnant. According to doctors, women with normal weight before conception should put on 25 to 35 pounds after getting pregnant. Underweight women should gain 28 to 40 pounds while overweight women may need to gain only 15 to 25 pounds during pregnancy. Therefore, it is important to consult your health care provider to determine how much weight you should gain during pregnancy.
Facts about Pregnancy
Some facts to remember about weight gain in pregnancy are listed below:
- Weight gain during pregnancy is a must for a healthy child. Do not restrict the quality or quantity of food to prevent a hefty weight gain as this can increase the risk of fetal retardation.
- As a general rule, monitor your weight only once a week. Doing it too often will make you feel lousier. Don't be discouraged by a weight gain that is more than expected for the graph is very rarely a smooth curve.
- Use the online calculators that make all the calculations for free. This is because the weight you gain depends on various parameters like your height, weight, abdominal muscle tone, size of the baby, etc.
- Even though weight gain is a must, don't let the monitoring stop. Too much weight can lead to delivery complications, often increasing the chances of a cesarean delivery. There is also a risk of an obese baby or of the mother retaining too much weight post delivery.
- Before planning a pregnancy, try to achieve a normal BMI. An overweight pregnancy carries higher risk of serious complications, like gestational diabetes, and preeclampsia. Such women may even have trouble starting and continuing breastfeeding.
- An underweight pregnancy or low weight gain in pregnancy increases the risk of delivering a preterm infant or even low-birth weight of the baby. Babies under 5.5 pounds show serious health problems and stand low chances of survival.
All week by week weight gain calculations differ from one woman to another. They are made on a woman's specific BMI (Body Mass Index). A woman's BMI is calculated by dividing her weight in kilograms by her height in meters square. There are many websites on the Internet that offer free BMI calculations. You can categorize yourself as underweight, normal, overweight, or obese based on your pre-pregnancy BMI calculations. A BMI of less than 18.5 is categorized as underweight. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.5 is normal, while that between 25 and 29.9 is overweight, and anything above 30 is obese. Depending on your categorization, your weight graph should follow one of the tables below. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) gave the following figures in its May 2009 report, highlighting the weight gain in pregnant women by trimester.
| Pre-pregnancy Weight Gain |
BMI |
Weight Gain |
| Normal |
18.5 to 24.9 |
25 to 35 pounds |
| Underweight |
Below 18.5 |
28 to 40 pounds |
| Overweight |
25 to 29.9 |
15 to 25 pounds |
| Obese |
More than 30 |
11 to 20 pounds |
If one is carrying twins, you should be gaining more than what the chart suggests and your pregnancy care giver will guide you on those figures.
Normal Pregnancy Weight Gain
As a normal weight woman, you should roughly gain about 25 to 35 lbs while you're pregnant. This should be translated as gaining 4 pounds every 4 weeks over the last two trimesters of your pregnancy. If you have a healthy weight before pregnancy, you should gain 3 to 5 pounds during the first trimester and 1 to 2 pounds per week during the second and third trimesters. Your weight gain should follow the following calendar (all figures are in pounds).
| Weeks |
Minimum Weight Gain |
Maximum Weight Gain |
Normal Weight Gain |
| 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2 |
0.28 |
0.40 |
0.34 |
| 4 |
0.28 |
0.40 |
0.34 |
| 6 |
0.28 |
0.40 |
0.34 |
| 8 |
0.28 |
0.40 |
0.34 |
| 10 |
0.28 |
0.40 |
0.34 |
| 12 |
0.42 |
1.98 |
1.70 |
| 14 |
0.42 |
1.98 |
1.70 |
| 16 |
0.42 |
1.98 |
1.70 |
| 18 |
0.42 |
1.98 |
1.70 |
| 20 |
1.88 |
2.64 |
2.26 |
| 22 |
1.88 |
2.64 |
2.26 |
| 24 |
1.88 |
2.64 |
2.26 |
| 26 |
1.88 |
2.64 |
2.26 |
| 28 |
1.88 |
2.64 |
2.26 |
| 30 |
1.42 |
1.98 |
1.70 |
| 32 |
1.42 |
1.98 |
1.70 |
| 34 |
1.42 |
1.98 |
1.70 |
| 36 |
1.42 |
1.98 |
1.70 |
| 38 |
1.42 |
1.98 |
1.70 |
| 40 |
1.42 |
1.98 |
1.70 |
Underweight Pregnancy Weight Gain
If you are underweight before pregnancy, you should gain 5-6 pounds or more in your first trimester. You should gain 1-2 pounds per week in the second and third trimesters. Your week by week weight gain should progress as follows(all figures are in pounds).
