With any pregnancy, you are bound to gain some weight. After all, you have a new life growing inside of you! Some of you may not be certain of how much weight gain is enough, so here it is.
Weight gain breakdown
Here is the rough breakdown of weight you will gain:
- Baby: 3 to 3.5 kg
- Maternal fat and nutrient stores: 3 kg
- Maternal blood: 2 kg
- Maternal tissue fluids: 2 kg
- Maternal breast tissue: 1 kg
- Uterus: 1 kg
- Amniotic Fluid: 1 kg
- Placenta: 0.5 to 1 kg.
That's a total weight gain of between 13.5 kg to 14.5 kg.
If you are pregnant with twins, your weight gain will not double, though it will be more than if you were pregnant with just one. You should be looking at a weight gain of about 17 to 24 kg.
Weight gain throughout the pregnancy
You will gain 0.5 to 2 kg in the first trimester. From the second trimester, you will gain 0.5 to 1 kg per week.
Pre-pregnancy weight and pregnancy weight
Of course, how much weight you gain during your pregnancy is also determined by your pre-pregnancy weight.
If you are at a healthy weight pre-pregnancy, with a BMI (body mass index) of 18.5 to 24.9, you should gain 11 to 16 kg.
If you are underweight pre-pregnancy, with a BMI of less than 18.5, you should gain more, between 13 and 18 kg.
If you are overweight pre-pregnancy, with a BMI of more 25 to 29.9, you should gain less, between 7 and 11 kg.
If you are obese pre-pregnancy, with a BMI of 30 or more, you should gain even less, between 5 and 9 kg.
Don't know your BMI? Click here to calculate it. <
http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmi-m.htm>
If you are not certain about how much weight you should be gaining, don't worry. Your doctor will also be monitoring your weight gain with every check-up, and advise you on your progress.
