How to Manage Weight Gain During Pregnancy

By babygetgreen

In early pregnancy you may think gaining 25 lbs. is so much you'll be completely fine with weight gain during pregnancy. But, even in the first trimester it can easily get out of hand, then onto the second and third trimesters! Here are some steps to help you manage the weight gain no matter where you are at in your pregnancy.

Step 1

Be aware of what normal weight gain in pregnancy should be.

A good average to consider is between 25 and 30 pounds. The weight is spread out between the weight of the baby, placenta, uterus, amniotic fluid, breasts, extra blood volume, fat, and tissue fluid. This starts to add up. But, at the same time, you don't need a lot of extra fat. This will make pregnancy harder as well as losing weight post pregnancy.

Adding 300 calories per day is what is recommended for a pregnant woman. This is not a ton of food. Be realistic about what "eating for 2" is really like and don't just use it as a way to eat whatever you want whenever you want...that will most likely put on too much weight quickly.

Step 2
Be healthy.

Even though there is a healthy average, there isn't an exact number for what you should gain during pregnancy and weight gain will depend on a lot of different factors - pre-pregnancy weight, your height, the weight of the baby, etc. Most importantly, you want to be healthy - with food and exercise.

Step 3
Follow the food guide pyramid. There is also a "healing food pyramid" by the University of Michigan that gives great guidelines for healthy food. Try to stick to that as much as you can to get or stay healthy in your journey of pregnancy. Check out the resource section for a link.

Step 4
Get active.

Make sure to check with your doctor as you add or increase physical activity, but usually this is a positive thing. Obviously, don't go overboard. There are certain activities that may not be safe for pregnant women...know your limits.

Step 5
Make weight gain in pregnancy gradual.

Normal weight gain in the first trimester is about 4-5 lbs. After that you gradually increase. within the second and third trimester (around 20 weeks or so) its normal to gain about 1 lb./week and then it may taper off toward the end (or you may continue with the lb. per week).