| Weeks |
Minimum Weight Gain |
Maximum Weight Gain |
Normal Weight Gain |
| 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2 |
0.30 |
0.46 |
0.37 |
| 4 |
0.30 |
0.46 |
0.37 |
| 6 |
0.30 |
0.46 |
0.37 |
| 10 |
0.30 |
0.46 |
0.37 |
| 12 |
1.58 |
2.27 |
1.91 |
| 14 |
1.58 |
2.27 |
1.91 |
| 16 |
1.58 |
2.27 |
1.91 |
| 18 |
1.58 |
2.27 |
1.91 |
| 20 |
2.11 |
3.02 |
2.55 |
| 22 |
2.11 |
3.02 |
2.55 |
| 24 |
2.11 |
3.02 |
2.55 |
| 26 |
2.11 |
3.02 |
2.55 |
| 28 |
2.11 |
3.02 |
2.55 |
| 30 |
1.58 |
2.27 |
1.91 |
| 32 |
1.58 |
2.27 |
1.91 |
| 34 |
1.58 |
2.27 |
1.91 |
| 36 |
1.58 |
2.27 |
1.91 |
| 38 |
1.58 |
2.27 |
1.91 |
| 40 |
1.58 |
2.27 |
1.91 |
Overweight Pregnancy Weight Gain
If you are overweight before pregnancy, you should gain around 1 or 2 pounds during the first trimester and approximately 1 pound per week during the last 6 months. Your graph should progress as follows (all figures in pounds).
| Weeks |
Minimum Weight Gain |
Maximum Weight Gain |
Normal Weight Gain |
| 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2 |
0.17 |
0.28 |
0.22 |
| 4 |
0.17 |
0.28 |
0.22 |
| 6 |
0.17 |
0.28 |
0.22 |
| 8 |
0.17 |
0.28 |
0.22 |
| 10 |
0.17 |
0.28 |
0.22 |
| 12 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 14 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 16 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 18 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 20 |
1.12 |
1.87 |
1.49 |
| 22 |
1.12 |
1.87 |
1.49 |
| 24 |
1.12 |
1.87 |
1.49 |
| 26 |
1.12 |
1.87 |
1.49 |
| 28 |
1.12 |
1.87 |
1.49 |
| 30 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 32 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 34 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 36 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 38 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 40 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
Obese Pregnancy Weight Gain
If your pre-pregnancy BMI suggests that you are obese, the calculator suggests the following weight gain schedule for you (all figures in pounds).
| Weeks |
Minimum Weight Gain |
Maximum Weight Gain |
Normal Weight Gain |
| 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2 |
0.17 |
0.28 |
0.22 |
| 4 |
0.17 |
0.28 |
0.22 |
| 6 |
0.17 |
0.28 |
0.22 |
| 8 |
0.17 |
0.28 |
0.22 |
| 10 |
0.17 |
0.28 |
0.10 |
| 12 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 14 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 16 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 18 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 20 |
1.12 |
1.87 |
1.49 |
| 22 |
1.12 |
1.87 |
1.49 |
| 24 |
1.12 |
1.87 |
1.49 |
| 26 |
1.12 |
1.87 |
1.49 |
| 28 |
1.12 |
1.87 |
1.49 |
| 30 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 32 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 34 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 36 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 38 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
| 40 |
0.85 |
1.41 |
1.12 |
Take the weekly schedule seriously, and be sure to follow your weight gain chart. Ensure that you eat enough proteins, carbohydrates, and essential vitamins and minerals. Know that your heart has enlarged itself to reach a capacity to pump blood for both of you (almost 20% more). Know that your uterus grows more than 1000 times its original size to accommodate your little one, and help your body to deal with all these changes.
Disclaimer:
This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.