Pregnancy is not the time to lose weight. The average weight gain during pregnancy for a woman of normal weight for her height is 25 to 35 lbs. As a general guideline, you should gain a total of 3 to 5 lbs in the first 3 months and about 1 to 2 lbs per week after that.
Total weight gain comes from:
- Fetus – 7 lbs.
- Placenta – 1.5 lbs
- Amniotic fluid – 1.76 lbs.
- Uterus – 2.1 lbs.
- Breast – .9 lbs.
- Blood – 3.2 lbs.
- Extravascular fluid 3.2 lbs.
- Maternal stores (fat) – 7.3 lbs.
- Total 26.96 lbs.
Recommended weight gain during pregnancy is 22 to 35 lbs. The first trimester expected weight gain is 2 to 4 lbs. The 2nd and 3rd trimester is about 1 lb per week or 10 to 12 lbs per trimester.
Note: Weight gain of less than 2 lbs a month on the 2nd and 3rd trimester is a sign of malnutrition. Weight gain of more than 2 lbs a week is a sign of hypertension of pregnancy, this is due to fluid retention.
Your doctor will let you know how much weight gain is appropriate for you at the different stages of pregnancy. If you are gaining weight too fast, limit sweets and high-fat foods such as soda pop, candy, pastry, cakes, cookies and doughnuts. For desserts, choose fruit or an occasional serving of frozen yogurt, sherbet, pudding or gelatin. Choose more low-fat products. Use very little margarine, sour cream, mayonnaise and salad dressing. Try reduced-calorie varieties. Avoid fried foods such as French fries and doughnuts. Do not fry meats, fish and chicken. Bake or boil these foods instead. Remove the skin from chicken. If serving fried foods, remove the coating.
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